Compound

hydrogen cyanide

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN); A toxic liquid or colorless gas. It is found in the smoke of various tobacco products and released by combustion of nitrogen-containing organic materials.

Definition from MeSH (D006856), National Library of Medicine, read 2026-09-23. NLM revises MeSH; this copy may not reflect its current record.

CHEBI:18407ChEBI

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Structure

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A generated conformer of hydrogen cyanide — one low-energy arrangement PubChem computed, not a measured structure. Hydrogens are not drawn; the formula counts them.

Class: Organic compound
Formula: CHN
Mass: 27.026 g/mol
Charge: 0
InChIKey: LELOWRISYMNNSU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: C#N
Look it up: ChEBI PubChem By InChIKey

Identity from ChEBI, geometry from PubChem. Not evidence.

What it touches on the way

Mechanistic reach

3 entities

3 entities reached.

0 reported hops3 assembled from the scaffold

What the reference databases state

Statements

6 statements

6 statements · 2 reference databases · Subject: hydrogen cyanide · Sources: Human-GEM, Rhea

Order

hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of MMACHCProteinRhea RHEA:16113Inferred only
hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of MPSTProteinHuman-GEM MAR06518Inferred only
hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of MPSTProteinHuman-GEM MAR06520Inferred only
hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of TSTProteinRhea RHEA:16881Inferred only
hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of TSTProteinHuman-GEM MAR06518Inferred only
hydrogen cyanide is a substrate of TSTProteinHuman-GEM MAR06520Inferred only

Reactions

51 reactions

hydrogen cyanidehydrogen cyanide
Reaction pageReversibleBalancedGO:0005829, GO:0005615
Human-GEM MAR06516CC BY 4.0Reference data
hydrogen cyanidehydrogen cyanide
Reaction pageReversibleBalancedGO:0005829, GO:0005759
Human-GEM MAR06517CC BY 4.0Reference data
hydrogen cyanide+2-oxo-3-sulfanylpropanoateproton+pyruvate+thiocyanate
Catalysed by MPST or TST
Reaction pageLeft to rightBalancedEC 2.8.1.2GO:0005829
Human-GEM MAR06518CC BY 4.0Reference data
hydrogen cyanide+thiosulfateproton+sulfite+thiocyanate
Catalysed by MPST or TST
Reaction pageReversibleBalancedEC 2.8.1.1GO:0005759
Human-GEM MAR06520CC BY 4.0Reference data
hydrogen cyanide
Reaction pageReversibleBalance undeterminableGO:0005615
Human-GEM MAR09160CC BY 4.0Reference data
CHEBI:79191+reduced [NADPH--hemoprotein reductase]+dioxygenCHEBI:79200+hydrogen cyanide+oxidized [NADPH--hemoprotein reductase]+2water+2hydron
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:10452CC BY 4.0Reference data
CHEBI:15348acetone+hydrogen cyanide
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:11932CC BY 4.0Reference data
glycine+2Ahydrogen cyanide+2AH2+carbon dioxide
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:15821CC BY 4.0Reference data
CHEBI:16660CHEBI:17597+hydrogen cyanide
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:15977CC BY 4.0Reference data
2cob(II)alamin-[cyanocobalamin reductase]+2hydrogen cyanide+NADP(3-)2cyanocob(III)alamin+2apo-[cyanocobalamin reductase]+NADPH(4-)+hydron
Catalysed by MMACHC
Reaction pageRight to leftBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:16113CC BY 4.0Reference data
thiosulfate+hydrogen cyanidethiocyanate+sulfite+2hydron
Catalysed by TST
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:16881CC BY 4.0Reference data
hydrogen cyanide+L-cysteineCHEBI:77860+hydrogen sulfide+hydron
Reaction pageDirection not assertedBalance undeterminable
Rhea RHEA:17821CC BY 4.0Reference data

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Other names

7 names

Resolves to: hydrogen cyanide

Also called: [CHN]formonitrileHCNhydrocyanic acid
Systematic name: hydridonitridocarbonhydrogen(nitridocarbonate)methanenitrile