Selective hydrolysis of dinitriles into cyano-carboxylic acids by Rhodococcus rhodochrous N.C.I.B. 11216

A soil bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous N.C.I.B. 11216 attained high growth rates with either propionitrile or benzonitrile as the only source of carbon and nitrogen. Resting cells of this bacterium hydrolysed a number of aliphatic and aromatic mono- and di-nitriles. Rates of hydrolysis and substrate specificities depended on growth substrates: resting cells of the bacterium, grown on either propionitrile or benzonitrile, selectively converted fumaronitrile into 3-cyanoacrylic acid, while benzonitrile-grown cells were very effective in selective conversion of 1,3-dicyanobenzene into 3-cyanobenzoic acid. Based on these findings, a method was developed for the preparation of 3-cyanoacrylic acid and 3-cyanobenzoic acid in high yields.