N-(Cyanomethyl)- and N-(α-cyanobenzyl)imines derived from a variety of aldehydes and ketones can tautomerize into N-protonated azomethine ylides which undergo cycloadditions with olefinic dipolarophiles. These cycloadditions are often accompanied by the elimination of HCN, mostly in a stereospecific manner, showing these imines to be synthetic equivalents of nonstabilized nitrile ylides. Stereoselectivity of the cycloadditions is discussed.
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Tsuge et al. (1986) studied this question.
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