[James123]

According to what I know, aldehyde and ketone are classified as carbonyl groups which mean they have similar properties.  What difference does it make to have a carbonyl group attached to the last carbon in a hydrocarbon as opposed to having it somewhere else along the same compound in chemical reactions?

Is having a carbonyl group attached to a carbon atom makes the functional group attached to it more stronger than having an alcohol group attached to the carbon atom?  In other words, are carbonyl groups used for attaching heavier compounds to the hydrocarbon and alcohol groups are used for attaching lighter compounds to the hydrocarbon?

Assume we have a ketone attached to the second carbon in a propane compound.  Does the ketone affect the electron distribution of the first and third carbons?  If so, how does it affect it and what diapole charges would exist for each one of them?



Thanks.

[Alberto_Kravina]

Since the carbonyl group in an aldehyde is attached to a hydrogen atom it is much easier to break the C-H bond.
So Aldehydes can easily be oxidized.
On the other hand in a ketone the carbonyl group is attached to two carbon atoms, as a result it is not so easy to break the C-C bond. Oxidation of ketones happens only under drastic circumstances (high pressure, temperature..)

[laura_lover]

Since the carbonyl group in an aldehyde is attached to a hydrogen atom it is much easier to break the C-H bond.
So Aldehydes can easily be oxidized.
On the other hand in a ketone the carbonyl group is attached to two carbon atoms, as a result it is not so easy to break the C-C bond. Oxidation of ketones happens only under drastic circumstances (high pressure, temperature..)

I hope you are not trying to say that the oxygen of an aldehyde is bonded to a hydrogen of the hydrocarbon chain because that is impossible. Also, in a ketone, the oxygen isn't attached to 2 carbon atoms.

Hopefully i have just misunderstood what you are trying to say.


Anyway, an answer that i can give with some certainty is that the oxygen would cause dipoles to form between itself and the connected carbon (slightly negative oxygen, slghtly positive carbon), but i don't think that there would be any effect on neighbouring carbons (only very minimal and so negligable).


Perhaps i'm wrong with everything i've said but i'm pretty sure i'm not.

[Borek]

I hope you are not trying to say that the oxygen of an aldehyde is bonded to a hydrogen of the hydrocarbon chain because that is impossible. Also, in a ketone, the oxygen isn't attached to 2 carbon atoms.

He referred to carbonyl group, not to oxygen. Carbonyl group is attached to its neighbours through carbon.