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Why does the polarity of aldehydes raise their boiling points?
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aldehyde
Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.
The polarity of aldehydes raises their boiling points because of the nature of the carbonyl group, which consists of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom. This group is polar, meaning the molecules possess a dipole moment.1
Because these molecules are polar, they exert a greater attraction for one another compared to nonpolar molecules, such as hydrocarbons of similar molecular weight. To transition from a liquid to a gas—the process of boiling—these intermolecular attractions must be overcome. Consequently, more energy is required to separate the molecules, which necessitates a higher temperature.2