PROCESS FOR PREPARING ENANTIOMER-ENRICHED CYANOHYDRIN USING ACETAL OR KETAL AS SUBSTRATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process especially suitable for preparing an optically active cyanohydrin in good yield and with greater enantiomeric excess from an unstable carbonyl compound. SOLUTION: The method for preparing the enantiomer-enriched cyanohydrin by using hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) and a cyanide group donor comprises reacting an acetal or ketal of formula (I) in the presence of an (R)- or (S)- hydroxynitrile lyase and a cyanide group donor in an organic, aqueous or two- phase system or in emulsion at a temperature of (-5) to (+40)°C to give the corresponding enantiomer-enriched cyanohydrin of formula (II). COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO