Hydrogen cyanide (with the historical common name of Prussic
acid) is a chemical compound with chemical formula HCN. It is a colorless,
extremely poisonous liquid that boils slightly above room temperature at 26 °C
(79 °F). Hydrogen cyanide is a linear molecule, with a triple bond between carbon
and nitrogen. A minor tautomer of HCN is HNC, hydrogen isocyanide.
Hydrogen cyanide is weakly acidic with a pKa of 9.2. It
partly ionizes in water solution to give the cyanide anion, CN–. A solution of
hydrogen cyanide in water is called hydrocyanic acid. The salts of hydrogen
cyanide are known as cyanides.
HCN has a faint, bitter, burnt almond-like odor that only
some people are able to detect owing to a genetic trait.[4] The volatile
compound has been used as inhalation rodenticide and human poison. Cyanide ions
interfere with iron-containing respiratory enzymes.
HCN is produced on an industrial scale and is a highly
valuable precursor to many chemical compounds ranging from polymers to
pharmaceuticals.
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