Process for producing R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof from a mandelonitrile using rhodococcus
AssigneeNitto Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
InventorsTakakazu Endo, Koji Tamura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for treating R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof or a mixture of benzaldehyde or a derivative thereof, and; hydrogen cyanide, with a microorganism belonging to the genus Rhodococcus sp. HT29-7 (FERM BP-3857) in an almost neutral or basic aqueous medium to thereby directly produce a predominant amount of R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof, whereby the racemic R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof or benzaldehyde or a derivative thereof and hydrogen cyanide can be directly converted into R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof at a ratio of about 80 to 100% and at an optical purity of almost 100%.sub.ee without performing any optical resolution.
Claims5
A process for producing a R(-)-mandelic acid represented by the following general formula (III) directly from a R,S-mandelonitrile represented by the following general formula (I) or from a benzaldehyde represented by the following general formula (II) and hydrogen cyanide by treating (A) the R,S-mandelonitrile of general formula (I) or (B) a mixture of the benzaldehyde of general formula (II) and hydrogen cyanide, with Rhodococcus sp. HT29-7 (FERM BP-3857) which stereoselectively hydrolyzes the nitrile group of the R,S-mandelonitrile represented by the general formula (I) in a substantially neutral or basic aqueous medium and recovering the produced R(-)-mandelic acid of general formula (III):
- ##STR2## wherein X, is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxy group, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a thioalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an amino group, a nitro group, a mercapto group, a phenyl group and a phenoxy group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.