methanal

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully handles a sealed container of methanal in the laboratory.

Definition

Noun: 1. Formaldehyde: A colorless, pungent-smelling, poisonous gas with the chemical formula HCHO. It is produced industrially, most commonly by the oxidation of methanol, and is used in making resins, as a disinfectant, and as a preservative.

Usage Notes

• Technical Term: "Methanal" is the systematic IUPAC name for the compound more commonly known as "formaldehyde." It is primarily used in scientific, industrial, and technical contexts.
• State: While its pure form at room temperature is a gas, it is often handled and discussed as an aqueous solution (formalin).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The laboratory used methanal to preserve biological specimens.
  • Industrial production of methanal involves the catalytic oxidation of methanol.
  • Exposure to high levels of methanal gas can be hazardous to health.

Advanced Usage

• As a Precursor: In industrial chemistry, methanal is a fundamental building block (precursor) for many plastics and synthetic resins, such as urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins.
• In Biology and Medicine: Its aqueous solution, formalin, is a critical fixative and preservative for tissue samples.

Variants and Related Words

• Formaldehyde (n): The common name for methanal.
• Formalin (n): A saturated aqueous solution containing approximately 37% formaldehyde by mass, used as a disinfectant and preservative.
• Methanol (n): Methyl alcohol (CH₃OH), the compound oxidized to produce methanal.

Synonyms

• Formaldehyde
• Methyl aldehyde
• Oxomethane (IUPAC name variant)

Notes on Meaning

• The definition focuses on the chemical compound itself. In common parlance, the word "formaldehyde" is vastly more frequent than "methanal," except in strict scientific nomenclature.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a colorless poisonous gas; made by the oxidation of methanol

Từ đồng nghĩa

• formaldehyde