The reaction of an alkyl halide with predominantly yields an isonitrile, whereas reaction with yield — Reaction Mechanism Chemistry Question
Question
The reaction of an alkyl halide with $AgCN$ predominantly yields an isonitrile, whereas reaction with $KCN$ yields a nitrile. This demonstrates the behavior of:
Answer: B
💡 Solution & Explanation
The cyanide ion is an ambident nucleophile with two attack sites (C and N). $AgCN$ favors $S_N1$ attack via Nitrogen, while $KCN$ favors $S_N2$ attack via Carbon.
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