Optically active fluorinated vasoconstrictors, methods for making them, and anesthetic formulations comprising them

(R)-6F-phenylephrine, essentially free of (S)-6F-phenylephrine, and an anesthetic formulation comprising (R)-6F-epinephrin or (R)-6F-phenylephrine and having improved stability compared to formulations containing their non-fluorinated analog, are disclosed. Further disclosed is a method of providing vasoconstriction in a mammal by administering the anesthetic formulation. The anesthetic composition can include an anesthetic, an (R)-chiral compound having the structure: wherein R1, R2, and R4 are independently selected from -H or -F, at least one of R1, R2, and R4 is -F, and R3 is selected from -OH, -H or -F, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, said vasoconstrictor being essentially free of the (S)-chiral form. Also, a method of chiral addition of cyanide to a ring-fluorinated phenaldehyde, employing an almond hydroxynitrile lyase enzyme, provided in the form of a reversibly soluble polymer conjugate ((R)-Finezyme(TM)-H series biocatalysts) is disclosed. Several such biocatalysts are disclosed.