Sciencemadness Discussion Board

HCN decomp

Chlorine - 18-1-2017 at 13:45

Today in my chem class, my professor was giving examples of chemicals decomposing and one of the examples was Hydrogen Cyanide to ammonia. When he said this, it struck the class as a bit odd because no one could figure out how.
Can that happen? Or am I just not thinking correctly.


Regards,

Neme - 18-1-2017 at 13:48

Well I don't know much about this but cyanhydrines sometimes hydrolyze to carboxylic acids so I would guess
H-CN + 3H2O ---> NH4OH + HCOOH
it seems little bit weird that this reaction would happen, let's wait for others.

ave369 - 19-1-2017 at 01:06

Quote: Originally posted by Neme  

H-CN + 3H2O ---> NH4OH + HCOOH


You mean H-CN + 2H2O ---> HCOONH4?

Neme - 19-1-2017 at 01:11

Yeah, but he said
Quote: Originally posted by Chlorine  
to ammonia


so I guess there is some kind of equilibrium.

Tsjerk - 19-1-2017 at 04:21

Cyanide hydrolyses via formamide to ammonium formate, I don't know how fast this is or what could catalyze it. Actually a way to synthesize cyanide is by heating ammonium formate.

Brom - 19-1-2017 at 05:41

Quote: Originally posted by Neme  
Well I don't know much about this but cyanhydrines sometimes hydrolyze to carboxylic acids so I would guess
H-CN + 3H2O ---> NH4OH + HCOOH
it seems little bit weird that this reaction would happen, let's wait for others.

I think hydrogen cyanide would simply ionize in water to form hydrocyanic acid like HCL does but to a lesser extent because it is a weak acid. As far as NH3 from HCN, I think it is the other way around like NH3+CO=HCN+H2O

PHILOU Zrealone - 19-1-2017 at 09:38

Decomposition of cyanide to formic acid, carbonic acid and ammonium is part of the bioremediation process of cyanide polluted soils and waters.