Sodium cyanide Methionine

Adiponitrile Acetone cyanohydrin Sodium cyanide Methionine Cyanuric chloride Chelating agents Nitrilotriacetic acid Other... 

Aininopolycarboxylic acids Barium cyanide P-ainines Cyanuric chloride Diaininoinaleonitrile Lactic acid Methionine Sodium cyanide... 

Hydrogen cyanide in pure form was prepared first in 1815 by Gay-Lussac. Earher, in 1782, Scheel prepared this compound in dilute solution. The most important apphcation of hydrogen cyanide is to produce methyl methacrylate for methacrylate resins and plastics. Other products made from hydrogen cyanide include potassium cyanide, sodium cyanide, adiponitrile, methionine, cyanuric chloride, cyanogen, nitrilotriacetic acid, and several triazine pesticides. The compound also is used in small amounts for extermination of rodents. 

Fig. 7.12. Mechanism for the formation of hydantoin from 3-(methylthio)propional-dehyde, ammonium hydrogen carbonate and sodium cyanide, the initial reaction of the Strecker/Bucherer synthesis of methionine according to Figure 7.11.

The U.S. demand in 2000 was about 1.6 billion lb. Uses for hydrogen cyanide include adiponitrile (for nylon 6/6), 47 percent methyl methacrylate, 27 percent sodium cyanide, 8 percent methionine, 6 percent and chelating agents, 2 percent. 

In 2004 HCN was consumed in the following applications adiponitrile (for nylon 6/6) 50 percent, acetone cyanohydrin (for methyl methacrylate) 28 percent, methionine 7 percent, sodium cyanide 6 percent, cyanuric chloride 3 percent, chelating agents 2 percent, and miscellaneous (including nitrilotri-acetic acid and salts) 4 percent.261... 

Acetyl DL-methionine which is used as a substrate for amino acylase activity determination was prepared by acetylation of DL-methionine with acetic anhydride in acetic acid [5]. The rate of enzymatic hydrolysis was determined by measuring the liberated amino acid by ninhydrin method [6] where ascorbic acid was used as oxidizing agent instead of sodium cyanide. The activity curve of pure amino acylase enzyme is shown in Fig. 1 as a continuous line. For determining the effect of metal ions on the activity of amino acylase the following procedure was adopted. 

HCN is the precursor to sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide, which are used mainly in mining. Via the intermediacy of cyanohydrins, a variety of useful organic compounds are prepared from HCN including the monomer methyl methacrylate, from acetone, the amino acid methionine, via the Strecker synthesis, and the chelating agents EDTA and NTA. Via the hydrocyanation process, HCN is added to butadiene to give adiponitrile, a precursor to Nylon 66. 

This action is inhibited by hydrogen cyanide, sodium azide, and carbon monoxide. The inhibition by carbon monoxide is suppressed by light (66). It should be pointed out that cytochrome oxidase, with or without cytochrome c, does not exert any oxidizing action on methionine or cysteine sulfinic acid. 

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