Hydroxynitrile Lyase‐Catalyzed Enzymatic Nitroaldol (Henry) Reaction

Abstract

Abstract The hydroxynitrile lyase from Hevea brasiliensis not only catalyzes – according to the natural activity of this enzyme – the formation and cleavage of cyanohydrins but also the reaction of nitroalkanes with aldehydes (Henry reaction). This is the first example of an enzymatic nitroaldol reaction. With nitromethane and nitroethane a broad range of aldehydes can be transformed into the corresponding nitro alcohols in yields up to 77 % and enantiomeric excess ( ee ) up to 99 %.