Butyronitrile Explained

Butyronitrile or butanenitrile or propyl cyanide, is a nitrile with the formula C₃H₇CN. This colorless liquid is miscible with most polar organic solvents.

Uses

Butyronitrile is mainly used as a precursor to the poultry drug amprolium.^[1]

It also has recognized use in the synthesis of Etifelmine.

Synthesis

Butyronitrile is prepared industrially by the ammoxidation of n-butanol:

C₃H₇CH₂OH + NH₃ + O₂ → C₃H₇CN + 3 H₂O

Occurrence in space

Butyronitrile has been detected in the Large Molecule Heimat in Sagittarius B2 cloud along with other complex organic molecules.^[2]

External links

• NIST Chemistry WebBook page for C4H7N
• CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

Notes and References

1. Peter Pollak, Gérard Romeder, Ferdinand Hagedorn, Heinz-Peter Gelbke "Nitriles" Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
2. Web site: Two highly complex organic molecules detected in space. 21 April 2009. 29 September 2015. Royal Astronomical Society.