Acetonitrile

A colorless liquid with an aromatic odor. It is used in organic synthesis as a starting material for acetophenone, alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid, thiamine, acetamidine, amides, amines, higher molecular weight mono- and dinitriles, halogenated nitriles, ketones, isocyanates, and heterocycles. It is used in the manufacturing of acrylic fibers, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, nitrile rubber, and pesticides. It is used to remove tars, phenols, and coloring matter from petroleum hydrocarbons; to extract fatty acids from fish liver, animal, and vegetable oils; and to recrystallize steroids. It is used wherever a polar solvent having a high dielectric constant is required; as a solvent in non-aqueous titrations; and as a non-aqueous solvent for inorganic salts.

Acetonitrile burns with a luminous flame. It may cause explosions when in contact with strong oxidizers; nitrogen-fluorine compounds are potentially explosive in contact with it. It can react violently with sulfuric acid, oleum, chlorosulfonic acid, and perchlorates. It forms explosive mixtures with air. When heated to decomposition, it emits highly toxic fumes of cyanides. It is incompatible and reactive with strong oxidizers, nitrating agents, indium, dinitrogen tetraoxide, nitric acid, and ulfite. It will react with water, steam or acids to produce toxic and flammable vapors and nitrogen oxides.

Acetonitrile is poisonous. Massive doses of acetonitrile can produce sudden loss of consciousness, violent convulsions, paralysis, and death from respiratory arrest. With smaller but still lethal doses, the illness may be prolonged for one or more hours. In the early phases of poisoning, an increase in vasoconstrictor tone causes a rise in blood pressure and reflex slowing of the heart rate. Exposure to acetonitrile can cause hyperpnea, dyspnea, headaches, anorexia, asphyxia, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, weakness, stupor, convulsions, anxiety, vertigo, stiffness in the lower jaw, and pink coloring of the skin. Its vapor can irritate eyes, nose and throat; liquid can irritate skin and eyes.