Carbonyl is the collective name for compounds containing the functional group C=O
The general formula of a carbonyl is CnH2nO
The two sub-families of carbonyls are aldehyde and ketone (known in some countries as alkanals and alkanones)
Aldehydes
If the carbonyl group is on the end of a chain then it is an aldehyde and has the functional group formula, RCHO
the H is written before the O so as not to confuse it with an alcohol
The nomenclature of carbonyls follows the pattern alkan + al
There is no need to use numbers in the name as aldehyde will always be on the number 1 carbon atom
Ketones
Ketones have a minimum of three carbons and have the general functional group formula, RCOR
The nomenclature of ketones follows the pattern alkan + one
After butanone, the carbonyl group can have positional isomers, so numbering must be used
For example pentan-2-one and pentan-3-one
Aldehyde and Ketone Examples Table
As they have a very similar functional group arrangement, aldehydes and ketones show similar chemical reactions
Differences in their chemistry are due to the reactions that involve the H on the aldehyde or the nature of the R group
The difference in electronegativity between oxygen and carbon means the C=O is polar, leading to dipole-dipole attractions between the molecules which results in:
higher than expected boiling points for small molecules
solubility in water for the lower members of the families
Aldehydes and ketones with the same number of carbons are functional group isomers