ABSTRACT
Physical properties The presence of oxygen in both aldehydes and ketones might lead to the assumption that they would display similar physical properties to alcohols, in particular high boiling points. Alcohols and aldehydes and ketones have oxygen atoms with lone pairs of electrons available for donation in a hydrogen bonding interaction (Section H1). However, neither aldehydes nor ketones have groups that may act as hydrogen bond acceptors. If an aldehyde or ketone was to be placed in solution with molecules that can act as hydrogen bond acceptors, then a network of such bonds is established. This ability to hydrogen bond in solution, coupled with the intrinsic polar nature of the carbonyl bond, means that many of the low molecular weight aldehydes and ketones are soluble in water.
