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439134

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetonitrile

≥99.9%, gradient grade, suitable for UV/Vis spectroscopy, HPLC

Synonym(s):

ACN, Cyanomethane, Ethyl nitrile, Methyl cyanide

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
CH3CN
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
41.05
Beilstein/REAXYS Number:
741857
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12190000
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.03

product name

Acetonitrile, suitable for HPLC, gradient grade, ≥99.9%

grade

gradient grade

Quality Level

vapor density

1.41 (vs air)

vapor pressure

72.8 mmHg ( 20 °C)

description

HPLC gradient analysis <= 0.5 mAU @254 nm
HPLC gradient analysis <= 3 mAU @ 210 nm
baseline drift at 210 nm <= 15 mAU

assay

≥99.9%

form

liquid

autoignition temp.

973 °F

purified by

sub-micron filtration

expl. lim.

16 %

technique(s)

HPLC: suitable
UV/Vis spectroscopy: suitable

impurities

≤0.0002% free alkali (as NH3)
≤0.001% free acid (as CH3COOH)
≤0.01% water (Karl Fischer)
≤0.5 ppb quinine fluor., 365 nm
≤1 ppb quinine fluor., 254 nm

evapn. residue

<0.0002%

refractive index

n20/D 1.344 (lit.)

bp

81-82 °C (lit.)

mp

−45 °C (lit.)

solubility

water: soluble

density

0.786 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

λ

H2O reference

UV absorption

λ: 195 nm Amax: ≤0.12
λ: 200 nm Amax: ≤0.032
λ: 230 nm Amax: ≤0.0044

application(s)

food and beverages

format

neat

SMILES string

CC#N

InChI

1S/C2H3N/c1-2-3/h1H3

InChI key

WEVYAHXRMPXWCK-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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General description

Acetonitrile (MeCN), an aliphatic nitrile, is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. It is widely used as a solvent and intermediate in organic syntheses. It is transparent to UV-visible light making it highly applicable in spectrophotometric and fluorimetric techniques. As MeCN has low viscosity, high elution strength and is highly miscible in water, it is utilized as a mobile phase component in many chromatographic techniques. Its infrared spectrum has been recorded. Synthesis of alkyl hydroperoxides in MeCN by alkane oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron complexes has been studied. The hydrogenation of MeCN to form ethylamine using Co–B amorphous alloy catalyst has been investigated.

Application


  • Chromatographic Separation of Anthocyanins: Acetonitrile is a preferred solvent in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the separation of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds. Studies have explored the selectivity control of anthocyanin separation by replacing acetonitrile with methanol in the mobile phase, highlighting the solvent′s role in optimizing chromatographic conditions for improved resolution and detection sensitivity (Deineka et al., Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2021).

  • Peroxyoxalate Chemiluminescence Detection: Acetonitrile is used in peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence for the detection of α-amino acids. The solvent′s ability to form stable mixed solutions with water and ethyl acetate enhances the chemiluminescence reaction, allowing for sensitive and selective detection of amino acids in various samples. This application is essential for biochemical and clinical analyses (Kan et al., American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2020).

  • Electrochemical Detection of DNA Modifications: Acetonitrile is utilized in electrochemical methods for detecting DNA modifications, such as 5-formyluracil. The solvent′s role in stabilizing the (2-benzimidazolyl) acetonitrile labeling reaction enhances the selectivity and sensitivity of detecting DNA modifications, which is crucial for genomic and biomedical research (Tang et al., Analytical Chemistry, 2021).

  • Alternative Solvent in Chromatography: Research has investigated replacing acetonitrile with ethanol in reversed-phase HPLC for determining anthocyanins. This substitution aims to maintain chromatographic performance while reducing the environmental impact and costs associated with acetonitrile use. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of using ethanol as a greener alternative without compromising analytical quality (Deineka et al., Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2023).


Preparation Note

Product filtered through a 0.2 μm filter

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pictograms

FlameExclamation mark

signalword

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Dermal - Acute Tox. 4 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Eye Irrit. 2 - Flam. Liq. 2

Storage Class

3 - Flammable liquids

wgk_germany

WGK 2

flash_point_f

35.6 °F - closed cup

flash_point_c

2.0 °C - closed cup


Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

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H Haugen et al.
Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials, 73(2), 229-237 (2005-03-10)
This article deals with enzyme-induced biodegradation behavior of thermoplastic polyether-urethane (TPU). Porous scaffolds were processed by a new foaming method applied in hot pressing and injection molding. The scaffolds were subsequently gamma sterilized. The samples were incubated with cholesterol esterase
Infrared spectra of acetonitrile and acetonitrile-d3.
Pace EL and Noe LJ.
J. Chem. Phys., 49, 5317-5325 (1968)
Liquid phase hydrogenation of acetonitrile to ethylamine over the Co-B amorphous alloy catalyst.
Li H, et al.
J. Catal., 214(1), 15-25 (2003)
Hydrogen peroxide oxygenation of alkanes including methane and ethane catalyzed by iron complexes in acetonitrile.
Shul'pin GB, et al.
Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 346(2-3), 317-332 (2004)
Eagleson M.
Concise Encyclopedia Chemistry, 6-6 (1994)

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