Acetals

In organic chemistry, an acetal is defined by its structural formula R2C(OR’)2, where R groups can be any combination of carbon atoms with attached organic fragments or hydrogen atoms. In contrast, R’ groups are required to be organic fragments without hydrogen. The symmetry of the two R’ groups determines whether the resulting acetal is a symmetric (equivariant) or mixed compound. They are synthesized from and convertible to aldehydes and ketones, sharing the same oxidation state at their central carbon atom. However, they exhibit significantly different chemical stability and reactivity compared to their carbonyl counterparts. The central carbon atom in an acetal is tetrahedrally coordinated due to its four bonded atoms, resulting in substantial differences between the molecular geometry of acetals and those of aldehydes and ketones.