Butanal
A four-carbon aldehyde with a terminal electrophilic carbonyl group.
- Formula
- C4H8O
- Functional group
- Aldehydes
- Molar mass
- 72.11 g/mol
- Also known as
- butyraldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, Butyral, 1-butanal, Butyric aldehyde, Butaldehyde
Overview
A four-carbon aldehyde with a terminal electrophilic carbonyl group.
Reduction gives butan-1-ol without changing the carbon skeleton. Oxidation instead converts the aldehyde into butanoic acid or its carboxylate. Butanal and butan-2-one share a molecular formula but place different substituents around their carbonyl carbon.
Identifiers
- Formula
- C4H8O
- Functional group
- Aldehydes
- Molar mass
- 72.11 g/mol
- Also known as
- butyraldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, Butyral, 1-butanal, Butyric aldehyde, Butaldehyde
Chemical identifiers
- SMILES
- CCCC=O
- InChI
- InChI=1S/C4H8O/c1-2-3-4-5/h4H,2-3H2,1H3
- PubChem CID
- 261
Properties
- Melting Point
- -96.86 °C
- Boiling Point
- 74.8 °C
- Density
- 0.8016 g/cu cm 20 °C
- Water solubility
- In water, 7.10X10+4 mg/L at 25 °C
Related compounds
- Aldehydes
A four-carbon aldehyde with a terminal electrophilic carbonyl group.
Connected reactions
- Controlled oxidation: Butan-1-ol → Butanal
Oxidation removes hydrogen from the O-H bond and the OH-bearing carbon to form C=O. Separating butanal as it forms limits its further oxidation.
- Carbonyl reduction: Butanal → Butan-1-ol
Hydride adds to the aldehyde carbon and the carbonyl oxygen becomes an alkoxide. Protonation completes the return to butan-1-ol.
- Aldehyde oxidation: Butanal → Butanoic acid
The hydrated aldehyde is oxidised to a carboxyl group. All four starting carbon atoms remain together in butanoic acid.
References
- PubChem Compound Summary: Butanal (CID 261)National Center for Biotechnology Information · PubChem
Identity, molecular formula, molecular weight and aliases retrieved via PUG REST on 2026-09-08.
- OpenStax Organic Chemistry: Nucleophilic addition of hydride and Grignard reagents: alcohol formationJohn McMurry · OpenStax · 2023
Supports the qualitative structural interpretation of the recorded molecular structure; no new physical measurement or verified preparative yield is claimed.
- OpenStax Organic Chemistry: Oxidation of aldehydes and ketonesJohn McMurry · OpenStax · 2023
Supports the qualitative structural interpretation of the recorded molecular structure; no new physical measurement or verified preparative yield is claimed.
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butanal — melting pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/261#section=Melting-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Lide, D.R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 88TH Edition 2007-2008. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL 2007, p. 3-72
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butanal — boiling pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/261#section=Boiling-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Lide, D.R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 88TH Edition 2007-2008. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL 2007, p. 3-72
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butanal — densityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/261#section=Density. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Lide, D.R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 88TH Edition 2007-2008. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL 2007, p. 3-72
- Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Butanal — solubilityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/261#section=Solubility. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Yalkowsky SH, Dannenfelser RM; The AQUASOL dATAbASE of Aqueous Solubility. Fifth ed, Tucson,AZ: Univ Az, College of Pharmacy (1992)