Question

On what factor does rate of reaction of aldehydes or ketones with hcn depends on

Answer 1

Aldehydes and ketones undergo reaction with HCN to produce cyanohydrins. The reaction progresses very slowly by using pure hydrogen cyanide. Hence, base as a catalyst helps to speed up the reaction. This is because catalysis helps in the generation of cyanide ion (CN) which acts as a stronger nucleophile and adds to carbonyl compounds to produce the corresponding cyanohydrin. Cyanohydrins are important synthetic intermediates.

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