Written by J.A Dobado | Last Updated on April 22, 2024
What are aldehydes?
Aldehydes are organic compounds that have the functional group -CHO (formyl), a carbonyl group >C=O with a hydrogen.
Applications
Aldehydes are present in many natural products and are widely used for the manufacture of all kinds of chemical compounds. For example, they have applications in materials such as plastics, perfumes, solvents, paints, resins, etc.
The aldehyde group is very versatile in organic synthesis and they are often used as intermediates.
Nomenclature
Follow the link for a summary of the formulation and nomenclature rules for aldehydes.
Reactions of aldehydes
Aldehydes and ketones have similarities in reactivity due to the presence of the carbonyl group, but they also have distinguishing characteristics.
Therefore, aldehyde reactions are described together with ketone reactions.
Analysis of aldehydes
Aldehydes and ketones have characteristic reactions in common because of the presence of the carbonyl group. They also have different reactions because aldehydes are oxidized to acids with mild oxidants. Therefore, the analysis of aldehydes is approached together with that of ketones.