• All carbonyls contain a polar C = O (O is deltanegative, C is deltapositive)

• Resulting in polar molecules, dipole-dipole interaction

• No hydrogen bonds

  • Lower boiling points than their alcohol counterparts

  • Higher boiling points than there alkane counterparts

• Small carbonyls are water soluble as they can form hydrogen bonds with water

• As chain length increases, solubility decreases, as the chain is non-polar and won’t be able to interact with the water and the longer it gets, the more of an effect it has on solubility

Chemical reactions

• As the C = O is unsaturated, reactions tend to be additions

• Nucleophiles are attracted to the deltapositive carbon of C = O

Reaction with HCN:

• The C≡N in the final product (hydroxynitrile) is the nitrile group - useful in synthesis, extends carbon chain by 1

• Most hydroxynitriles are optically active

• HCN is made in situ. Start with NaCN/KCN plus dilute hydrochloric acid. As soon as HCN is formed, it reactions with the carbonyl

Reduction:

• Reagents: NaBH₄ (sodium tetrahydridoborate). Provides the H:^- nucleophile

  • Mild reducing agent, only reduces carbonyls

• Conditions: Warm, in water