Question

Give an example of a cyanohydrin reaction.

Answer 1

Cyanohydrin reaction:

• Ketones and aldehydes give cyanohydrin reactions.
• In the treatment of cyanide or nitriles with aldehyde or ketone, there is the formation of aldehyde or ketone cyanohydrin.
• This is a nucleophilic addition reaction.
• The general reaction is represented as,

$\mathrm{Ketone}\mathrm{or}\mathrm{Aldehyde}+\mathrm{HCN}\to \mathrm{Ketone}\mathrm{cyanohydrine}\mathrm{or}\mathrm{Aldehyde}\mathrm{cyanohydrine}$

• Example of cyanohydrin reaction: When propanone is treated with hydrocyanide there is a formation of propanone cyanohydrin.