Copper cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula CuCN. This off-white solid occurs in two polymorphs; impure samples can be green due to the presence of Cu impurities. The compound is useful a
Figure 1: The structure of HT-CuCN showing the chains running along the c axis. Key: copper = orange and cyan = head-to-tail disordered cyanide groups.
Figure 2: The structure of LT-CuCN showing sheets of chains stacking in an ABAB fashion. Key: copper = orange and cyan = head-to-tail disordered cyanide groups.
Sodium cyanide is a compound with the formula NaCN and the structure Na+ −C≡N. It is a white, water-soluble solid. Cyanide has a high affinity for metals, which leads to the high toxicity of this salt