Hydrogen cyanide bonding

Lewis s concept of shared electron parr bonds allows for four electron double bonds and SIX electron triple bonds Carbon dioxide (CO2) has two carbon-oxygen double bonds and the octet rule is satisfied for both carbon and oxygen Similarly the most stable Lewis structure for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has a carbon-nitrogen triple bond... 

The product of addition of hydrogen cyanide to an aldehyde or a ketone contains both a hydroxyl group and a cyano group bonded to the same carbon Compounds of this type are called cyanohydrins... 

Nitriles. Nitriles can be prepared by a number of methods, including ( /) the reaction of alkyl haHdes with alkaH metal cyanides, (2) addition of hydrogen cyanide to a carbon—carbon, carbon—oxygen, or carbon—nitrogen multiple bond, (2) reaction of hydrogen cyanide with a carboxyHc acid over a dehydration catalyst, and (4) ammoxidation of hydrocarbons containing an activated methyl group. For reviews on the preparation of nitriles see references 14 and 15. 

Carbonyl Group Reactions. Mandelonitrile [532-28-5] is formed by the addition of hydrogen cyanide to the carbonyl double bond. 

Chemical Properties. Hydrogen cyanide is a weak acid its ionization constant is of the same magnitude as that of the natural amino acids (qv). Its stmcture is that of a linear, triply bonded molecule, HC=N. 

Hydrogen cyanide adds to an olefinic double bond most readily when an adjacent activating group is present in the molecule, eg, carbonyl or cyano groups. In these cases, a Michael addition proceeds readily under basic catalysis, as with acrylonitrile (qv) to yield succinonitnle [110-61-2], C4H4N2, iu high yield (13). Formation of acrylonitrile by addition across the acetylenic bond can be accompHshed under catalytic conditions (see Acetylene-DERIVED chemicals). 

Cyanohydrin Synthesis. Another synthetically useful enzyme that catalyzes carbon—carbon bond formation is oxynitnlase (EC 4.1.2.10). This enzyme catalyzes the addition of cyanides to various aldehydes that may come either in the form of hydrogen cyanide or acetone cyanohydrin (152—158) (Fig. 7). The reaction constitutes a convenient route for the preparation of a-hydroxy acids and P-amino alcohols. Acetone cyanohydrin [75-86-5] can also be used as the cyanide carrier, and is considered to be superior since it does not involve hazardous gaseous HCN and also virtually eliminates the spontaneous nonenzymatic reaction. (R)-oxynitrilase accepts aromatic (97a,b), straight- (97c,e), and branched-chain aUphatic aldehydes, converting them to (R)-cyanohydrins in very good yields and high enantiomeric purity (Table 10). 

Nitriles, or alkyl cyanides, are compounds in which carbon is bound to nitrogen by triple bonds. They tend to be stable, neutral substances with pleasant smells and are less toxic than hydrogen cyanide. The smallest compounds are water soluble liquids and all are soluble in organic solvents. 

The new carbon-carbon double-bond distance corresponds to the value 0.87 for the double-bond factor. Moreover, there are now available three accurately known triple-bond distances 1.204 for C=C in acetylene, 1.154 A. for C=N in hydrogen cyanide, and 1.094 for N==N in the nitrogen molecule, whereas five years ago only the last was known. The ratios of these distances to the corresponding sums of single-bond radii are 0.782, 0.785, and 0.781, respectively. We accordingly now select 0.78 as the value of the triple-bond factor. Revised covalent radii26 for first-row atoms are given in Table XV. 

Hydrogen cyanide can also be added to the C=N bond to give iminonitriles or a-aminomalononitriles. ... 

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is an extremely poisonous gas with an odor resembling that of almonds. Approximately one billion pounds of HCN are produced each year, most of which are used to prepare starting materials for polymers. Construct a complete bonding picture for HCN and sketch the various orbitals. 

Just as imine resembles ethylene, hydrogen cyanide is similar to acetylene, with the same number of valence electrons. A lone pair on the N atom of HCN replaces one C—H bond of acetylene. 

The addition of hydrazoic acid to carbon—nitrogen unsaturated bonds as in hydrogen cyanide, nitriles, and isonitriles leads to unsubstituted, 5-, or... 

James, B. R. Addition of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Cyanide to Carbon—Carbon Double and Triple Bonds. In Wilkinson, G. Stone, F. B. A. Abel, E. W., Eds., Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry, Vol. 8, Pergamon, Oxford, 1982, Chapter 51. 

Both types of hydrogen bonds occur in pure liquids as well as in solutions. Many substances are associated at least partially in the vapor phase as a result of hydrogen bonding. For example, hydrogen cyanide is associated to give structures such as... 

Formally, the lone pairs on molecular nitrogen, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide are sp hybrid orbitals, whereas NLMO hybridizations calculated even lower p contributions. Hence, these lone pairs have low directionality, the electron density remains close to the coordinating atom and interaction between the lone pair and the Be2+ is comparatively weak. The Be-L bonds are easily disrupted and ligand exchange consequently can proceed with a low activation barrier. A high degree of p character, on the other hand, means that the lone pair is directed toward beryllium, with electron density close to the metal center, and thus well suited for coordination. 

The modem concept of asymmetric induction is illustrated by the formulas in Fig. 1. As shown, the addition of hydrogen cyanide to the optically active aldehyde can lead to two diastereomers (1 and 2). If the process is under thermodynamic control, the formation of the more stable isomer will be favored that is, that isomer for which the non-bonded interactions between the newly formed cyano and the hydroxyl groups with the dissymmetric R group are weakest. On the other hand, the difference in the yields of 1 and 2 can be the result of kinetic control arising from a difference in the energies of the transition states—that state with the lower energy will form faster and lead to the product of higher yield. It is noteworthy that the tenets... 

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