What Is Acetonitrile?

Acetonitrile, also known as methyl cyanide, is a colorless, transparent, highly volatile organic liquid with a mild ether-like odor. Its CAS No. is 75-05-8, molecular formula is C₂H₃N, and molecular weight is 41.05 g/mol.

Acetonitrile has excellent solvent properties, good chemical stability, and relatively high polarity. It can dissolve a wide range of organic and inorganic compounds, making it an important solvent and chemical raw material for various industrial applications.

Key Properties of Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile is characterized by its high volatility, low viscosity, and strong solvency. It is miscible with water and many organic solvents, while its relatively low boiling point makes it suitable for processes where rapid evaporation or solvent removal is required.

Due to these properties, acetonitrile is widely used in applications requiring a high-purity polar organic solvent.

Main Applications

Acetonitrile is extensively used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, laboratory, and analytical industries.

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it can be used as a reaction solvent, extraction solvent, and purification solvent. It is also widely used in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a mobile-phase solvent, particularly for analytical and quality-control applications.

In the chemical industry, acetonitrile is used as an important intermediate and solvent in the production of various chemicals. Its good solvency and chemical properties also make it useful in extraction and separation processes.

Acetonitrile in Industrial Supply

Commercial acetonitrile is available in different grades depending on the intended application, including industrial grade, pharmaceutical grade, and HPLC grade. Product specifications such as purity, water content, acidity, and other impurities can vary according to grade and application.

For industrial buyers, factors such as purity, packaging, origin, quantity, shipping terms, and supply stability are important when selecting an acetonitrile supplier.

Product Information

• Product Name: Acetonitrile
• Synonyms: Methyl Cyanide
• CAS No.: 75-05-8
• Molecular Formula: C₂H₃N
• Molecular Weight: 41.05 g/mol
• Appearance: Colorless transparent liquid
• Main Uses: Pharmaceutical manufacturing, chemical synthesis, HPLC analysis, extraction and separation

Conclusion

Acetonitrile is an important polar organic solvent with broad applications in pharmaceutical manufacturing, chemical production, and analytical testing. Its combination of high solvency, volatility, water miscibility, and chemical stability makes it a widely used solvent in modern chemical and laboratory processes.