Cyanohydrins

thumb|right|The structure of a general cyanohydrin.

chemical compound

In organic chemistry, mandelonitrile is the nitrile of mandelic acid, or the cyanohydrin derivative of benzaldehyde. Small amounts of mandelonitrile occur in the pits of some fruits.

Glycolonitrile, also called hydroxyacetonitrile or formaldehyde cyanohydrin, is the organic compound with the structure HOCH2CN. It is the simplest cyanohydrin, being derived from formaldehyde. It is a colourless liquid that dissolves in water and ether, and is useful in production of several industrially important chemicals. Because glycolonitrile decomposes readily into formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide, it is listed as an extremely hazardous substance. In January 2019, astronomers reported the detection of glycolonitrile, another possible building block of life among other such molecules, i

Lactonitrile is the organic compound with the formula CH3CH(OH)CN. It is an intermediate in the industrial production of ethyl lactate and lactic acid. It is the cyanohydrin of acetaldehyde. It is a colorless liquid, although degraded samples can appear yellow.

addition reaction of carbonyl compounds and cyanide