This document provides information on various carbonyl compounds of commercial significance including acetone, chloral hydrate, hexamine, benzaldehyde, vanillin, and cinnamaldehyde. It describes their major industrial uses such as acetone being used as a solvent and precursor to methyl methacrylate. Chloral hydrate is used as a sedative and to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Hexamine is used in production of phenolic resins and as a urinary tract infection treatment. Benzaldehyde and vanillin are commonly used as flavoring agents, with benzaldehyde imparting an almond flavor and vanillin providing vanilla flavor. Cinnamaldehyde is synthesized via

1. By
Dr.K.Sirisha
Associate Professor & Head,
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry,
Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy, Warangal,
Telangana, India
E-mail: ragisirisha@gmail.com
CARBONYL COMPOUNDS OF
COMMERCIAL SIGNIFICANCE

15. ACETONE

16. Industrial
About one third of the world's acetone is used as a solvent, and a quarter is consumed as acetone cyanohydrin
a precursor to methyl methacrylate
Solvent
Acetone is a good solvent for many plastics and some synthetic fibers. It is used for thinning polyester resin,
cleaning tools used with it, and dissolving two-part epoxies and superglue before they harden. It is used as
one of the volatile components of some paints and varnishes. As a heavy-duty degreaser, it is useful in the
preparation of metal prior to painting or soldering, and to remove rosin flux after soldering,
which helps to prevent the rusty bolt effect.
Acetylene carrier
Although itself flammable, acetone is used extensively as a solvent for the safe transportation and storage
of acetylene, which cannot be safely pressurized as a pure compound. Vessels containing a porous material
are first filled with acetone followed by acetylene, which dissolves into the acetone. One liter of acetone
can dissolve around 250 liters of acetylene at a pressure of 10 bar.

17. Chemical intermediate
Many millions of kilograms of acetone are consumed in the production of the
solvents methyl isobutyl alcohol and methyl isobutyl ketone. These products arise
via an initial aldol condensation to give diacetone alcohol.
2 (CH3)2CO → (CH3)2C(OH)CH2C(O)CH3
Condensation with acetylene gives 2-methylbut-3-yn-2-ol, precursor to
synthetic terpenes and terpenoids.
Laboratory
Chemical research
In the laboratory, acetone is used as a polar, aprotic solvent in a variety of organic
reactions, such as SN2 reactions. Acetone is used to precipitate proteins.
Cleaning
Low-grade acetone is also commonly used in academic laboratory settings as a
glassware rinsing agent for removing residue and solids before a final wash.

18. Low-temperature bath
A mixture of acetone and dry ice is a popular cooling bath that maintains a
temperature of −78 °C as long as there is some dry ice left.
Histology
Acetone is used in the field of pathology to find lymph nodes in fatty tissues for tumor
staging (such as looking for lymph nodes in the fat surrounding the intestines). This
helps dissolve the fat, and hardens the nodes, making finding them easier.
Acetone also used for destaining microscope slides of certain stains.
Medical
Drug solvent and excipient
Acetone is used as a solvent by the pharmaceutical industry and as
a denaturant in denatured alcohol. Acetone is also present as an excipient in
some pharmaceutical drugs.
Skin defatting
Dermatologists use acetone with alcohol for acne treatments to chemically peel dry
skin.

19. Anticonvulsant
Acetone has been shown to have anticonvulsant effects in animal models of epilepsy,
in the absence of toxicity, when administered in millimolar concentrations.
Domestic uses
Acetone is often the primary component in cleaning agents such as nail
polish and superglue removers. It will attack some plastics, however.
Make-up artists use acetone to remove skin adhesive from the netting of wigs and
mustaches by immersing the item in an acetone bath, then removing the softened
glue residue with a stiff brush.
Acetone is often used for vapor polishing of printing artifacts on 3D-printed models
printed with ABS plastic.

21. CHLORAL HYDRATE
First developed in 1832, chloral hydrate is the oldest sleep medication still in
use today.

22. Chloral hydrate is for short-term use as a sedative or sleep
medicine. It is sometimes given before a surgery to help
you relax. Chloral hydrate may also be used to treat alcohol
withdrawal symptoms, or to relieve anxiety caused by
withdrawal from certain drugs such as barbiturates or
narcotic medicine.

23. Synthesis: It is used to synthesize isatin
Botany and mycology
Hoyer's mounting medium
Chloral hydrate is also an ingredient used for Hoyer's solution,
a mounting medium for microscopic observation of diverse plant types
such as bryophytes, ferns, seeds, and
small arthropods (especially mites).
Melzer's reagent
Chloral hydrate is an ingredient used to make Melzer's reagent,
an aqueous solution that is used to identify certain species of fungi.

24. TODDY

26. The Hans India
50 kg of Chloral Hydrate used in toddy making seized by excise officials on 5th
feb 2020

27. HEXAMINE
(UROTROPINE, METHENAMINE)

28. USES:
The dominant use of hexamethylenetetramine is in the production of powdery or liquid
preparations of phenolic resins and phenolic resin moulding compounds, where it is
added as a hardening component. These products are used as binders, e.g. in brake and
clutch linings, abrasive products, non-woven textiles, formed parts produced by
moulding processes, and fireproof materials.
Medical uses
As the mandelic acid salt (generic methenamine mandelate, USP) it is used for the
treatment of urinary tract infection. It decomposes at an acidic pH to
form formaldehyde and ammonia, and the formaldehyde is bactericidal; the mandelic
acid adds to this effect. This drug is particularly suitable for long-term prophylactic
treatment of urinary tract infection, because bacteria do not develop resistance to
formaldehyde
Methenamine in the form of cream and spray is successfully used for treatment of
excessive sweating and concomitant odor.
Histological stains
Methenamine silver stains are used for staining in histology
•Grocott's methenamine silver stain, used widely as a screen for fungal organisms.
•Jones' stain, a methenamine silver-Periodic acid-Schiff that stains for Glomerular
basement membrane associated with membranous glomerulonephritis.

29. Solid fuel
Together with 1,3,5-trioxane, hexamethylenetetramine is a component of hexamine fuel
tablets used by campers, hobbyists, the military and relief organizations for heating camping
food or military rations. It burns smokelessly, does not liquify while burning, and leaves no
ashes, although its fumes are toxic.
Food additive[
Hexamine is also used as a food additive as a preservative.
Reagent in organic chemistry
Hexamethylenetetramine is a versatile reagent in organic synthesis.It is used in the Duff
reaction (formylation of arenes),[the Sommelet reaction (converting benzyl halides to
aldehydes), and in the Delepine reaction (synthesis of amines from alkyl halides).
Explosives
Hexamethylenetetramine is the base component to produce RDX and, consequently, C-4 as
well as Octogen, hexamine dinitrate, hexamine diperchlorate and HMTD.

32. BENZALDEHYDE
•The most common use of benzaldehyde is to
confer almond flavor to foods and scented
products.
•In industry, benzaldehyde is used as a
precursor to other organic compounds, ranging
from pharmaceuticals to plastic additives.
•It is used as a bee repellant.
•Additionally, benzaldehyde is also used as a
flavour chemical in e-cigarette pods,
particularly the "Cool Mint", "Cool Cucumber",
and "Fruit Medley" varieties. The concentration
is relatively low, at ~10-3 mg/mL

33. •The aniline dye malachite green is prepared from benzaldehyde
and dimethylaniline.
•Benzaldehyde is also a precursor to certain acridine dyes. Via aldol
condensations, benzaldehyde is converted into derivatives
of cinnamaldehyde and styrene.
•The synthesis of mandelic acid starts with the addition
of hydrocyanic acid to benzaldehyde

35. VANILLIN
Vanilla planifolia, flower4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde
Synthesis

38. •The largest use of vanillin is as a flavoring agent, usually
in sweet foods. The ice cream and chocolate industries together
comprise 75% of the market for vanillin as a flavoring, with smaller
amounts being used in confections and baked goods.
•Vanillin is also used in the fragrance industry, in perfumes, and to
mask unpleasant odors or tastes in medicines, livestock fodder, and
cleaning products.
•Additionally, vanillin can be used as a general-purpose stain for
visualizing spots on thin-layer chromatography plates. This stain
yields a range of colors for different components.
•Vanillin–HCl staining can be used to visualize the localisation of
tannins in cells.

40. CINNAMALDEHYDE

41. Synthesis via aldol condensation

48. My special thanks to all the sources whose images have been utilized in
preparing this presentation
THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!!