aldehyde | sydnequilllibrium

Aldehydes

Is any of a class of organic compounds, in which a carbon atom shares a double bond with an oxygen atom, a single bond with a hydrogen atom, and a single bond with another atom or group of atoms (designated R in general chemical formulas and structure diagrams). The double bond between carbon and oxygen is characteristic of all aldehydes and is known as the carbonyl group. Many aldehydes have pleasant odors, and in principle, they are derived from alcohols by dehydrogenation (removal of hydrogen), from which process came the namealdehyde.

Aldehydes undergo a wide variety of chemical reactions, including polymerization. Their combination with other types of molecules produces the so-called aldehyde condensation polymers, which have been used in plastics such as Bakelite and in the laminate tabletop material Formica. Aldehydes are also useful as solvents andperfume ingredients and as intermediates in the production of dyes andpharmaceuticals. Certain aldehydes are involved in physiological processes. Examples are retinal (vitamin A aldehyde), important in human vision, and pyridoxal phosphate, one of the forms of vitamin B6. Glucose and other so-called reducing sugars are aldehydes, as are several natural and synthetic hormones.

STRUCTURE OF ALDEHYDES:

In formaldehyde, the simplest aldehyde, the carbonyl group is bonded to two hydrogen atoms. In all other aldehydes, the carbonyl group is bonded to 1 hydrogen and one carbon group. In condensed structural formulas, the carbonyl group of an aldehyde is commonly represented as −CHO. Using this convention, the formula of formaldehyde is HCHO and that of acetaldehyde is CH3CHO.

The carbon atoms bonded to the carbonyl group of an aldehyde may be part of saturated or unsaturated alkyl groups, or they may be alicyclic, aromatic, or heterocyclic rings.

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written by: Abel Munoz