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Formaldehyde

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

  • 227 Accesses

Synonyms

Methanal; Methyl aldehyde; Methylene oxide; Paraformaldehyde

Definition

Formaldehyde (methanal, HCHO), the simplest aldehyde, is a one carbon molecule intermediary along the redox continuum between CO2 and CH4, at the same oxidation state (0) as graphite. Formaldehyde was first reported by the Russian chemist Butlerow in 1860 and was conclusively identified by von Hofmann. It exists transiently but prominently in the abiological carbon cycle (Cleaves 2008). It is an abundant interstellar molecule and is a constituent of cometary ices (Biver et al. 2002). It is readily produced in prebiotic simulation experiments from a variety of gas mixtures and energy sources.

HCHO may have played an important role in the synthesis of organic molecules relevant to the origin of life. HCHO is likely a significant precursor for the prebiotic synthesis of glycine and other amino acids (Miller 1957). HCHO can react to form sugars under basic conditions (Butlerow 1861) via the so-called formose...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 20015, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

Authors
  1. Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II
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Correspondence to Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Cleaves, H.J.(. (2014). Formaldehyde. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_585-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_585-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Formaldehyde
    Published:
    22 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_585-4

  2. Original

    Formaldehyde
    Published:
    07 May 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_585-3

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