When an organic compound containing nitrogen is fused with sodium metal during the preparation of Lassaigne's extract, the nitrogen is converted into which of the following ionic species?

Step-by-step solution

During the preparation of Lassaigne's extract, the organic compound is fused with sodium metal. If the organic compound contains both carbon and nitrogen, they react with the highly reactive sodium metal to form sodium cyanide ( NaCN ). The chemical reaction is given by: Na + C + N NaCN Thus, the nitrogen present in the organic compound is converted into the cyanide ion ( CN⁻ ). Answer: NaCN