Hexanal
A summary of the most common chemical descriptors (InChI Key and SMILES codes) for Hexanal are summarized together with 3D and 2D structures and relevant physico-chemical properties.
Table of Contents
What is the Hexanal?
The molecule Hexanal presents a molecular formula of C6H12O and its IUPAC name is hexanal.
Hexanal is a molecule with the chemical formula C6H12O. It is a colorless liquid with a strong, pungent odor. Hexanal is produced naturally in the human body and is also found in many plants and animals. It is a component of many essential oils, such as citrus oil. Hexanal is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, food flavorings, and pharmaceuticals..
Hexanal is a six-carbon aldehyde. The term "hex" refers to the fact that the molecule has six carbon atoms, and "anal" refers to the fact that one of the carbons is bonded to an oxygen atom. The molecule has a linear structure, with the carbons arranged in a straight line. The oxygen atom is bonded to the carbon atom at the end of the chain, and the other five carbons are each bonded to two hydrogen atoms..
The structure of hexanal gives it some interesting properties. It is a very polar molecule, meaning that it has a strong affinity for water. This makes it a good solvent for many organic compounds. Hexanal is also a very reactive molecule. It will readily undergo chemical reactions with other molecules, such as the oxidation of alcohols..
Hexanal is produced in the body by the breakdown of fatty acids. It is also found in many plants and animals, where it is produced by the breakdown of chlorophyll. Hexanal is a component of many essential oils, such as citrus oil. These oils are used in the manufacture of cosmetics and food flavorings..
Hexanal is also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. It is used as a starting material in the synthesis of many important drugs, such as the antifungal agent ketoconazole..
3D structure
Cartesian coordinates
Geometry of Hexanal in x, y and z coordinates (Å units) to copy/paste elsewhere. Generated with Open Babel software.
2D drawing
Molecule descriptors
| IUPAC name | hexanal |
| InChI code | InChI=1S/C8H7N/c1-2-4-8-7(3-1)5-6-9-8/h1-6,9H |
| InChI Key | JARKCYVAAOWBJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| SMILES | O=CCCCCC |
Other names (synonyms)
IUPAC nomenclature provides a standardized method for naming chemical compounds. Although this system is widely used in chemistry, many chemical compounds have also other names commonly used in different contexts. These synonyms can come from a variety of sources and are used for a variety of purposes.
One common source of synonyms for chemical compounds is the common or trivial names, assigned on the basis of appearance, properties, or origin of the molecule.
Another source of synonyms are historical or obsolete names employed in the past, however replaced nowadays by more modern or standardized names.
In addition to common and historical names, chemical compounds may also have synonyms that are specific to a particular field or industry.
Reference codes for other databases
There exist several different chemical codes commonly used in orded to identify molecules:- CAS number (Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number) is a unique identifier is assigned to every chemical compound indexed in the CAS database.
- Beilstein: The Beilstein database is a comprehensive source of information on organic chemistry, including information on chemical structures, properties, and reactions. The Beilstein database assigns unique identifiers which can be used to identify compounds in scientific literature and other sources.
- ChEBI (Chemical Entities of Biological Interest): ChEBI is a database of small chemical molecules that are of interest in the field of biology.
- PubChem CID (Compound Identifier): PubChem is a database of chemical compounds that is maintained by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- RTECS number (Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances): The RTECS is a database of information on the toxic effects of chemicals, including information on their structures and properties.
- ChEMBL (Compound Bioactivity Data): ChEMBL is a database of bioactivity data for small molecules, including information on their properties and structures.
- CompTox Dashboard (Environmental Protection Agency): The CompTox Dashboard is a database of information on the toxicology and environmental effects of chemicals.
Physico-Chemical properties
| IUPAC name | hexanal |
| Molecular formula | C6H12O |
| Molecular weight | 100.159 |
| Melting point (ºC) | -56 |
| Boiling point (ºC) | 129 |
| Density (g/cm3) | 0.814 |
| Molar refractivity | 31.16 |
| LogP | 1.8 |
| Topological polar surface area | 15.8 |
LogP and topological polar surface area (TPSA) values were estimated using Open Babel software.
The n-octanol/water partition coeficient (Kow) data is applied in toxicology and drug research. Kow values are used, to guess the environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants. High partition coefficients values, tend to accumulate in the fatty tissue of organisms. Molecules with a log(Kow) (or LogP) greater than 5 are considered to bioaccumulate.
TPSA values are the sum of the surface area over all polar atoms or molecules, mainly oxygen and nitrogen, also including hydrogen atoms.
In medicinal chemistry, TPSA is used to assess the ability of a drug to permeabilise cells.
For molecules to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (and act on receptors in the central nervous system), TPSA values below 90 Å2 are required. Thus, molecules with a polar surface area greater than 140 Å2 tend to be poorly permeable to cell membranes.