ALDEHYDE

Aldehyde, 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
odours, and in principle, they
.
are derived from alcohols by
dehydrogenation (removal of
hydrogen), from which process
came the name aldehyde.
Aldehydes have properties that
are diverse and that depend on
the remainder of the molecule.
Smaller aldehydes are more
soluble in water, formaldehyde
and acetaldehyde completely so.
The volatile aldehydes have
pungent odors.
Physical properties

The polarity of the carbonyl group

notably affects the physical
properties of melting point and
boiling point, solubility, and dipole
moment.
Hydrocarbons, compounds
consisting of only the elements
hydrogen and carbon, are
essentially nonpolar and thus
have low melting and boiling
points. The melting and boiling
points of carbonyl-containing
compounds are considerably
higher.
Tautomerism

If an aldehyde possesses at least one

hydrogen atom on the carbon atom
adjacent to the carbonyl group,
called the alpha (α) carbon, this
hydrogen can migrate to the oxygen
atom of the carbonyl group. The
double bond then migrates to the α-
carbon.
As a result, a carbonyl
compound with an α-
hydrogen can exist in
two isomeric forms,
called tautomers.
Tautomerism, the existence of two
or more chemical compounds that
are capable of facile
interconversion, in many cases
merely exchanging a hydrogen
atom between two other atoms, to
either of which it forms a covalent
bond.
Synthesis Of Aldehydes

Because aldehydes
. are important
building blocks in organic chemistry,
they are used to synthesize many
other compounds, and there are also
many ways to prepare them.
Oxidation is among the principal
methods.
.
FORMULA
OF
ALDEHYDE
If the valency of Carbon is filled
with Hydrogen, the member will be
HCHO. If it is filled with methyl
.
group, the member will be
CH3CHO. ... Now, you know the
general formula of alkyl group is
CnH2n+1 and hence general
formula for aldehyde will be
CnH2n+1CHO provided n = 0, 1, 2,
3, etc.
Examples
.

of
Aldehyde
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring
organic compound with the formula
CH₂O. It is the simplest of the
aldehydes. The common name of this
substance comes from its similarity
and relation to formic acid.
Formaldehyde is an important
precursor to many other materials
and chemical compounds.
 Acetaldehyde is an organic chemical
compound with the formula CH₃CHO,
sometimes abbreviated by chemists as
MeCHO. It is one of the most important
aldehydes, occurring widely in nature
and being produced on a large scale in
industry.
Benzaldehyde is an organic
compound consisting of a
benzene ring with a formyl
substituent. It is the simplest
aromatic aldehyde and one of
the most industrially useful. It is
a colorless liquid with a
characteristic almond-like odor.