Name: Krisha Nicole L. Daguio Gr.

& Sec: 12- Natatangi

FUNCTIONAL GROUP IN THIS PRODUCT

Formaldehyde (CH2O) is best-known for its preservative and anti-bacterial properties. It is colorless,
highly toxic, and gaseous in state at room temperature. Formaldehyde gas can also be dissolved into a solution
called formalin by bubbling it to water, creating a saturation of 30% to 50% formaldehyde solution which is
typically used in embalming and preserving lab specimens (Clinisciences, 2023). Because formaldehyde has
the ability to disrupt bacterial growth, it is also commonly used in small quantities in disinfectants, antiseptics,
fertilizer, fungicide, germicide, insecticides, medicines and vaccines. Other uses of formaldehyde is in the
production of explosives, paints, and plastics, resins, and polymer.
Formaldehyde is the simplest aldehyde possible. An aldehyde functional group is formed when a
carbonyl group (C=O) is bonded to at least one hydrogen. In the case of the formaldehyde, it is composed of a
carbonyl group bonded to two hydrogen atoms. Its chemical structure is mainly responsible for the properties
it possesses. With the electronegativity difference between oxygen and carbon in the carbonyl group being
more than 0.4, we can say that the Formaldehyde is a polar substance. Base on the ‘Properties dependent on
the Intermolecular Forces of Attraction’, like dissolves like, therefore, polar dissolves polar substances. Hence,
the polarity of the formaldehyde helps it to easily penetrate the skin of organisms which are made up of polar
proteins. According to Toth and Biggin (2000), after the formaldehyde is able to enter the skin, it cross links
with the proteins, making it more compact, preventing immunoactivities, and slowing down decomposition.
This makes formaldehyde an effective preservative. Furthermore, base on the research study of Abdollahi and
Hosseini (2014), because oxygen in the carbonyl group is a high electronegativity atom, formaldehyde has a
great tendency of attracting neutrons from its surroundings which may disrupt normal cellular structures and
damage or alter essential cellular processes (Libretexts, 2023). This explains why formaldehyde is toxic and
anti-bacterial. In fact, very toxic that excessive exposure to it can cause cancer. Other properties of
Formaldehyde that is due to it being the simplest aldehyde is its lower boiling point (-19°C), lower melting
point (-92°C), highger flammability, and pungent smell compared to the other complex aldehydes (Byjus,
2023).

References:
Clinisciences (2023). Formaldehyde for Histology. Accessed on December 13, 2023 from
https://www.clinisciences.com/en/buy/cat-formaldehyde-for-histology-5363.html
Toth, J. & Biggin, M. (2000). The Specificity of Protein-DNA Crosslinking by Formaldehyde: In Vitro and
in Drosophila. Nucleic Acid Research, 1-2. doi:10.1093/nar/28.2.e4
Abdollahi, M. & Hosseini, A. (2014). Formaldehyde. Accessed on December 13, 2023 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301950854
Libretexts (2023). The Carbonyl Group. Accessed on December 14, 2023 from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves?Organic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Organic_Ch
emistry)/Aldehydes_and_Ketones/Properties_of_Adehydes_and_Ketones/The_Carbonyl
Byjus (2023). Formaldehyde-CH2O. Accessed on December 14, 2023 from
https://byjus.com/chemistry/Aldehydes/Ketones_and_Carboxylic_Acids/Formaldehyde