CAS 18502-05-1: 4-cyanomethylimidazole

4(5)-Cyanomethylimidazole

(4-Imidazolyl)acetonitrile is used to produce 2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-3-phenyl-acrylonitrile at ambient temperature. This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.

4-Imidazoleacetonitrile is an antituberculosis drug that is a derivative of imidazole. It has shown potent antibacterial activity against tuberculosis in mice, and can be used as a substitute for streptomycin. 4-Imidazoleacetonitrile is a peptidomimetic that inhibits the synthesis of the mycolic acid component of the cell wall by binding to its target site on the beta-subunit of peptidoglycan synthetase, thereby inhibiting peptide crosslinkage and disrupting cell wall assembly. This compound also has strong adsorbing properties, which may be due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. 4-Imidazoleacetonitrile also shows interaction energies with lysine residues in mammalian cells and histidine residues in bacteria.