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Cyanogen

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Synonyms

Carbon nitride; Dicyan; Dicyanogen; Nitriloacetonitrile; Oxalic acid dinitrile; Oxalonitrile; Oxalyl cyanide

Definition

Cyanogen is a compound of formula (CN)2. It is a colorless gas at standard temperature and pressure. A cyanogen molecule consists of two CN groups bonded together at their carbon atoms (N≡C−C≡N). Cyanogen is the anhydride of oxamide. It can be generated from cyanide compounds and solutions of metal salts (such as copper(II) sulfate).

$$ 2{\mathrm{CuSO}}_4+4\mathrm{K}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{N}\to {\left(\mathrm{C}\mathrm{N}\right)}_2+2\mathrm{CuCN}+2{\mathrm{K}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4 $$
(1)

It is also formed when nitrogen and acetylene are acted upon by an electrical discharge.

It is implicated as a possible phosphorylating agent for nucleosides and a possible precursor to cyanates and ureas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  2. Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  3. Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 2800 Woodley Rd. NW #544, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  4. Center for Chemical Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

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  1. Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II
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Correspondence to Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Cleaves, H.J.(. (2014). Cyanogen. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1734-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1734-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Cyanogen
    Published:
    20 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1734-4

  2. Original

    Cyanogen
    Published:
    22 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1734-3

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