The key difference between propanal and propanone is that propanal is an aldehyde containing three carbon atoms, whereas propanone is a ketone containing three carbon atoms.
Propanal and propanone are organic compounds. Both these compounds have carbonyl groups. But they fall into two categories because propanal has an aldehyde group with a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl group while propanone is a ketone with alkyl or aryl groups attached to the carbonyl group but no hydrogen atoms attached to the carbonyl carbon. Further, propanal and propanone are structural isomers of each other.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Propanal
3. What is Propanone
4. Side by Side Comparison – Propanal vs Propanone in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Propanal?
Propanal is an aldehyde which has three carbon atoms. It has the chemical formula CH3CH2CHO. “Propanal” is the IUPAC name of this compound; its common name is propionaldehyde. It is a saturated compound, which means there are no double bonds between carbon atoms. Moreover, this is a structural isomer of acetone (propanone).
Figure 01: Structure of Propanol
Furthermore, the molar mass of this compound is 58.08 g/mol. The melting point of this compound is −81 °C, and the boiling point is 46 to 50 °C. It occurs as a colourless liquid, and it has a pungent, irritating odour.
When considering the production of this compound, we can produce it industrially via hydroformylation. There, we need to combine synthesis gas with ethylene in the presence of a metal catalyst. Principally, this compound is useful as a precursor for trimethylolethane, which is an important intermediate in the production of resins.
What is Propanone?
Propanone is a ketone which has three carbon atoms. Its chemical formula is (CH3)2CO. The common name for this compound is acetone. Furthermore, this compound has two methyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon atom. It occurs as a colourless and flammable liquid and is highly volatile. Also, it is the simplest and smallest ketone. Moreover, it has a pungent, floral odour. The molar mass is 58.08 g/mol. The melting point is −94.7 °C, while the boiling point is 56.05 °C. We can produce this compound either directly or indirectly from propylene. The process is called “cumene process”.
Figure 2: Structure of Acetone
Among the uses of propanone, the major application is its use as a solvent. It is a very good solvent for many plastics and synthetic fibres. Moreover, it is useful as a chemical intermediate for the production of methyl methacrylate. Besides, this compound has been listed as a food additive.
What is the Difference Between Propanal and Propanone?
Propanal is an aldehyde and has three carbon atoms, and it has the chemical formula CH3CH2CHO. In contrast, propanone is a ketone that has three carbon atoms, and the chemical formula is (CH3)2CO. So, the key difference between propanal and propanone is that propanal is an aldehyde containing three carbon atoms, whereas propanone is a ketone containing three carbon atoms.
Moreover, the molar masses of propanal and propanone are equal because they are structural isomers. However, the melting and boiling points are different because they have different structures.
Below is a side by side comparison related to the difference between propanal and propanone.
Summary – Propanal vs Propanone
Propanal is an aldehyde which has three carbon atoms, and it has the chemical formula CH3CH2CHO, while Propanone is a ketone which has three carbon atoms, and the chemical formula is (CH3)2CO. So, in summary, the key difference between propanal and propanone is that propanal is an aldehyde containing three carbon atoms, whereas propanone is a ketone containing three carbon atoms.
Reference:
1. “Propionaldehyde.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 July 2018, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Propionaldehyde-3D-ball2” By Kemikungen – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Acetone-3D-balls” By Ben Mills – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia