Glycolaldehyde
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name Hydroxyacetaldehyde | |
| Systematic IUPAC name Hydroxyethanal | |
| Other names 2-Hydroxyacetaldehyde 2-Hydroxyethanal | |
| Identifiers | |
| 3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.004.987 | 
| KEGG | |
| PubChem CID | |
| UNII | |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| 
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| 
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| Properties | |
| C2H4O2 | |
| Molar mass | 60.052 g/mol | 
| Density | 1.065 g/mL | 
| Melting point | 97 °C (207 °F; 370 K) | 
| Boiling point | 131.3 °C (268.3 °F; 404.4 K) | 
| Related compounds | |
| Related aldehydes | 3-Hydroxybutanal | 
| Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references | |
Glycolaldehyde is the organic compound with the formula HOCH2−CHO. It is the smallest possible molecule that contains both an aldehyde group (−CH=O) and a hydroxyl group (−OH). It is a highly reactive molecule that occurs both in the biosphere and in the interstellar medium. It is normally supplied as a white solid. Although it conforms to the general formula for carbohydrates, Cn(H2O)n, it is not generally considered to be a saccharide.