What is the optical activity of the product formed when propanone is refluxed with HCN with KCN dissolved in ethanol and why?

The product formed (hydroxybutanitrile) is optically inactive because the nitrile nucleophile can attack the propane at its carbonyl bond which is trigonal planar about it. There is an equal chance of it attacking above or below the bond which means that the product is a racemic mixture (equal amounts of both enantiomers) who's optical activity cancel each other out, making the product optically inactive

AY
Answered by Aditya Y. Chemistry tutor

2710 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Construct expressions for pH, Kw and Gibbs Free energy


Describe the structure of benzene, and how this affects its stability.


How do buffers work?


How would you find out whether a reaction is feasible?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning