Owing to the resonance stabilization of the conjugate base, an alpha hydrogen (alpha hydrogen is the hydrogen attached to the carbon adjacent to the carbonyl group) in an aldehyde is more acidic than a hydrogen atom in an alkane, with a typical pKa of about 17.
Aldehydes are generally more acidic than ketones due to the presence of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl group in aldehydes, which can be easily donated as a proton. This makes aldehydes more reactive towards nucleophiles compared to ketones.
Aromatic aldehydes contain an aromatic ring in their structure, while aliphatic aldehydes have a straight or branched carbon chain. Aromatic aldehydes typically have a stronger smell compared to aliphatic aldehydes due to their benzene ring. Aromatic aldehydes are commonly found in natural sources like plants, while aliphatic aldehydes are more often associated with industrial processes.
Aldehydes are generally neutral in pH, as they do not have any acidic or basic groups that can significantly influence the pH of a solution. The pH of an aldehyde solution would typically be close to 7 (neutral).
ketones and aldehydes
Primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes using mild oxidizing agents such as PCC (pyridinium chlorochromate) or PDC (pyridinium dichromate). Examples of primary alcohols that can be used include ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
Aldehydes are generally more acidic than ketones due to the presence of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl group in aldehydes, which can be easily donated as a proton. This makes aldehydes more reactive towards nucleophiles compared to ketones.
KCN does not react with aldehydes and ketones because these compounds do not have an acidic hydrogen that can be removed to form an enolate ion, which is necessary for nucleophilic addition reactions with cyanide ions. Aldehydes and ketones lack the necessary alpha carbon acidity to undergo this reaction with KCN.
Aromatic aldehydes contain an aromatic ring in their structure, while aliphatic aldehydes have a straight or branched carbon chain. Aromatic aldehydes typically have a stronger smell compared to aliphatic aldehydes due to their benzene ring. Aromatic aldehydes are commonly found in natural sources like plants, while aliphatic aldehydes are more often associated with industrial processes.
Aldehydes are generally neutral in pH, as they do not have any acidic or basic groups that can significantly influence the pH of a solution. The pH of an aldehyde solution would typically be close to 7 (neutral).
ketones and aldehydes
Aldehydes can be prepared from nitriles by reducing the nitrile group to an imine using reducing agents like lithium aluminum hydride or hydrochloric acid, followed by hydrolysis of the imine to yield the aldehyde. The hydrolysis step can be achieved by using mild acidic conditions or hydrogenation.
Typically aromatic groups attached to functional groups increase the reaction over that of an aliphatic groups. Aromatic aldehydes (e.g. benzaldehyde, C6H5.CHO), are also known which undergo a number of chemical reaction which do nor occur for aliphatic aldehydes and which are unique to aromatic aldehydes.
Aldehydes
Aromatic aldehydes, such as benzaldehyde, typically do not give a positive Fehling's test due to the lack of alpha-hydrogens required for oxidation. Aromatic aldehydes are not easily oxidized in the Fehling's test compared to aliphatic aldehydes.
Carbohydrates
The general formula for aldehydes is RCHO (where R is a hydrocarbon group), and the general formula for ketones is R2CO (where R is a hydrocarbon group).
Aldehydes are less sterically hindered than ketones. Also, aldehydes have fewer electron donating groups (EDG's) which can stabilize an electron-poor area. The extra carbon chain that ketones have that aldehydes do not have are the reason for both of these things. The neighboring carbon to the carbonyl carbon is an EDG and the carbon chain causes steric hindrance.