Question

Butanenitrile on reaction with Na-Hg in ethanol gives:​

Answer 1

Answer:

Na = Sodium

Hg = Mercury

It give so much carbon monoxide when it mix in ethanol

Answer 2

Butanenitrile on reaction with Na-Hg in ethanol gives Butanamine

Explanation:

• Reduction of nitriles to primary amines can be achieved by treating the alkyl-nitrile with a powerful reducing agent like sodium amalgam or Na-Hg.

$CH_3CH_2CH_2CN + Na-Hg \rightarrow CH_3CH_2CH_2NH_2$

• Here , Butanenitrile $C_4H_7N$ gets reduced to its corresponding primary amine , butanamine.

• $Na-Hg$ reagents are strong reducing agents used in chemical reactions . They are less reactive and easy to handle than their sodium counterparts.
• However, in presence of mild reducing agents, the nitrile is converted to its corresponding aldehyde.