INTRODUCTION
Acetonitrile (ACN) is a highly polar, volatile, colorless liquid with ethereal odor and is the simplest organic nitrile widely used as a solvent.
The nitrile group constitutes active part of the molecule. It participates in various reactions that lead to number of nitrogen containing organic molecules.
Manufacture
ACN is manufactured on large scale by addition of ammonia in propylene, acrylonitrile being the by-product.
| Synonyms | Methyl Cyanide Cyanomethane |
| CAS no. | 75-05-8 |
| EINECS no. | 200-835-2 |
| Molecular formula | C2H3N |
| Molecular weight | 41.05 |
| Structure |  |
Industrial Applications
ACN has excellent solubilizing properties. These enable its use as a useful solvent in synthesis and purification processes of distillation and recrystallization.
Commonly occurring uses as solvent are in:
| High pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis as an eluent. |
| Butadiene extraction in Petro refineries. |
| Manufacture of insulin, vitamins, amino acids and photographic films. |
| Lithium batteries. |
| Non-aqueous reactions that employ AlCl3 and PCl3. |
| Manufacture of flame retardants. |
| Extraction of fatty acids from vegetable oil. |
| Chemical intermediate and solvent for perfumes. |
| Catalyst and component of transition-metal complex catalysts. |
| Solvent for DNA synthesis and Peptide sequencing. |
| Solvent for spinning synthetic fibers. |
| Casting and moulding plastics. |
Intermediates
The nitrile group being reactive, ACN acts as a key raw material in production of:
| Acetamidine hydrochloride |
| Acetoguanamine |
| β-Aminocrotononitrile |
| 2,4-Dihydroxy acetophenone |
| 2,6-Dihydroxy acetophenone |
| Geranonitrile |
| Malononitrile |
| Triethyl orthoacetate |
| Sulphapyrimidines |
| O,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide |
Applications in APIs
As a key raw material in the early manufacturing stages of:
| Sulfisomidine | Antibacterial |
| Pyritinol | Nootropic |
| Cromolyn | Antiasthma / Antiallergic |
| Alprazolam | Anxiolytic |
| Diazoxide | Antihypertensive / Hyperglycemia |
| Triazolam | Hypnotic |
As an essential raw material in the ultimate synthesis step of:
| Amantadine | Antiviral / Antiparkinsonian |
| Sulphaphenazole | Antibacterial |
Agrochemicals
| Isoxaben | Herbicide |
SPECIFICATIONS
| Test | Unit | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | – | Clear colorless liquid, free from extraneous matter. |
| Identification (By GC) | – | Retention time of the main peak in the test sample chromatogram should match with that of the standard. |
| Purity (By GC) | % | Min 99.0 |
| Moisture Content (By KF) | % | Max 0.2 |
| Miscibility | – | Miscible with methanol. |
| Non-volatile matter | % | Max 0.1 |
REACH status
Acetonitrile offered by ExSyn is registered under EU REACH regulations.
STORAGE
Product is stored at ambient temperature.
PACKING
Drum & ISO-tank
ExSyn offers acetonitrile on commercial scale and welcomes enquiries. No matter the quantity you need, our exceptional quality and service will make ExSyn your supplier of choice! If you need any additional information or SDS, please get in touch with us.
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