During the formation of cyanohydrins using , a catalytic amount of base (like ) is often added. What — Aldehydes Ketones and Carboxylic Acids Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

$HCN$ is a weak acid and a poor nucleophile. The base catalyst strips the proton from $HCN$, generating the powerful Cyanide ion ($CN^-$), which aggressively attacks the carbonyl carbon.