Cyanosilylation of Carbonyl Compounds with Trimethylsilyl Cyanide Catalyzed by an Yttrium‐Pillared Silicotungstate Dimer

An yttrium-pillared silicotungstate dimer (see picture) catalyzes the cyanosilylation of structurally diverse ketones and aldehydes with trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN). The reactions proceed selectively and afford the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers. The catalytic performance is significant, in particular for aldehydes, with a turnover number of 18 000 and a turnover frequency of 540 000 h−1 for n-hexanal.