Aldehydes, Ketones, and Carboxylic Acids Formed Radiolytically in Aqueous Solutions of Cyanides and Simple Nitriles

A systematic search for aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids was carried out in aqueous solutions of HCN, ${\rm NH}_{4}{\rm CN},\ {\rm CH}_{3}{\rm CN}$, and ${\rm C}_{2}{\rm H}_{4}{\rm CN}$, that had received multikilogray doses of 60 Co γ radiation. About 30 radiolytic products were identified, among them a large variety of dicarboxylic and tricarboxylic acids. Some of them might be of significant interest in molecular evolution studies of prebiotic processes. They originate in the free-radical-initiated chemical reactions where the additional oligomerization processes are particularly important. Most of the radiolytic products appear in both cyanides and nitriles and point to the importance of reactions involving the carbon-nitrogen triple bond.