Aldehyde Nomenclature: Methanal
Methanal is the simplest aldehyde and is commonly known as formaldehyde
Methanal is the simplest aldehyde and is commonly known as formaldehyde. The systematic name for methanal is derived from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclature system.
According to the IUPAC rules, the name of aldehydes is derived from the parent alkane by changing its ending to “-al” to indicate the presence of the aldehyde functional group (-CHO).
In the case of methanal, the parent alkane is methane (CH4), so we change the “-e” ending to “-al” to form the name “methanal”.
Structurally, methanal consists of one carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom (CH), and a double bond between carbon and oxygen (C=O). It can also be depicted as HCHO, where H represents the hydrogen atom, and CHO represents the aldehyde functional group.
Methanal is a colorless gas with a pungent odor and is used in various industrial applications, such as in the production of resins, plastics, and textiles. It is also commonly used as a preservative in laboratory settings.
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