What is the electronic structure of formaldehyde?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 5, 2017

"In formaldehyde....................?"

Explanation:

The carbon centre is sp^2-"hybridized........."

There are 4 valence electrons to distribute around carbon. Three of these electrons are sp^2-"hybridized", and they form 2xxC-H, and 1xxC-O, bonds. The fourth carbon electron remains unhybridized, and can overlap with an oxygen electron to form a pi-bond, above and below the plane of the sp^2 framework.

A Lewis structure of H_2C=O reflects this arrangement. Most of the time it is supplied in the lab as "formalin", an aqueous solution. "Paraformaldehyde", (CH_2O)_3 is a cylic trimer, that can be used as a substitute.

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