Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
acetonitrile
Sign in to saveAlso known as cyanomethane, ethyl nitrile, methyl cyanide, ACN, ethanenitrile, methanecarbonitrile
Acetonitrile, often abbreviated MeCN (methyl cyanide), is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . This colourless liquid is the simplest organic nitrile (hydrogen cyanide is a simpler nitrile, but the cyanide anion is not classed as organic). It is produced mainly as a byproduct of acrylonitrile manufacture. It is used as a polar aprotic solvent in organic synthesis and in the purification of butadiene. The skeleton is linear with a short distance of .
Chemical data
- Formula
- C2H3N
- Molecular weight
- 41.05 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- acetonitrile
- SMILES
- CC#N
- InChIKey
- WEVYAHXRMPXWCK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- 0
- Polar surface area
- 23.8 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 1
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Wikidata facts
- Mass
- 41.027
- Autonomy
- 524
Show 25 more facts
- chemical formula
- C₂H₃N
- boiling point
- 81.65
- canonical SMILES
- CC#N
- time-weighted average exposure limit
- 10
- NIOSH Pocket Guide ID
- 0006
- density
- 0.78
- immediately dangerous to life or health
- 840
- melting point
- -43.83
- vapor pressure
- 73
- flash point
- 42
- lower flammable limit
- 3
- upper flammable limit
- 16
- ionization energy
- 12.19
- median lethal dose (LD50)
- 53000
- minimal lethal dose
- 105
- short-term exposure limit
- 140
- Commons category
- Acetonitrile
- surface tension
- 0.02664
- dynamic viscosity
- 0.00035
- standard enthalpy of formation
- -40.6
- molar fusion enthalpy
- 8.17
- molar enthalpy of vaporization
- 29.8
- refractive index
- 1.346015
- electric dipole moment
- 3.924
- median lethal concentration (LC50)
- 2828
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
~7 min read
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Applications
- Organic synthesis
- As an electron pair donor
- Production
- Safety
- Toxicity
- Metabolism and excretion
- See also
- References
Acetonitrile, often abbreviated MeCN (methyl cyanide), is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . This colourless liquid is the simplest organic nitrile (hydrogen cyanide is a simpler nitrile, but the cyanide anion is not classed as organic). It is produced mainly as a byproduct of acrylonitrile manufacture. It is used as a polar aprotic solvent in organic synthesis and in the purification of butadiene. The skeleton is linear with a short distance of .
Acetonitrile was first prepared in 1847 by the French chemist Jean-Baptiste Dumas.