Cyanohydrin formation: acetaldehyde with HCN yields which product?

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Multiple Choice

Cyanohydrin formation: acetaldehyde with HCN yields which product?

Nucleophilic addition of cyanide to a carbonyl carbon, followed by protonation, forms a cyanohydrin. For acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), CN− adds to the carbonyl carbon and the resulting alkoxide is protonated to give CH3-CH(OH)-CN. This is named 2-hydroxypropanenitrile, a molecule with both a hydroxyl and a nitrile on the same carbon. The other options correspond to different functionalities (amide, ketone, or simple alcohol) that aren’t produced in this cyanohydrin-forming reaction.

Nucleophilic addition of cyanide to a carbonyl carbon, followed by protonation, forms a cyanohydrin. For acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), CN− adds to the carbonyl carbon and the resulting alkoxide is protonated to give CH3-CH(OH)-CN. This is named 2-hydroxypropanenitrile, a molecule with both a hydroxyl and a nitrile on the same carbon. The other options correspond to different functionalities (amide, ketone, or simple alcohol) that aren’t produced in this cyanohydrin-forming reaction.

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