Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Cyanide: The anion with the molecular structure shown below, or a salt of this ion. An organic molecule containing the carbon-nitrogen triple bond functional group is called a nitrile, although a few molecules of this type still retain 'cyanide' in their old names.





Cyanide ion Lewis structure
   
Hydrogen cyanide
(Hydrocyanic acid)
Weak acid (pKa 9.2)
   
Acetonitrile
Not a 'cyanide'
   
Acetone cyanohydrin
Not a 'cyanide'