Why NACN provides a stronger nucleophile then HCN? Organic Chemistry Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions (SN1 and SN2) and Elimination Reactions (E1 and E2) Nucleophile vs. Base Strength 1 Answer anor277 Mar 7, 2017 #"Sodium cyanide"# is formally ionic, and contains a potent #""^(-)C-=N# nucleophile............. Explanation: On the other hand, #"hydrogen cyanide"#, is an uncharged molecule, #H-C-=N#, with no negative charge to donate to an electrophile. Answer link Related questions What is the difference between a nucleophile and a stong base? What are some examples of nucleophiles and strong bases? What determines the nucleophile's strength? Can a strong nucleophile be a weak base? How do you rank nucleophiles? How do you determine a nucleophile or a base? Are alkenes nucleophiles? Do nucleophiles add to carbonyl carbons? Why is ammonia a nucleophile? Is water a nucleophile? See all questions in Nucleophile vs. Base Strength Impact of this question 9702 views around the world You can reuse this answer Creative Commons License