Acetaldehyde | Chemical Compound | Britannica

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• New Jersey Department of Health - Acetaldehyde
• Frontiers - Mystic Acetaldehyde: The Never-Ending Story on Alcoholism
• Royal Society of Chemistry - Acetaldehyde in the indoor environment
• Academia - The role of acetaldehyde outside ethanol metabolism in the carcinogenicity of alcoholic beverages: Evidence from a large chemical survey
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubChem - Acetaldehyde
• United States Environmental Protection Agency - Acetaldehyde

Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: ethanal Written by William H. Brown Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Beloit College, Wisconsin. William H. Brown Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 9, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Also called: ethanal (Show more) Related Topics: aldehyde aldol (Show more) See all related content

acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), an aldehyde used as a starting material in the synthesis of 1-butanol (n-butyl alcohol), ethyl acetate, perfumes, flavourings, aniline dyes, plastics, synthetic rubber, and other chemical compounds. It has been manufactured by the hydration of acetylene and by the oxidation of ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Today the dominant process for the manufacture of acetaldehyde is the Wacker process, developed between 1957 and 1959, which catalyzes the oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde. The catalyst is a two-component system consisting of palladium chloride, PdCl2, and copper chloride, CuCl2.

Pure acetaldehyde is a colourless, flammable liquid with a pungent, fruity odour; it boils at 20.8 °C (69.4 °F).

William H. Brown