PURPOSE: To easily produce the subject compound useful as an intermediate for pyrethroidal insecticide with a simple process by reacting an aldehyde derivative with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a specific copolymer as a catalyst.
CONSTITUTION: The optically active α-cyanohydrin derivative of formula III (* represents asymmetric carbon atom) [e.g. (S)-α--cyano-3- phenoxybenzylalcohol] is produced by reacting a compound of formula II (X is H, F or Cl; Y is H or F) (e.g. phenoxybenzaldehyde) with hydrogen cyanide in a solvent in the presence of a cinchona alkaloid-acrylonitrile copolymer of formula I (m and n are numbers of recurring units and n≥m) at -20 to +25°C for 0.5-20hr. The copolymer of formula I can easily be produced by copolymerizing quinine or quinidine with acrylonitrile in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile in DMF solvent at 80°C.
CHINO KUNITAKE
WAKE SHIGEO
