The carbon center of a nitrile is electrophilic, hence it is susceptible to nucleophilic addition reactions:
* with an organozinc compound in the Blaise reaction
* with alcohols in the Pinner reaction.
* with amines, e.g. the reaction of the amine sarcosine with cyanamide yields creatine
* Nitriles react in Friedel–Crafts acylation in the Houben–Hoesch reaction to ketones