CLEAR COLOURLESS TO VERY SLIGHTLY YELLOW LIQUID
Nitriles, such as m-Tolunitrile, may polymerize in the presence of metals and some metal compounds. They are incompatible with acids; mixing nitriles with strong oxidizing acids can lead to extremely violent reactions. Nitriles are generally incompatible with other oxidizing agents such as peroxides and epoxides. The combination of bases and nitriles can produce hydrogen cyanide. Nitriles are hydrolyzed in both aqueous acid and base to give carboxylic acids (or salts of carboxylic acids). These reactions generate heat. Peroxides convert nitriles to amides. Nitriles can react vigorously with reducing agents. Acetonitrile and propionitrile are soluble in water, but nitriles higher than propionitrile have low aqueous solubility. They are also insoluble in aqueous acids.
ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: m-Tolunitrile causes skin irritation on contact.
m-Tolunitrile is combustible.
Dry the nitrile with MgSO4, fractionally distil it, then wash it with aqueous acid to remove possible traces of amines, dry and redistil it. [Beilstein 9 H 477, 9 I 191, 9 II 325, 9 III 2324, 9 IV 1717.]
