Highly efficient and enantioselective synthesis of l-arylglycines and d-arylglycine amides from biotransformations of nitriles

Under very mild conditions, the Rhodococcus sp. AJ270-catalysed biotransformation of arylglycine nitriles 1, prepared easily from the reaction of substituted benzaldehydes, ammonium chloride and potassium cyanide, proceeded efficiently to produce optically active d-arylglycine amides 2 and l-arylglycines 3 in excellent yields with enantiomeric excesses higher than 99%.