Spectroscopic analysis:

The IR spectrum of an aliphatic nitrile depicts absorption because of stretching of the nitrile group in the region 2260-2240 cm^-1. The subsequent absorption for an aromatic nitrile is in the region 2240-2190 cm^-1. These regions are generally devoid of absorptions and thus any absorption here can generally be identified.

The carbon of the nitrile group provides a quaternary signal in the ¹³C nmr spectrum that is usually in the region 114-124 ppm. If a single nitrile group is exists, the molecular ion in the mass spectrum must be an odd number because of the existence of nitrogen.