Aldehyde Nomenclature: Methanal
Aldehydes are a class of organic compounds that contain the functional group “-CHO”
Aldehydes are a class of organic compounds that contain the functional group “-CHO”. They are characterized by a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to a hydrogen atom and an alkyl or aryl group. Methanal, also known as formaldehyde, is the simplest aldehyde and has the chemical formula CH2O.
Nomenclature refers to the system of naming compounds. In the case of aldehydes, their names are derived from the parent alkane name by replacing the “-e” ending with “-al”.
Let’s break down the nomenclature of methanal:
1. Identify the parent alkane: In this case, we have only one carbon atom, so the parent alkane is methane.
2. Replace the “-e” ending with “-al”: Remove the “-e” ending from methane and replace it with “-al.” Therefore, the name becomes “methanal.”
The systematic name for methanal using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) system is “methanal”. However, it is more commonly known as “formaldehyde”, derived from its common occurrence as a gas with a pungent odor.
It is important to note that in the IUPAC system, aldehydes can also be named as “carbaldehyde” when they are attached to a longer carbon chain. For example, if the aldehyde group is attached to a 5-carbon chain, the name would be “pentanecarbaldehyde”.
In summary, methanal is the systematic name for the simplest aldehyde, also known as formaldehyde. It is named by replacing the “-e” ending of the parent alkane (in this case, methane) with “-al.”
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