Carbonyl

In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.

Reactivity

Oxygen is more electronegative than carbon, and thus pulls electron density away from carbon to increase the bond's polarity. Therefore, the carbonyl carbon becomes electrophilic, and thus more reactive with nucleophiles.

Related Topics:
Electronegative - Polarity - Electrophilic - Nucleophile

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Carbonyl groups can be reduced by reaction with hydride reagents such as NaBH4 and LiAlH4, and by organometallic reagents such as organolithium reagents and Grignard reagents.

Related Topics:
Reduce - Hydride - Organometallic - Organolithium - Grignard reagent

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Other important reactions include:

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• Wolff-Kishner Reduction
• Clemmensen reduction
• Conversion into thioacetals
• Hydration to hemiacetals and hemiketals, and then to acetals and ketals
• Reaction with ammonia and primary amines to form imines
• Reaction with hydroxyl amines to form oximes
• Reaction with cyanide to form cyanohydrins