Isomerism and Distinguishing Tests for Aldehydes and Ketones
This page discusses the isomeric relationships between aldehydes and ketones and methods to differentiate between them.
Aldehydes and ketones can be structural isomers of each other, meaning they have the same molecular formula but different structures.
Example: Butanal (CH₃CH₂CH₂CHO) and butanone (CH₃CH₂COCH₃) are structural isomers.
Several tests can distinguish between aldehydes and ketones:
a) Tollens' Test: Aldehydes reduce silver ions to form a silver mirror, while ketones do not react.
Definition: The Tollens' reagent is an alkaline solution of silver nitrate and ammonia.
b) Fehling's Test: Aldehydes reduce the copper(II) ions in Fehling's solution to form a red precipitate of copper(I) oxide, while ketones do not react.
c) 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNP) Test: Both aldehydes and ketones react with 2,4-DNP to form orange-red precipitates, but the test cannot distinguish between them.
Highlight: The ability of aldehydes to act as reducing agents in these tests is a key feature that distinguishes them from ketones.
The page also touches on the concept of metamerism, a type of isomerism where compounds have the same functional group but different carbon skeletons.
Vocabulary: Metamerism is a specific type of structural isomerism common in organic compounds.