Cyano vs cyanido

[Chem_Mod]

Question: What is the difference between cyano and cyanido (Cn-)?

[Chem_Mod]

Answer: They are actually the same ligand, but the the first (cyano) is an older naming convention. Cyanido is the IUPAC preferred name for the ligand.

[Kathryn]

Would you prefer for us to use cyano or cyanido because I've seen cyanido used in the textbook while cyano is used in the solutions manual?

[Chem_Mod]

Both forms are acceptable because IUPAC has recently changed the rules. The book has the new rules although old rules are still heavily used in the field.