Hydrolysis of a nitrile such as ethanenitrile with dilute acid gives
- A. an amine
- B. an aldehyde
- C. an alcohol
- D. a carboxylic acid with the same number of carbon atoms as the nitrile
Explanation
The carbon of the nitrile group becomes the carbon of the carboxyl group, so hydrolysing ethanenitrile gives ethanoic acid and ammonia is released as its salt. Since the nitrile itself was made by adding cyanide to an alkyl halide with one fewer carbon, the two steps together lengthen the chain by one. Reduction rather than hydrolysis of a nitrile gives a primary amine.