Cyano group of nitriles

Lithium aluminum hydride reduces the cyano group of nitriles to a primary (1°) amine. 

The reaction mechanism was proposed as shown in Scheme 13. Reaction of an aniline with the lanthanide amide gave the new amido species through an acid-base reaction. A nitrile was then coordinated to the metal center, and then an intramolecular insertion of amide to cyano group of nitrile gave the corresponding intermediate. The intermediate underwent protonolysis by amine to release the product and regenerate the lanthanide amide as the active species. If the reaction of the intermediate with additional nitrile is more favorable than that with amine, triazine was produced as the main product. 

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