[alihihg]

Hello everyone,

I understand the main concept of nucleophilic substitution with halogenoalkanes, but my question is, when we add the CN group from cyanide (coming from potassium cyanide), does the carbon from CN change the name of the nitrile produced?

For example, will bromoethane be converted to propanenitrile?

My teacher says it doesn't, and so does chemguide.co.uk, but my book from Pearson's baccalaureate says it does.

[Dan]

The books are correct. The nitrile C is counted in the number of carbons in the parent chain.

For example, will bromoethane be converted to propanenitrile?

Yes, that is correct.

Can you post the a link to where it is incorrect in chemguide?

[alihihg]

Thank you so much. I seemed to have misread chemguide.co.uk, sorry about that, it is actually correct. But my teacher was definitely wrong.

Much appreciated.