Aromatic aldehydes, such as benzaldehyde, are used in the pharmaceutical and plastics industries. They are also used as flavorings and perfumes. Formaldehyde and acetone are commonly used aromatic aldehydes and ketones. Aromatic esters, ketones, and aldehydes are important in human biological functions.
Aromatic aldehydes are organic chemical compounds that contain a carbon hydroxide radical or group, CHO, and are used as chemical precursors in the pharmaceutical and plastics industries. The simplest of the aromatic aldehydes is benzaldehyde, C6H5CHO, which is an almond extract that is used as a flavoring and as an ingredient in the manufacture of some dyes and plastics. There are many commercial preparations of these aldehydes for a variety of industrial uses. Tolualdehyde or p-tolualdehyde (PTAL), is used as an intermediate in agricultural and pharmaceutical products, p-ethylbenzaldehyde (EBAL) is used as a flavor and perfume, and p-isobutylbenzaldehyde (IBBAL) is an additive for plastic resins. The smallest examples of aromatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde are soluble in water, although most of them also tend to be highly flammable.
Aldehydes and ketones are related compounds in which an aldehyde contains at least one hydrogen atom attached to a carbonyl group of a carbon-oxygen bond. A ketone contains two alkyl groups, CnH, attached to the carbon atom of the carbonyl group. The two most commonly used aromatic aldehydes and aromatic ketones are formaldehyde and acetone, respectively. Formaldehyde is a widely used preservative and acetone is the main ingredient in many solvents. As of 2009, approximately 6,000,000,000 pounds (2,721,554,220 kilograms) of formaldehyde was created annually in industry, and 11,243,575,400 pounds (5,100,000,000 kilograms) of acetone.
There are literally hundreds of different varieties of aromatic aldehydes and ketones produced by the chemical industry that are used to make plastics and dyes. While they are commonly used to synthesize other chemicals for use in agriculture and pharmaceuticals, their most important consumer application, aside from the production of formaldehyde and acetone, is as perfumes and flavoring agents. Several widely used examples of these aldehydes are obtained as natural derivatives, with benzaldehyde derived from almonds, cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon, and carvone from cumin seeds as a spearmint flavoring. Vanillin is another example that is obtained from vanilla pods, or can be prepared synthetically, and is known commercially as 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, (CH3O)(OH)C6H3CHO. Aromatic esters are related compounds with alcohol hydroxyl groups, also used as lighter fragrances in consumer products.
Aromatic esters, ketones and aldehydes also have chemical components that make them important in human biological functions. Carbohydrates such as sugars and starches are based on compounds that contain hydroxyl ester groups, or aldehydes and ketones. Steroids produced by the human body, such as testosterone, cortisone and progesterone, are also ketones, and the retina is an aldehyde essential for human vision.
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