Nitriles a-hydroxy

Chiral cyanohydrins are versatile intermediates in the synthesis of a-hydroxy acids, /3-amino alcohols, amino nitriles, a-hydroxy ketones and aziridines. For the synthesis of enantiopure cyanohydrins, the use of hydroxynitrile lyases is currently the most effective approach.Application of an organic-solvent-free system allows thermodynamically hindered substrates to be converted with moderate to excellent yields. With the use of the highly selective hydroxynitrile lyase from Manihot esculenta, the syntheses of several acetophenone cyanohydrins with excellent enantioselectivities were developed (Figure 8.2). (5)-Acetophenone cyanohydrin was synthesized on a preparative scale. ... 

Kinetic and Dynamic Resolution of rac-Nitriles. a-Hydroxy and a-amino acids can be obtained from the corresponding a-hydroxynitriles (cyanohydrins) and a-aminonitriles [684], which are easily synthesized in racemic form from the corresponding aldehyde precursors by addition of hydrogen cyanide or a Strecker synthesis, respectively (Schemes 2.107 and 2.108). In aqueous systems, cyanohydrins are stereochemically labile and undergo spontaneous racemization via HCN elimination, which furnishes a dynamic resolution process. From aliphatic rac-cyanohydrins, whole cells of Torulopsis Candida yielded the corresponding (S)-a-hydroxy acids [685], while (R)-mandelic add is produced from rac-mandelraiitrile... 

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