MOLECULE

Benzyl nitrile

Benzyl nitrile or Benzeneacetonitrile, also known as benzyl cyanide or alpha-cyanotoluene, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as benzyl cyanides. These are organic compounds containing an acetonitrile with one hydrogen replaced by a phenyl group. Benzeneacetonitrile is found, on average, in the highest concentration within kohlrabis and peppermints. Benzeneacetonitrile has also been detected, but not quantified, in several different foods, such as cabbages, cauliflowers, garden and cherry tomato. Benzeneacetonitrile has also been detected in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples obtained from police seizures (PMID: 26657499). It is also a constituent of cannabis smoke and is volatilized during the combustion of cannabis (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_2). Benzeneacetonitrile is a potentially toxic compound. Benzyl nitrile is a colorless oily aromatic liquid and an important precursor to numerous compounds in organic chemistry. Benzyl nitrile is a useful precursor to numerous drugs with recreational use potential. Benzyl nitrile can be produced via Kolbe nitrile synthesis between benzyl chloride and sodium cyanide and by oxidative decarboxylation of phenylalanine.