A variety of dinitriles have been hydrolysed selectively under very mild conditions using Rhodococcus sp. AJ270. Aliphatic dinitriles NC [CH2] nCN 1 undergo regioselective hydrolysis to give the mono acids 2 with up to 4 methylenes between the nitrile functions while those with n> 4 give the diacids 3 in good yield. Dinitriles NC [CH2] nX [CH2] nCN 4 bearing an ether or sulfide linkage are efficiently transformed into the mono acids 5 when ...
