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Cyanohydrin definitions

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  • Cyanohydrin
    A functional group with a CN and an OH on adjacent carbons, formed by nucleophilic addition of cyanide to a carbonyl.
  • Nucleophilic Addition
    A reaction where a nucleophile attacks an electrophilic carbon, commonly seen with cyanide attacking carbonyls.
  • Cyanide
    A negatively charged nucleophile, often from NaCN or KCN, that adds to carbonyls to form cyanohydrins.
  • Sodium Cyanide
    A common laboratory source of cyanide ions, used to generate cyanohydrins from carbonyl compounds.
  • Potassium Cyanide
    A salt providing cyanide ions for nucleophilic addition reactions, similar in use to sodium cyanide.
  • Hydrogen Cyanide
    A compound supplying both cyanide and a proton, enabling cyanohydrin formation in a single step.
  • Nitrile
    A functional group containing a carbon triple-bonded to nitrogen, present in cyanohydrins and carboxylic acid derivatives.
  • Carboxylic Acid Derivative
    A molecule that can be hydrolyzed to a carboxylic acid, including nitriles found in cyanohydrins.
  • Hydrolysis
    A reaction using acid or base and water to convert nitriles into carboxylic acids, leaving alcohol groups unchanged.
  • Reduction
    A process converting nitriles into primary amines, typically using lithium aluminum hydride or catalytic hydrogenation.
  • Lithium Aluminum Hydride
    A strong reducing agent capable of converting nitriles to primary amines by breaking triple bonds.
  • Catalytic Hydrogenation
    A reduction method using metals like nickel, palladium, or platinum to convert nitriles to amines.
  • Primary Amine
    A product of nitrile reduction, featuring a CH2NH2 group derived from the original CN group.
  • Protonation
    A step following nucleophilic addition where a negatively charged intermediate gains a proton, often from water or acid.
  • Partial Positive Charge
    An electron-deficient site, such as the carbon in a carbonyl, making it susceptible to nucleophilic attack.