Acetonitrile

• Formula: C₂H₃N
• Molecular weight: 41.0519
• IUPAC Standard InChI: InChI=1S/C2H3N/c1-2-3/h1H3 Copy

  
• IUPAC Standard InChIKey: WEVYAHXRMPXWCK-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copy
• CAS Registry Number: 75-05-8
• Chemical structure:
  This structure is also available as a 2d Mol file or as a computed 3d SD file
  The 3d structure may be viewed using Java or Javascript.
• Other names: Cyanomethane; Ethanenitrile; Ethyl nitrile; Methane, cyano-; Methanecarbonitrile; Methyl cyanide; CH3CN; Acetonitril; Cyanure de methyl; USAF EK-488; Methylkyanid; NA 1648; NCI-C60822; Rcra waste number U003; UN 1648; Ethanonitrile
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• Information on this page:
  • Gas phase thermochemistry data
  • Phase change data
  • Gas phase ion energetics data
  • Mass spectrum (electron ionization)
  • References
  • Notes
• Other data available:
  • Condensed phase thermochemistry data
  • Reaction thermochemistry data: reactions 1 to 50, reactions 51 to 100, reactions 101 to 150, reactions 151 to 188
  • Henry's Law data
  • Ion clustering data
  • IR Spectrum
  • UV/Visible spectrum
  • Vibrational and/or electronic energy levels
  • Gas Chromatography
• Data at other public NIST sites:
  • Gas Phase Kinetics Database
  • X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Database, version 5.0
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Gas phase thermochemistry data

Go To: Top, Phase change data, Gas phase ion energetics data, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), References, Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled by: Hussein Y. Afeefy, Joel F. Liebman, and Stephen E. Stein

Phase change data

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Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled as indicated in comments:
TRC - Thermodynamics Research Center, NIST Boulder Laboratories, Chris Muzny director
BS - Robert L. Brown and Stephen E. Stein
AC - William E. Acree, Jr., James S. Chickos
ALS - Hussein Y. Afeefy, Joel F. Liebman, and Stephen E. Stein
DH - Eugene S. Domalski and Elizabeth D. Hearing

Enthalpy of vaporization

Entropy of vaporization

Antoine Equation Parameters

log₁₀(P) = A − (B / (T + C))
    P = vapor pressure (bar)
    T = temperature (K)

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Enthalpy of fusion

Enthalpy of phase transition

Entropy of phase transition

Gas phase ion energetics data

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, Phase change data, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), References, Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data evaluated as indicated in comments:
HL - Edward P. Hunter and Sharon G. Lias
L - Sharon G. Lias

Data compiled as indicated in comments:
B - John E. Bartmess
MM - Michael M. Meot-Ner (Mautner)
LL - Sharon G. Lias and Joel F. Liebman
LBLHLM - Sharon G. Lias, John E. Bartmess, Joel F. Liebman, John L. Holmes, Rhoda D. Levin, and W. Gary Mallard
LLK - Sharon G. Lias, Rhoda D. Levin, and Sherif A. Kafafi
RDSH - Henry M. Rosenstock, Keith Draxl, Bruce W. Steiner, and John T. Herron

View reactions leading to C₂H₃N⁺ (ion structure unspecified)

Electron affinity determinations

Proton affinity at 298K

Ionization energy determinations

Appearance energy determinations

De-protonation reactions

C₂H₂N^- +  =

By formula: C₂H₂N^- + H⁺ = C₂H₃N

Mass spectrum (electron ionization)

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, Phase change data, Gas phase ion energetics data, References, Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled by: NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center, William E. Wallace, director

Spectrum

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Additional Data

References

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, Phase change data, Gas phase ion energetics data, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

An and Mansson, 1983
An, X.; Mansson, M., Enthalpies of combustion and formation of acetontrile, J. Chem. Thermodyn., 1983, 15, 287-293. [all data]

Hall and Baldt, 1971
Hall, H.K., Jr.; Baldt, J.H., Thermochemistry of strained-ring bridgehead nitriles and esters, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1971, 93, 140-145. [all data]

Putnam, McEachern, et al., 1965
Putnam, W.E.; McEachern, D.M.; Kilpatrick, J.E., Entropy and related thermodynamic properties of acetonitrile (methyl cyanide), J. Chem. Phys., 1965, 42, 749-55. [all data]

Majer and Svoboda, 1985
Majer, V.; Svoboda, V., Enthalpies of Vaporization of Organic Compounds: A Critical Review and Data Compilation, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, 300. [all data]

Antosik, Galka, et al., 2004
Antosik, Maria; Galka, Maria; Malanowski, Stanislaw K., Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium for Acetonitrile + Propanenitrile and 1-Pentanamine + 1-Methoxy-2-propanol ^«8224», J. Chem. Eng. Data, 2004, 49, 1, 11-17, https://doi.org/10.1021/je025660t . [all data]

Howard and Wadso, 1970
Howard, P.B.; Wadso, I., Enthalpies of vaporization of organic compounds IV. Alkyl Nitriles, Acta Chem. Scand., 1970, 24, 145. [all data]

Putnam, McEachern, et al., 1965, 2
Putnam, W.E.; McEachern, D.M., Jr.; Kilpatrick, J.E., Entropy and related thermodynamic properties of acetonitrile (methyl cyanide), J. Chem. Phys., 1965, 42, 749-755. [all data]

Stephenson and Malanowski, 1987
Stephenson, Richard M.; Malanowski, Stanislaw, Handbook of the Thermodynamics of Organic Compounds, 1987, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3173-2 . [all data]

Meyer, Renner, et al., 1971
Meyer, Edwin F.; Renner, Terrence A.; Stec, Kenneth S., Cohesive energies in polar organic liquids. II. n-Alkane nitriles and the 1-chloro alkanes, J. Phys. Chem., 1971, 75, 5, 642-648, https://doi.org/10.1021/j100675a008 . [all data]

Dojcansky and Heinrich, 1974
Dojcansky, J.; Heinrich, J., Chem. Zvesti, 1974, 28, 157. [all data]

Baldt and Hall, 1971
Baldt, J.H.; Hall, H.K.K., Jr., Thermochemistry of strained-ring bridgehead nitriles and esters, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1971, 93, 140-145. [all data]

Kushchenko and Mishchenko, 1968
Kushchenko, V.V.; Mishchenko, K.P., Zh. Prikl. Khim., 1968, 41, 3, 646. [all data]

Putnam, McEachern, et al., 1965, 3
Putnam, William E.; McEachern, Douglas Marvin; Kilpatrick, John E., Entropy and Related Thermodynamic Properties of Acetonitrile (Methyl Cyanide), J. Chem. Phys., 1965, 42, 2, 749, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1696002 . [all data]

Dojcansky and Heinrich, 1974, 2
Dojcansky, J.; Heinrich, J., Saturated Vapour Pressure of Acetonitrile, Chem. Zvesti, 1974, 28, 2, 157-159. [all data]

Domalski and Hearing, 1996
Domalski, Eugene S.; Hearing, Elizabeth D., Heat Capacities and Entropies of Organic Compounds in the Condensed Phase. Volume III, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 1996, 25, 1, 1, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.555985 . [all data]

Martin, 1982
Martin, C.A., Specific heat anomalies in some organic compounds, Therm. Anal., Proc. Int. Conf., 7th, 1982, 2, 829-835. [all data]

Hunter and Lias, 1998
Hunter, E.P.; Lias, S.G., Evaluated Gas Phase Basicities and Proton Affinities of Molecules: An Update, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 1998, 27, 3, 413-656, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.556018 . [all data]

Suess, Liu, et al., 2003
Suess, L.; Liu, Y.; Parthasarathy, R.; Dunning, F.B., Dipole-bound negative ions: Collisional destruction and blackbody-radiation-induced photodetachment, J. Chem. Phys., 2003, 119, 24, 12890-12894, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1628215 . [all data]

Bailey, Dessent, et al., 1996
Bailey, C.G.; Dessent, C.E.H.; Johnson, M.A.; Bowen, K.A., Jr., Vibronic Effects in the Photon Energy Dependent Photoelectron Spectra of the CH3CN- Dipole-bound Anion, J. Chem. Phys., 1996, 104, 18, 6976, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.471415 . [all data]

Desfrancois, Abdoul-Carime, et al., 1994
Desfrancois, C.; Abdoul-Carime, H.; Khelifa, N.; Schermann, J.P., Fork 1/r to 1/r2 Potentials: Electron Exchange between Rydberg Atoms and Polar Molecules, Phys. Rev. Lett., 1994, 73, 18, 2436, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.73.2436 . [all data]

Williams, Denault, et al., 2001
Williams, T.I.; Denault, J.W.; Cooks, R.G., Proton Affinity of Deuterated Acetonitrile Estimated by the Kinetic Method with Full Entropy Analysis, Int. J. Mass Spectrom., 2001, 210/211, 133. [all data]

Gochel-Dupuis, Delwiche, et al., 1992
Gochel-Dupuis, M.; Delwiche, J.; Hubin-Franskin, M.-J.; Collin, J.E., High-resolution HeI photoelectron spectrum of acetonitrile, Chem. Phys. Lett., 1992, 193, 41. [all data]

Harland and McIntosh, 1985
Harland, P.W.; McIntosh, B.J., Enthalpies of formation for the isomeric ions H_xCCN⁺ and H_xCNC⁺ (x = 0-3) by monochromatic electron impact on C₂N₂, CH₃CN and CH₃NC., Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Processes, 1985, 67, 29. [all data]

Chess, Lapp, et al., 1982
Chess, E.K.; Lapp, R.L.; Gross, M.L., The question of tautomerism of alkylnitrile and isonitrile radical cations, Org. Mass Spectrom., 1982, 17, 475. [all data]

Allam, Migahed, et al., 1982
Allam, S.H.; Migahed, M.D.; El-Khodary, A., Electron impact ionization and dissociation of deuterated and non-deuterated methanol, methyl cyanide, nitromethane and nitrobenzene, Egypt. J. Phys., 1982, 13, 167. [all data]

Rider, Ray, et al., 1981
Rider, D.M.; Ray, G.W.; Darland, E.J.; Leroi, G.E., A photoionization mass spectrometric investigation of CH₃CN and CD₃CN, J. Chem. Phys., 1981, 74, 1652. [all data]

Kimura, Katsumata, et al., 1981
Kimura, K.; Katsumata, S.; Achiba, Y.; Yamazaki, T.; Iwata, S., Ionization energies, Ab initio assignments, and valence electronic structure for 200 molecules in Handbook of HeI Photoelectron Spectra of Fundamental Organic Compounds, Japan Scientific Soc. Press, Tokyo, 1981. [all data]

Staley, Kleckner, et al., 1976
Staley, R.H.; Kleckner, J.E.; Beauchamp, J.L., Relationship between orbital ionization energies and molecular properties. Proton affinities and photoelectron spectra of nitriles, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1976, 98, 2081. [all data]

Lake and Thompson, 1970
Lake, R.F.; Thompson, H., The photoelectron spectra of some molecules containing the C N group, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London), 1970, A317, 187. [all data]

Frost, Herring, et al., 1970
Frost, D.C.; Herring, F.G.; McDowell, C.A.; Stenhouse, I.A., The ionization potentials of methyl cyanide and methyl acetylene by photoelectron spectroscopy and semi-rigorous LCAO SCF calculations, Chem. Phys. Lett., 1970, 4, 533. [all data]

Dibeler and Liston, 1968
Dibeler, V.H.; Liston, S.K., Mass-spectrometric study of photoionization. IX. Hydrogen cyanide and acetonitrile, J. Chem. Phys., 1968, 48, 4765. [all data]

Franklin, Wada, et al., 1966
Franklin, J.L.; Wada, Y.; Natalis, P.; Hierl, P.M., Ion-molecule reactions in acetonitrile and propionitrile, J. Phys. Chem., 1966, 70, 2353. [all data]

Nicholson, 1965
Nicholson, A.J.C., Photoionization-efficiency curves. II. False and genuine structure, J. Chem. Phys., 1965, 43, 1171. [all data]

Watanabe, Nakayama, et al., 1962
Watanabe, K.; Nakayama, T.; Mottl, J., Ionization potentials of some molecules, J. Quant. Spectry. Radiative Transfer, 1962, 2, 369. [all data]

Asbrink, Von Niessen, et al., 1980
Asbrink, L.; Von Niessen, W.; Bieri, G., 30.4-nm He(II) photoelectron spectra of organic molecules, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom., 1980, 21, 93. [all data]

Reed and Snedden, 1956
Reed, R.I.; Snedden, W., Studies in electron impact methods. Part 6.-The formation of the methine and carbon ions, J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans., 1956, 55, 876. [all data]

Haney and Franklin, 1968
Haney, M.A.; Franklin, J.L., Correlation of excess energies of electron-impact dissociations with the translational energies of the products, J.Chem. Phys., 1968, 48, 4093. [all data]

Holmes, Lossing, et al., 1993
Holmes, J.L.; Lossing, F.P.; Mayer, P.M., The effects of methyl substitution on the structure and thermochemistry of the cyanomethyl radical and cation, Chem. Phys. Lett., 1993, 212, 134. [all data]

Pottie and Lossing, 1961
Pottie, R.F.; Lossing, F.P., Free radicals by mass spectrometry. XXV. Ionization potentials of cyanoalkyl radicals, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1961, 83, 4737. [all data]

Bartmess, Scott, et al., 1979
Bartmess, J.E.; Scott, J.A.; McIver, R.T., Jr., The gas phase acidity scale from methanol to phenol, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1979, 101, 6047. [all data]

Graul and Squires, 1990
Graul, S.T.; Squires, R.R., Gas-Phase Acidities Derived from Threshold Energies for Activated Reactions, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1990, 112, 7, 2517, https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00163a007 . [all data]

Cumming and Kebarle, 1978
Cumming, J.B.; Kebarle, P., Summary of gas phase measurements involving acids AH. Entropy changes in proton transfer reactions involving negative ions. Bond dissociation energies D(A-H) and electron affinities EA(A), Can. J. Chem., 1978, 56, 1. [all data]

Zimmerman and Brauman, 1977
Zimmerman, A.H.; Brauman, J.I., Electron photodetachment from negative ions of C_2v symmetry. Electron affinities of allyl and cyanomethyl radicals, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1977, 99, 3565. [all data]

Heni and Illenberger, 1986
Heni, M.; Illenberger, E., Electron attachment by saturated nitriles. Acrylonitrile (CH₂H₃CN), and benzonitrile (C₆H₅CN), Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Phys., 1986, 73, 127. [all data]

Notes

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, Phase change data, Gas phase ion energetics data, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), References

• Symbols used in this document:
  

  AE	Appearance energy
  EA	Electron affinity
  IE (evaluated)	Recommended ionization energy
  Pc	Critical pressure
  Tboil	Boiling point
  Tc	Critical temperature
  Tfus	Fusion (melting) point
  Ttriple	Triple point temperature
  ΔHtrs	Enthalpy of phase transition
  ΔStrs	Entropy of phase transition
  ΔfH°gas	Enthalpy of formation of gas at standard conditions
  ΔfusH	Enthalpy of fusion
  ΔrG°	Free energy of reaction at standard conditions
  ΔrH°	Enthalpy of reaction at standard conditions
  ΔvapH	Enthalpy of vaporization
  ΔvapH°	Enthalpy of vaporization at standard conditions
  ΔvapS	Entropy of vaporization

• Data from NIST Standard Reference Database 69: NIST Chemistry WebBook
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