Nitriles and c-c bond forming

• What is the functional group of a nitrile?


  It is a CN group
• How can nitriles be formed from haloalkanes?


  Reacting with sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide, in this reaction the length of the chain is increased.
• What type of reaction happens when you react an aldehyde or ketone with HCN?


  Nucleophilic addition
• Why is sodium cyanide used instead of hydrogen cyanide in this reaction?


  This is because it increases the rate of reaction whilst also improving safety as HCN can be deadly
• What can nitriles be reduced into?


  Amines, the conditions needed are Hydrogen and Ni catalyst
• What can nitriles be hydrolysed into?


  When you add HCl and H2O you can form a carboxylic acid and a ammonium chloride
• What is alkylation?


  Is a reaction that transfers an alkyl group from a haloalkane to a benzene group, this takes place under friedel crafts and so requires an AlCl3 catalyst
• What is acylation?


  When benzene reacts with an acyl chloride in the presence of an aluminium chloride catalyst a ketone is formed. This reaction is useful as it undergoes the usual reaction of a ketone and not benzene