Transcyanohydrination

A process for making cyanohydrins having the formula:

• ##STR8## where n is an integer between 0 and 1 inclusive, X is an oxygen or sulfur atom, Z and Z.sup.1 each are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, aryl, cyano or nitro groups having up to 6 carbon atoms which comprises contacting at a temperature between 0.degree. and 50.degree. C at pressures up to 10 atmospheres and for a time ranging from about 10 minutes to about 24 hours a substantially water-insoluble aldehyde having the formula:
• ##STR9## where n, X, Z and Z.sup.1 are defined as above with a ketocyanohydrin having the formula:
• ##STR10## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are alkyl groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together are a 5 or 6 membered alkylene group, in an inert organic solvent in the presence of an organic nitrogen-base wherein the molar ratio of ketocyanohydrin to aldehyde is between about 1 to about 15 and the base is present in an amount equal to about 5 to 50 wt percent based on the ketocyanohydrin.