Cellulose, cyanohydrin formation

Some insoluble organic macromolecules catalyze polar organic reactions (7). Asymmetric cyanohydrin formation is catalyzed by ami-nated cellulose with 22% optical yield and is an early example of this type of catalysis (8). Polypeptides that create a unique microenvironment through hydrogen bonding catalyze many organic reactions. Poly-[(S)-amino acids] accelerate the epoxidation of chalcone with alkaline... 

The (5)-cyanohydiin formation catalyzed by recombinant MeHNL adsorbed on cellulose in diisopropyl ether as solvent gave only moderate optical yields, but by using nitrocellulose as support, the enantioselectivity was high in most cases [14]. Table 7 shows that recombinant MeHNL exhibits a similar broad substrate range as (/ )-PaHNL from bitter almonds [14]. It catalyzes the cyanohydrin formation with aromatic and heterocyclic as well as with aliphatic aldehydes [14]. 

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