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Aldehydes and Ketones

small molecules:

acetone
spacefilling presentation
wire model
the electron cloud is represented by dots


The dehydration (the withdrawal of H-atoms) of primary alcohols leads to aldehydes.

H      
 \     
  C = O
 /     
R      
H      
 \     
  C = O
 /     
H      
  H      
   \     
    C = O
   /     
H3C      
aldehyde formaldehyde acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde

Glyceraldehyde [optic isomers: (D- and L- form].

gallery: structure and data of a few aldehydes


The ketones stem from secondary alcohols.


R1      
  \     
   C = O
  /     
R2      
H3C      
   \     
    C = O
   /     
H3C      
    OH    
   /     
H2C      
   \     
    C = O
   /     
H2C      
   \     
    OH    
ketone acetone dihydroxyacetone


Acetone.


gallery: structure and data of a few ketones


Brevitoxin is a naturally occurring molecule with carbonyl groups (aldehyde- and lactone-). It is a poison produced by algae. The two carbonyl groups are marked in the figure below by their electron clouds. The other oxygen atoms form lactone rings by ether bridges, a hydroxyl group is also present.


© Peter v. Sengbusch - b-online@botanik.uni-hamburg.de