Publisher Summary The best known reactions for the preparation of nitriles are the dehydration of amides and oximes, the condensation of halides with cyanides, and the Sandmeyer reaction. Other methods for the preparation of nitriles involve the addition of hydrogen cyanide to double bonds, oxidation and reduction reactions, and nitrile interchange reactions. This chapter presents a variety of condensation reactions such as the aldol reaction and alkylation of active methylene compounds that are also used for the synthesis of nitriles. The carbon skeleton associated with an existing nitrile-containing structure is changed in a controlled manner. By the dehydration of amides, primary, secondary, and tertiary nitriles can be obtained in good yields. The method is applicable to aliphatic and aromatic amides. The addition of hydrogen cyanide to olefins and acetylenes is important industrially but requires special equipmentand precautions. The dehydration of amides is the best known of the elimination reactions for the preparation of nitriles.