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Abstract: N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been employed as an efficient catalyst for cyanation reaction of carbonyl compounds. Under catalysis of 1mol% NHCs, various aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone coupled with ethyl cyanoformate in THF to provide cyanohydrins ethyl carbonates in excellent yields. While in the presence of 10mol% catalyst, different types of aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone reacted with acetyl cyanide in dichloroethane to give acylated cyanohydrins in moderate to high yields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A detailed analysis of the vibrational spectra of carbonyl cyanide, diethynyl ketone and acetyl cyanide has been conducted in harmonic and anharmonic approximations. RHF, MP2 and density functional theory (DFT) methods with 6-311++G(2df,2p) basis sets and B3LYP functionals have been employed. Spectroscopic constants such as anharmonicity constants, rotational and centrifugal distortion constants, rotation–vibration coupling constants and Coriolis coupling coefficients have been calculated for each molecule and compared with the experimental data, where available. A close agreement between the calculated and experimental values of the spectroscopic constants has been obtained. Complete assignments have been provided to the fundamental bands, overtones and combination tones of the molecules. Density functional theory based anharmonic frequencies compare well with the experimental frequencies within ±18cm−1 on an average. RHF and MP2 methods, however, give much higher values for the frequencies that need scaling even in the anharmonic approximation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]