cyanohydrin

Thân thiện

A chemist carefully examines a cyanohydrin sample in a laboratory.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An organic compound containing both a cyano group (-CN) and a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to the same carbon atom: A cyanohydrin is a specific type of chemical compound formed by the addition of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) to a carbonyl group (like that in an aldehyde or ketone).

Usage

• Noun:
  • Acetone cyanohydrin is an important intermediate in the production of methyl methacrylate.
  • The formation of a cyanohydrin is a key step in some synthetic pathways for amino acids.

Advanced Usage

• In Biochemistry: Cyanohydrins can be found as intermediates in the biosynthesis of certain cyanogenic glycosides in plants, which can release hydrogen cyanide.
  • Some plants store cyanide in the form of cyanohydrin glycosides as a defense mechanism.

Variants and Related Words

• Cyanohydrin synthesis (n): The chemical reaction process that produces a cyanohydrin, typically the nucleophilic addition of cyanide to a carbonyl compound.

Synonyms

• Hydroxynitrile: This is a systematic name for the same class of compounds, emphasizing the hydroxyl and nitrile functional groups.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any organic compound in which the cyano radical -CN and the hydroxyl radical -OH are attached to the same carbon atom