2-Cyanoguanidine
2-Cyanoguanidine is an nitrile derived from guanidine. It is a dimer of cyanamide, from which it can be prepared. 2-Cyanoguanidine is a colourless solid that is soluble in water, acetone, and alcohol, but not nonpolar organic solvents.
Production and use
2-Cyanoguanidine is produced by treating cyanamide with base. It is produced in soil by decomposition of cyanamide. A variety of useful compounds are produced from 2-cyanoguanidine, guanidines and melamine. It is also used as a slow fertilizer. Formerly, it was used as a fuel in some explosives. It is used in the adhesive industry as a curing agent for epoxies.
Chemistry
There are two tautomeric forms, differing in the protonation and bonding of the nitrogen to which the nitrile group is attached.
2-Cyanoguanidine can also exist in a zwitterionic form via a formal acid–base reaction among the nitrogens.
Loss of ammonia (NH3) from the zwitterionic form, followed by deprotonation of the remaining central nitrogen atom, gives the dicyanamide anion, [N(CN)2]−.
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