An Orthogonal Biocatalytic Approach for the Safe Generation and Use of HCN in a Multistep Continuous Preparation of Chiral O-Acetylcyanohydrins

An enantioselective preparation of O-acetylcyanohydrins has been accomplished by a three-step telescoped continuous process. The modular components enabled an accurate control of two sequential biotransformations, safe handling of an in situ generated hazardous gas, and in-line stabilization of products. This method proved to be advantageous over the batch protocols in terms of reaction time (40 min vs 345 min) and ease of operation, opening up access to reactions which have often been neglected due to safety concerns.