ALDEHYDES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Smaller aldehydes are more soluble in water, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde completely
so.
The volatile aldehydes have pungent odors.
Aldehydes degrade in air via the process of autoxidation.
more polar than alcohol
lower boiling point and melting point than alcohol
CHEMICAL PROPERTY
carry a hydrogen atom next to their carbonyl group. This hydrogen is activated by the
carbonyl group and is readily oxidised to OH. Aldehydes are therefore readily
oxidised to carboxylic acids.
APPLICATIONS OF ALDEHYDES
Formaldehyde

Manufacture of resins, dyes, and organic acids

Disinfectant and biocide
Tissue fixative and embalming agent
Drug testing
Benzaldehyde - used as a food additive, as a fragrance in cosmetics, perfumes, and detergents
Cinnamaldehyde - mainly used as a flavouring agent (cinnamon) or as a scent for candles

KETONES

PROPERTIES

- Ketones are a group of organic compounds with a C=O bond somewhere in the middle of
the molecule.
- The simplest one is propanone, also known as acetone.(CH3COCH3)
- It is used in paint thinners, and has a particular smell.
- can be reduced to secondary alcohols.
- They are not readily oxidised (unlike aldehydes, R-CO-H)
- the carbon-oxygen double bond very highly polar.
- the ketones are liquids, with boiling points rising as the molecules get bigger.
- they don't have any hydrogen atoms attached directly to the oxygen so they can't
hydrogen bond with themselves
- ketones are freely soluble in water but solubility falls with chain length.
They can hydrogen bond with water molecules.

APPLICATION

1. Acetone (Propanone )
- a colourless liquid, which is highly miscible/soluble in water.
- main ingredient of nail polish remover, dissolving the polish.
- highly flammable.

2. Butanone (Methyl ethyl ketone)

As SOLVENT
- used in processes involving gums, resins, cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose coatings
and in vinyl films.
- use in the manufacture of plastics, textiles, in the production of paraffin wax, and in
household products such as lacquer, varnishes, paint remover, a denaturing agent
for denatured alcohol, glues, and as a cleaning agent.
As PLASTIC WELDING AGENT
- dissolves polystyrene, it is sold as "model cement" for use in connecting together parts
of scale model kits.

3. Ketose
- Many sugars are ketones and they are called ketose.
- One of the best known ketose is Fructose.

4. Ketone in Medicine
- In medicine, acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate are collectively
called ketone bodies
- Ketone bodies are elevated in blood after fasting including a night of sleep, and in both
blood and urine
- Ketoacidosis is characteristic of decompensated or untreated type 1 diabetes. Ketosis or
even ketoacidosis can occur in type 2 diabetes in some circumstances as well.