Synthesis of α-Aminonitriles via Ammonium-Catalyzed Reactions of Aminoacetonitrile.

α-Aminonitriles are not only broadly useful building blocks but also structural motifs in bioactive molecules. The Strecker reaction is one of the most widely used methods for α-aminonitrile synthesis. However, a severe drawback in Strecker reactions is the required use of a stoichiometric amount of toxic cyanation reagents.

Robust and Irreversible Sortase-Mediated Ligation by Empolyment of Sarkosyl.

Sortase-mediated ligation (SML) is a widely used method for peptide and protein ligation due to ease of substrate preparation and fast enzymatic kinetics. But there are drawbacks that limit broader applications. Sorting motif in substrates may not be exposed to sortase efficiently due to folding or aggregation.