Consider the above chemical reaction and identify product "A"
[Reaction: 1-cyanocyclohexane reacts w

Q: Why doesn't the first step yield a carboxylic acid directly?

Without the application of heat, the hydrolysis of a nitrile typically stops at the amide stage. Heating is required to provide the activation energy to break the stable amide bond and push it to the carboxylic acid.

Q: What is the difference between partial and complete hydrolysis?

Partial hydrolysis adds one water molecule across the triple bond to form an amide. Complete hydrolysis adds another water molecule, breaking the C-N bond entirely to form a carboxylic acid and ammonia.

Q: Can we use a basic medium for this hydrolysis?

Yes, nitriles can also be hydrolyzed in a basic medium. However, this yields a carboxylate salt instead of the free acid. You would need a subsequent acidification step to get the final carboxylic acid.

Q: What if we used a reducing agent like $LiAlH_4$?

A strong reducing agent like $LiAlH_4$ would reduce the nitrile group to a primary amine ($-CH_2NH_2$), rather than hydrolyzing it.

Q: How do we know the second step is complete hydrolysis?

The presence of the $\Delta$ symbol (heat) along with $H_2O/H^+$ is the classic condition for the complete hydrolysis of an amide to a carboxylic acid.

Question

Consider the above chemical reaction and identify product "A"

Sigma Percentile · Accepted Answer

### Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are a molecular architect, and your starting material is **1-cyanocyclohexane**. We are presented with a two-step reaction sequence. Our primary objective is to deduce the identity of the intermediate product, labeled as **"A"**.

The reaction begins with the treatment of our starting material with water in an acidic medium ($H_2O/H^+$). This is a classic condition for the hydrolysis of nitriles.

### The Master Equation: Hydrolysis of Nitriles
When nitriles ($-C\equiv N$) are subjected to aqueous acid, they don't just instantly turn into carboxylic acids. The process is beautifully staged.

The first stage is **partial hydrolysis**. Without the application of external heat, the water molecule adds across the carbon-nitrogen triple bond. This breaks the $\pi$-bonds and transforms the nitrile group into an **amide** group ($-CONH_2$).

$$R-C\equiv N \xrightarrow{H_2O/H^+} R-CONH_2$$

### Identifying Product A
Applying this logic to our specific molecule, the cyanide group attached to the cyclohexane ring undergoes partial hydrolysis. The $-C\equiv N$ group becomes a $-CONH_2$ group.

Therefore, the intermediate product **"A"** is **cyclohexanecarboxamide**. This perfectly matches option (c).

### Final Confirmation: Complete Hydrolysis
To ensure our deduction is flawless, let's examine the second step. The reaction conditions now include heat ($\Delta$) along with the aqueous acid.

When an amide is heated in an acidic medium, it undergoes **complete hydrolysis**. The carbon-nitrogen single bond in the amide breaks, releasing ammonia ($NH_3$) and leaving behind a **carboxylic acid** ($-COOH$).

$$R-CONH_2 \xrightarrow{H_2O/H^+, \Delta} R-COOH + NH_3$$

This perfectly aligns with the final product shown in the reaction scheme, confirming that our intermediate "A" is indeed the amide.

### The Way Forward
Always keep a sharp eye on the reaction conditions! If the first step had employed a strong reducing agent like lithium aluminium hydride ($LiAlH_4$) instead of water, the nitrile would have been reduced to a primary amine ($-CH_2NH_2$). Small tweaks in reagents can completely alter the functional group's destiny.

Animated Solution for Chemistry - Organic Chemistry: Consider the above chemical reaction and identify product "A"

Select Answer:

Visualized Solution

\text{Reaction Sequence}

\text{Hydrolysis of Nitriles}

\text{Partial Hydrolysis}

\text{Identifying Product A}

\text{Complete Hydrolysis}

\text{The Way Forward}

The Sigma Insight: Carbonyl Compounds

Analyzing the Setup Imagine you are a molecular architect, and your starting material is 1-cyanocyclohexane

The Master Equation

Identifying Product A Applying this logic to our specific molecule, the cyanide group attached to the cyclohexane ring undergoes partial hydrolysis

Final Confirmation

The Way Forward Always keep a sharp eye on the reaction conditions! If the first step had employed a strong reducing agent like lithium aluminium hydride ( $L i A l H_{4}$ ) instead of water, the nitrile would have been reduced to a primary amine ( $- C H_{2} N H_{2}$ )

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