What Is Silver Cyanide Used For

Silver cyanide, with the chemical formula AgCN, is a white crystalline solid that is used for various purposes in different industries, including:

1. Electroplating: Silver cyanide is commonly used in electroplating, which is the process of coating a metal with a thin layer of silver to protect it from corrosion or improve its appearance. Silver cyanide is often used as a source of silver ions in the plating solution.

2. Photography: Silver cyanide is also used in black and white photography as a light-sensitive salt. When exposed to light, silver cyanide forms silver particles that create the image on photographic paper.

3. Chemical synthesis: Silver cyanide is used as a reagent in some chemical reactions, such as the preparation of nitriles, which are organic compounds containing a cyano group (-CN).

4. Analytical chemistry: Silver cyanide can be used in analytical chemistry as a precipitating agent for certain analytes, such as halides (e.g. chloride, bromide, iodide) and sulfides. The resulting precipitate can be weighed or analyzed using other techniques.

It should be noted that silver cyanide is a toxic substance and proper safety measures should always be taken when handling it.