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Synlett 2011(2): 285-286  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1259091
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Formaldehyde

João Avó*
REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
e-Mail: joaoavo1@gmail.com;
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Publication History

Publication Date:
16 December 2010 (online)

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Introduction

Formaldehyde is one of the most used one-carbon synthons in organic chemistry. It is widely applied in industrial and laboratorial processes, namely in the synthesis of polyoxymethylene plastics [¹] or in the preparation of important synthetic intermediates and bioactive compounds in pharmacological research. [²-9] Formaldehyde, both in mono and polymeric form (called paraformaldehyde) is a versatile building block being used in a large variety of chemical reactions at different conditions. Formaldehyde exhibits most of the chemical properties of other aldehydes, and thus, it is a good electrophile both in electrophilic addition and electrophilic aromatic substitution or condensation reactions. Over the past five years, formaldehyde was used in Mannich-type and Kabachnik-Fields multicomponent condensations for the preparation of aminomethyl derivatives with potential biological application. [4-6] Also, it is suitable to undergo Wittig or Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefinations, Pictet-Spengler reaction in aqueous media, Diels-Alder cycloadditions, and microwave-assisted solvent-free reactions. [7-¹¹]