Acetonitriles belong to the nitrile class of compounds and are important precursor compounds for many products, such as polyamides, pigments and dyes, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. The application of nitrile compounds in the fragrance industry has recently developed rapidly, offering advantages such as long-lasting aroma, stable performance, and non-irritating properties, making them a major class of novel synthetic fragrances. The cyano group in nitrile compounds is easily converted into other functional groups, such as carboxylic acids, amides, aldehydes, and primary amines, and is widely used in the total synthesis research of natural products.
Colorless liquid. Melting point -80.3℃, boiling point 163.6℃, 47.2℃ (1.33kPa), relative density 0.8051 (20/4℃), refractive index 1.4068, flash point 43℃. Soluble in ethanol, ether, very slightly soluble in water.
Wash the nitrile twice with half-volumes of conc HCl, then with saturated aqueous NaHCO3, dry over MgSO4, filter and distil it. [Beilstein 2 H 324, 2 I 141, 2 II 286, 2 III 733, 2 IV 930.]
