Mesitaldehyde or mesitylaldehyde is a colorless

aromatic In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibits a stabilization stronger than would be expected from conjugati ...

aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () (lat. ''al''cohol ''dehyd''rogenatum, dehydrogenated alcohol) is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred ...

. It is a liquid with a characteristic odor. It is commonly used as a precursor in the synthesis of various

organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...

compounds, including pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and dyes.

Properties

Mesitaldehyde is a derivative of

benzaldehyde Benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) is an organic compound consisting of a benzene ring with a formyl substituent. It is among the simplest aromatic aldehydes and one of the most industrially useful. It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic almond-li ...

, with three methyl groups attached to the

benzene Benzene is an Organic compound, organic chemical compound with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar hexagonal Ring (chemistry), ring with one hyd ...

ring at positions 2, 4, and 6. This substitution with

electron-donating Electron-rich is jargon that is used in multiple related meanings with either or both kinetic and thermodynamic implications: * with regards to electron-transfer, electron-rich species have low ionization energy and/or are reducing agents. Tetr ...

methyl groups activates the aromatic ring for further

electrophilic substitution Electrophilic substitution reactions are chemical reactions in which an electrophile displaces a functional group in a compound, which is typically, but not always, aromatic. Aromatic substitution reactions are characteristic of aromatic compounds ...

reactions. Due to the

hydrophobicity In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the chemical property of a molecule (called a hydrophobe) that is seemingly intermolecular force, repelled from a mass of water. In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to b ...

of the methyl groups, it is less soluble in water but more soluble in organic solvents. It is stable at ordinary temperatures.

Synthesis and uses

Mesitaldehyde is synthesized through the oxidation of

mesitylene Mesitylene or 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene is a derivative of benzene with three methyl substituents positioned symmetrically around the ring. The other two isomeric trimethylbenzenes are 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (pseudocumene) and 1,2,3-trimethylbenze ...

in acidic medium, typically using oxidants like

chromium trioxide Chromium trioxide (also known as chromium(VI) oxide or chromic anhydride) is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is the acidic anhydride of chromic acid, and is sometimes marketed under the same name. This compound is a dark-purple solid ...

potassium permanganate Potassium permanganate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula KMnO4. It is a purplish-black crystalline salt, which dissolves in water as K+ and ions to give an intensely pink to purple solution. Potassium permanganate is widely us ...

, followed by purification steps to isolate the aldehyde. It can also be prepared by

formylation Formylation refers to any chemical processes in which a compound is functionalized with a formyl group (-CH=O). In organic chemistry, the term is most commonly used with regards to aromatic compounds (for example the conversion of benzene to benz ...

of mesitylene by reacting Mesitylene with a formyl group source such as

paraformaldehyde Paraformaldehyde (PFA) is the smallest polyoxymethylene, the polymerization product of formaldehyde with a typical degree of polymerization of 8–100 units. Paraformaldehyde commonly has a slight odor of formaldehyde due to decomposition. Par ...

or DMF (''N'',''N''-dimethylformamide) under specific conditions with a suitable catalyst. There are many other methods such as oxidation of acetylmesitylene by

, reduction of mesitoyl chloride, reaction of mesityllithum with

iron pentacarbonyl Iron pentacarbonyl, also known as iron carbonyl, is the compound with formula . Under standard conditions Fe( CO)5 is a free-flowing, straw-colored liquid with a pungent odour. Older samples appear darker. This compound is a common precursor t ...

, etc. It is primarily used as an intermediate in

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a branch of chemical synthesis concerned with the construction of organic compounds. Organic compounds are molecules consisting of combinations of covalently-linked hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Within the gen ...

for various products such as pharmaceuticals, dyes, and fragrances. Due to its reactive nature, mesitaldehyde itself isn't likely the final drug molecule in medications.

References

{{reflist Benzaldehydes

Properties

Synthesis and uses

See also

References