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Review of Nitriles definitions

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  • Nitrile
    A functional group featuring a carbon triple-bonded to nitrogen, often synthesized from alkyl halides, cyanohydrins, or amides.
  • SN2 Reaction
    A substitution process where a nucleophile displaces a leaving group with inversion of configuration at the reactive carbon.
  • Cyanide Ion
    A nucleophile with a negative charge on carbon, commonly used to introduce a nitrile group via substitution or addition.
  • Alkyl Halide
    An organic molecule containing a halogen atom bonded to an sp3 carbon, serving as a substrate for nucleophilic substitution.
  • Cyanohydrin
    A compound formed by nucleophilic addition of cyanide to a carbonyl, resulting in a chiral center with both hydroxyl and nitrile groups.
  • Amide
    A functional group with a carbonyl bonded to nitrogen, which can be dehydrated to yield a nitrile.
  • Dehydrating Agent
    A substance like Diphosphorus Pentoxide or Thionyl Chloride used to remove water, facilitating conversion of amides to nitriles.
  • Hydrolysis
    A reaction where water cleaves a nitrile, producing either a carboxylic acid in acid or a carboxylate anion in base.
  • Carboxylic Acid
    A product of nitrile hydrolysis under acidic conditions, featuring a carbonyl and hydroxyl group on the same carbon.
  • Carboxylate Anion
    A negatively charged species formed when a nitrile undergoes basic hydrolysis, resulting in a deprotonated carboxylic acid.
  • Reduction
    A process converting a nitrile to a primary amine, typically using lithium aluminum hydride or catalytic hydrogenation.
  • Primary Amine
    A compound with a nitrogen bonded to one carbon and two hydrogens, produced by complete reduction of a nitrile.
  • Grignard Reagent
    An organomagnesium compound that adds to nitriles, forming intermediates that yield ketones after hydrolysis.
  • Ketone
    A carbonyl-containing compound generated by reacting a nitrile with a Grignard reagent followed by hydrolysis.
  • Inversion of Configuration
    A stereochemical outcome of SN2 reactions where the spatial arrangement at the reactive center is flipped.