Which compound is produced when potassium cyanide and potassium ferricyanide are used in hemoglobin determination?

The compound produced when potassium cyanide and potassium ferricyanide are used in hemoglobin determination is cyanmethemoglobin. In laboratory settings, cyanmethemoglobin is commonly used to assess the concentration of hemoglobin in blood samples.

When potassium cyanide interacts with hemoglobin, it converts it to methemoglobin. This is a necessary intermediate step because methemoglobin can then react with potassium ferricyanide to form cyanmethemoglobin, which is a stable compound. The creation of cyanmethemoglobin allows for a colorimetric analysis, giving a measurement that correlates directly with hemoglobin concentration, typically by measuring the absorbance at a specific wavelength.

This process is specifically advantageous because cyanmethemoglobin forms a colored solution, which can be quantitatively analyzed. Therefore, the correct identification of cyanmethemoglobin is essential in the context of hemoglobin determination, as it directly relates to the method and outcome of the measurement.