carbonformyl

Carbonformyl is a term that can refer to a few related concepts in chemistry. Most commonly, it is used informally to describe the formyl group, which is an aldehyde functional group attached to a carbon atom. The formyl group has the chemical formula -CHO. It is characterized by a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to a hydrogen atom. Aldehydes are organic compounds that contain this functional group.

In some contexts, carbonformyl might also be used to refer to compounds that are derivatives of formic acid, the simplest carboxylic acid. Formic acid has the formula HCOOH and its structure can be thought of as a carboxyl group with one of its hydroxyl hydrogens replaced by another hydrogen. This is why the formyl group is sometimes seen as a building block in organic chemistry.

The carbonformyl unit is reactive and participates in many chemical reactions. For instance, it can be oxidized to a carboxylic acid or reduced to an alcohol. Aldehydes, containing the formyl group, are important intermediates in synthesis and are found in various natural products and industrial chemicals. The term itself, while not a formal IUPAC nomenclature term, is understood by chemists to denote the presence of this specific functional group.