(T.A.E.C., Çekmece Nuclear Research Center, 1965-10) Erben, M. Talat; Ünseren, Envare; Seber, Nurten; TAEK-ÇNAEM
Infrared spectrophotometric evidence indicates that gamma irradiation of the nitriles causes partial inversion of the cyanide group into iso-cyanide according to the following mechanism: In the gamma flux, some of the cyanide groups are detached from the nitrile as cyan free radicals and, owing to their resonance-hybrid structure, .C=N - <-> - C=N., two distinct recombination processes take place leading partly to the usual cyanide and partly to the iso-cyanide, respectively. From a comparison of the optical densities at the characteristic frequency of the iso-cyanide absorption band in irradiated methacrylonitrile and ethyl iso-cyanide it is concluded that at least 20% of the cyanide groups were transformed into iso-cyanide in a specific sample of methacrylonitrile irradiated to a total dose of 0.1 megarads.