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In chemistry, cyanide (from Greek kyanos 'dark blue') is a chemical compound that contains a C≡N functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. [1] In inorganic cyanides, the cyanide group is present as the cyanide anion − C≡N. This anion is extremely poisonous.
[1] [2] [3] Introduced by Gilbert N. Lewis in his 1916 article The Atom and the Molecule, a Lewis structure can be drawn for any covalently bonded molecule, as well as coordination compounds. [4] Lewis structures extend the concept of the electron dot diagram by adding lines between atoms to represent shared pairs in a chemical bond.
Cyanogen is typically generated from cyanide compounds. One laboratory method entails thermal decomposition of mercuric cyanide: . 2 Hg(CN) 2 → (CN) 2 + Hg 2 (CN) 2 Or, one can combine solutions of copper(II) salts (such as copper(II) sulfate) with cyanides; an unstable copper(II) cyanide is formed which rapidly decomposes into copper(I) cyanide and cyanogen.
A CN bond is strongly polarized towards nitrogen (the electronegativities of C and N are 2.55 and 3.04, respectively) and subsequently molecular dipole moments can be high: cyanamide 4.27 D, diazomethane 1.5 D, methyl azide 2.17, pyridine 2.19. For this reason many compounds containing CN bonds are water-soluble.
The unimolecular decompositions that acetyl cyanide undergo have been confirmed to be less energetically favorable than the molecule undergoing isomerization to acetyl isocyanide. However, through other photolysis experiments have resulted in the formation of a CN radical through acetyl cyanide decomposing into CH 3 CO + CN or CH 3 COCN. [4]
The most common Lewis bases are anions. The strength of Lewis basicity correlates with the pK a of the parent acid: acids with high pK a 's give good Lewis bases. As usual, a weaker acid has a stronger conjugate base. Examples of Lewis bases based on the general definition of electron pair donor include: simple anions, such as H − and F −
Formyl cyanide is a simple organic compound with the formula HCOCN and structure HC(=O)−C≡N. It is simultaneously a nitrile (R−C≡N) and an aldehyde (R−CH=O). Formyl cyanide is the simplest member of the acyl cyanide family. It is known to occur in space in the Sgr B2 molecular cloud. [1]
The tetracyanonickelates contain the [Ni(CN) 4] 2− anion. This can exist in solution or in solid salts. This can exist in solution or in solid salts. The ion has cyanide groups arranged in a square around the central nickel ion.