Aminoacetonitrile

Aminoacetonitrile is the organic compound with the formula H2N−CH2−C≡N. The compound is a colorless liquid. It is unstable at room temperature, owing to the incompatibility of the amine nucleophile and the nitrile electrophile. For this reason it is usually encountered as the chloride and bisulfate salts of the ammonium derivative, i.e., [NCCH2NH3]+Cl and [NCCH2NH3]+HSO4.

Aminoacetonitrile
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
Aminoacetonitrile
Other names
  • Glycinonitrile
  • 2-Aminoacetonitrile
Identifiers
CAS Number
  • 540-61-4 Y
3D model (JSmol)
  • Interactive image
ChemSpider
  • 10439 Y
ECHA InfoCard 100.007.957
EC Number
  • 208-751-8
MeSH Aminoacetonitrile
PubChem CID
  • 10901
RTECS number
  • AL7750000
UNII
  • 3739OQ10IJ Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
  • DTXSID90202314
InChI
  • InChI=1S/C2H4N2/c3-1-2-4/h1,3H2 Y
    Key: DFNYGALUNNFWKJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
SMILES
  • NCC#N
Properties
Chemical formula
NH2CH2CN
Molar mass 56.068 g·mol−1
Appearance Colourless liquid
Boiling point 15 °C (59 °F; 288 K) at 15 mm/Hg
Acidity (pKa) 5.34 (conjugate acid; H2O)
Hazards
GHS labelling:
Pictograms
Signal word
Warning
Hazard statements
H302, H312, H332, H351
Precautionary statements
P280
Related compounds
Related alkanenitriles
  • Acetonitrile
  • Cyanogen
  • Aminopropionitrile
Related compounds
DBNPA
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Production and applications

Industrially aminoacetonitrile is produced from glycolonitrile by reaction with ammonia:

HOCH2CN + NH3 → H2NCH2CN + H2O

The aminoacetonitrile can be hydrolysed to give glycine: Being bifunctional, it is useful in the synthesis of diverse nitrogen-containing heterocycles.

Aminoacetonitrile derivatives are useful antihelmintics. They act as nematode specific ACh agonists causing a spastic paralysis and rapid expulsion from the host.

Occurrence in the interstellar medium

Using radio astronomy, aminoacetonitrile was discovered in the Large Molecule Heimat, a giant gas cloud near the Galactic Center in the constellation Sagittarius. This discovery is significant to the debate on whether glycine exists widely in the universe.

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