Pivalonitrile is a
nitrile with the
semi-structural formula (CH
3)
3CCN, abbreviated ''t''-BuCN. This
aliphatic organic compound
Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...
is a clear, colourless liquid that is used as a solvent and as a
labile ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule with a functional group that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's el ...
in
coordination chemistry
A coordination complex is a chemical compound consisting of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of chemical bond, bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ' ...
. Pivalonitrile is isomeric with
''tert''-butyl isocyanide but the two compounds do not exist in
chemical equilibrium, unlike its silicon
analog trimethylsilyl cyanide.
References
5
Tert-butyl compounds
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