Thiourea-based non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase as bifunctional organocatalysts in the asymmetric Strecker synthesis.

The potential of novel and known pyridyl thiourea derivatives (non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNI) of HIV reverse transcriptase) as bifunctional organic catalysts in the asymmetric Strecker synthesis was investigated. It was shown that incorporation of the imidazolyl moiety in place of a pyridyl group results in a new thiourea derivative that displays a much higher catalytic activity.