What is the expected product of a reaction with cyanide ions (CN-) in ethanol?

The expected product of a reaction with cyanide ions (CN-) in ethanol is nitriles. When cyanide ions act as nucleophiles, they can attack electrophilic centers in organic compounds, particularly in situations involving carbonyl groups or alkyl halides. In this case, if the reaction involves a substrate that can react with cyanide, such as an alkyl halide, the nucleophilic cyanide can displace the halide ion, resulting in the formation of a nitrile.

Nitriles contain the cyano group (-C≡N) and are characterized by their ability to form through nucleophilic substitution reactions. Cyanide ions are effective because they are strong nucleophiles, and when they react in a suitable solvent like ethanol, they typically yield nitriles as the final product.

Other options involve different types of products that do not directly result from the action of cyanide ions in this context. For example, alcohols would require hydrogenation or the presence of hydroxyl groups, alkanes would typically form from complete reduction reactions or aliphatic substitutions, and aldehydes are generally oxidized products or formed under different reaction conditions that involve specific substrates.