Knowra Nitrile Nitrile A nitrile is an organic compound containing a carbon–nitrogen triple bond, written R–C≡N. The cyano group gives nitriles distinctive reactivity and makes many useful precursors to other functional groups.
Nucleophilic addition : A reaction in which a nucleophile bonds to an electron-poor atom while a multiple bond’s pi electrons shift. Nucleophiles attack the electrophilic carbon of a nitrile, often converting its triple bond into an imine-derived product.
Acrylonitrile : The unsaturated nitrile CH₂=CH–CN, used to make acrylic fibers, plastics, and synthetic rubber. Its polymerization makes acrylonitrile one of the largest-volume industrial nitriles.
Cyano group : The –C≡N substituent when attached to another atom or molecular group. The cyano group is the defining structural unit of an organic nitrile.
Strecker amino acid synthesis : A method for synthesizing amino acids through formation and hydrolysis of an aminonitrile. The route uses a nitrile as a latent carboxylic acid in amino-acid construction.
Nitrile hydrolysis : The conversion of a nitrile into an amide and, under stronger conditions, a carboxylic acid or carboxylate. Water adds across the cyano group, providing a common route from nitriles to carboxylic acids.
Adiponitrile : The dinitrile NC–(CH₂)₄–CN, produced mainly as an intermediate in nylon 6,6 manufacture. Hydrogenation of adiponitrile supplies hexamethylenediamine, a key nylon 6,6 monomer.
Functional group : A specific arrangement of atoms in a molecule that gives characteristic chemical properties and reactions. Nitriles are classified by their characteristic carbon–nitrogen triple-bond functional group.
Sandmeyer reaction : A reaction that replaces an aromatic diazonium group with a substituent using a copper(I) salt. Copper(I) cyanide can install a nitrile group on an aromatic ring in the Sandmeyer reaction.
Nitrile reduction : The conversion of a nitrile into an amine by adding hydrogen or other reducing equivalents. Reduction replaces the nitrile’s triple bond with a methylene group and produces a primary amine.
Cyanocobalamin : A form of vitamin B₁₂ containing a cyanide ligand bound to cobalt. It is a biologically relevant compound whose cyanide ligand is coordinated rather than present as a nitrile.
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