Aldehydes

  • They are carbon compounds attached to CHO (Aldehyde group) .
  • Their IUPAC names end with the suffix ‘al’.
  • The C atom is double bonded to the Oxygen and single bonded to a hydrogen to form the aldehyde.

Example: Methanal , Ethanal are aldehydes.

 

Number of Carbon Atoms

Methane Name

Aldehydes Name

1

Methane

Methanal

 

CH 4

HCHO

2

Ethane

Ethanal

 

C 2 H 6

CH 3 CHO

3

Propane

Propanal

 

C 3 H 8

C 2 H 5 CHO

4

Butane

Butanal

 

C 4 H 10

C 3 H 7 CHO

 

Naming of Aldehydes:

Step 1

We determine the prefix by seeing the number of carbon atoms in the longest chain in the parent alkane.

Step 2

We use the suffix 'al' for (CHO) group .

Example

If we have to Name HCHO :

  • It has 1 Carbon Atom, it means it is Meth
  • Since it has  (CHO)  attached, we use the suffix 'anal'
  • Hence we get Methanal

STRUCTURE OF METHANAL - Teachoo.jpg

Example

  • If we have to name CH 3 CHO:
  • It has 2 carbon atoms, it means it is Eth.
  • Since it has (CHO) attached, we use the suffix ‘al’. Hence we get Ethanal.

STRUCTURE OF ETHANAL - Teachoo.jpg

 

 

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CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant for the past 14 years and a teacher from the past 18 years. He teaches Science, Economics, Accounting and English at Teachoo