A colorless liquid, it is prepared by the reaction of hydrogen chloride with acrylonitrile.

It is used commercially as a precursor to the drug famotidine.

[1] It is an alkylating agent, as illustrated by its reaction with imidazoles to give the cyanoethylated imidazolium salts.

[2] Similarly, it alkylates thiourea, en route to 3-mercaptopropionitrile.

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