Industrial Biotransformations

Oxynitrilase
Hevea brasiliensis
1 = m-phenoxybenzaldehyde
2 = (S)-m-phenoxybenzaldehyde cyanohydrin
Fig. 4.1.2.39 – 1
1) Reaction conditions
[1]: [198.22 g · mol –1 ]
medium: biphasic solvent system: aqueous buffer / methyl tert-butyl ether
reaction type: HCN addition
catalyst: whole cells (Hevea brasiliensis cloned and overexpressed in a microbial host
microorganism)
enzyme: hydroxynitrilase (oxynitrilase)
strain: Hevea brasiliensis
CAS (enzyme): [202013-28-3]
2) Remarks
● The biphasic solvent system has also been shown to represent a suitable media for the enzymatic
manufacture of (R)-mandelonitrile on an industrial scale.
● The enzyme can be reused more than 5 times with loss of activity.
3) Flow scheme
Not published.
O
4) Process parameters
yield: 98 %
ee: 98 %
space-time-yield: 2.1 mol · L –1 ·h –1
company: DSM, The Netherlands
5) Product application
1 2
● Intermediate for the manufacture of pyrethroids
O
H
E
+ HCN
O
OH
EC 4.1.2.39
CN
DSM
455