Uses of alkyl isocyanides

Because of their unpleasant smell, alkyl isocyanides are utilized in detection of very minute leakage. Carbylamine reaction is utilized as a test for the detection of primary amino group.

1. Methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas was accountable for Bhopal gas disaster in Dec. 1984.

2. Cyanides have much more polar character than isocyanides. Therefore cyanides have high boiling points and are much more soluble in water. Though, both isomers are more polar than alkylhalides, therefore their boiling points are higher as compared to the corresponding alkyl halides.

3. Being less polar, isocyanides are not attacked from OH- ions.