Control of the nitrile-hydrolyzing enzyme activity in Rhodococcus rhodochrous IFO 15564: preferential action of nitrile hydratase and amidase depending on the reaction condition factors and its application to the one-pot preparation of amides from aldehydes

One-pot chemo- and photo-enzymatic linear cascade processes

The combination of chemo- and photocatalyses with biocatalysis, which couples the flexible reactivity of the photo- and chemocatalysts with the highly selective and environmentally friendly nature of enzymes in one-pot linear cascades, represents a powerful tool in organic synthesis. However, the combination of photo-, chemo- and biocatalysts in one-pot is challenging because the optimal operating conditions of the involved catalyst types may be rather different, and the different stabilities of catalysts and their mutual deactivation are additional problems often encountered in one-pot cascade processes. This review explores a large number of transformations and approaches adopted for combining enzymes and chemo- and photocatalytic processes in a successful way to achieve valuable chemicals and valorisation of biomass. Moreover, the strategies for solving incompatibility issues in chemo-enzymatic reactions are analysed, introducing recent examples of the application of non-conventional solvents, enzyme-metal hybrid catalysts, and spatial compartmentalization strategies to implement chemo-enzymatic cascade processes.

Rhodococcus as A Versatile Biocatalyst in Organic Synthesis

The application of purified enzymes as well as whole-cell biocatalysts in synthetic organic chemistry is becoming more and more popular, and both academia and industry are keen on finding and developing novel enzymes capable of performing otherwise impossible or challenging reactions. The diverse genus Rhodococcus offers a multitude of promising enzymes, which therefore makes it one of the key bacterial hosts in many areas of research. This review focused on the broad utilization potential of the genus Rhodococcus in organic chemistry, thereby particularly highlighting the specific enzyme classes exploited and the reactions they catalyze. Additionally, close attention was paid to the substrate scope that each enzyme class covers. Overall, a comprehensive overview of the applicability of the genus Rhodococcus is provided, which puts this versatile microorganism in the spotlight of further research.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in Organic Synthesis: A Review of its Recent Applications Towards Fine Chemicals

Background:

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a biomass-derived platform chemical, which can be produced from carbohydrates. In the past decades, 5- HMF has received tremendous attention because of its wide applications in the production of various value-added chemicals, materials and biofuels. The manufacture and the catalytic conversion of 5-HMF to simple industrially-important bulk chemicals have been well reviewed. However, employing 5-HMF as a building block in organic synthesis has never been summarized exclusively, despite the rapid development in this area.

Objective:

The aim of this review is to bring a fresh perspective on the use of 5-HMF in organic synthesis, to the exclusion of already well documented conversion of 5-HMF towards relatively simple molecules such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 2,5-dimethylfuran and so on notably used as monomers or biofuels.

Conclusion:

As it has been shown throughout this review, 5-HMF has been the object of numerous studies on its use in fine chemical synthesis. Thanks to the presence of different functional groups on this platform chemical, it proved to be an excellent starting material for the preparation of various fine chemicals. The use of this C-6 synthon in novel synthetic routes is appealing, as it allows the incorporation of renewable carbonsources into the final targets.

Biosynthesis of benzoylformic acid from benzoyl cyanide by a newly isolated Rhodococcus sp. CCZU10-1 in toluene-water biphasic system

Benzoylformic acid was synthesized from the hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide by a newly isolated Rhodococcus sp. CCZU10-1. In this study, an aqueous-toluene biphasic system was developed for highly efficient production of benzoylformic acid from the hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide. In the aqueous-toluene biphasic system, the phase volume ratio, buffer pH and reaction temperature were optimized. Using fed-batch method, a total of 932 mM benzoylformic acid accumulated in the reaction mixture after the 10th feed. Moreover, enzymatic hydrolysis of benzoyl cyanide using calcium alginate entrapped resting cells was carried out in the aqueous-toluene biphasic system, and efficient biocatalyst recycling was achieved as a result of cell immobilization in calcium alginate, with a product-to-biocatalyst ratio of 14.26g benzoylformic acid g(-1) dry cell weight (DCW) cell after 20 cycles of repeated use.