Mechanistic studies on the decomposition of sodium cyanide in aqueous solution and in the solid state

The mechanism of the spontaneous decomposition of sodium cyanide in aqueous solution and in the solid state was studied by ion chromatography (IC), FT-Raman spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR). In the aqueous solution, gradual decomposition of the cyanide to carbonate by a displacement reaction was observed. In the solid state, sodium cyanide was found to be stable when kept in dry air, however, it decomposed by the same mechanism as that in aqueous solution under non-dry conditions.