A solvent-free synthesis of α-aminonitriles and β-nitroamines by oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling under aerobic condition is reported. A catalytic amount of molybdenum(vi) acetylacetonoate was found to catalyze cyanation of tertiary amines to form α-aminonitriles, whereas vanadium pentoxide was found to promote aza-Henry reaction to furnish β-nitroamines. Both of these environmentally benign reactions are performed in the absence of solvents using molecular oxygen as an oxidant.
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Alagiri et al. (2011) studied this question.