Compound: formaldehyde
SMILES: O=C
InChIKey: WSFSSNUMVMOOMR-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Synonyms: formaldehyde, formalin, methanal, 50-00-0, formol, Formic aldehyde, Methylene oxide, Oxomethane, Oxymethylene, Methyl aldehyde, Superlysoform, Lysoform, Fannoform, Formalith, Formalina, Methaldehyde, Morbicid, Karsan, Oxomethylene, Formaline, Aldehyde formique, FYDE, Formaldehyde, gas, Formaldehyd, Aldeide formica, Formalin 40, Oplossingen, Dormol, Formalin-loesungen, Rcra waste number U122, Aldehyd mravenci, NCI-C02799, Formalinum, DTXSID7020637, NSC-298885, Formaldehyde (USP), Formaldehyde [USP], CHEBI:16842, 1HG84L3525, NSC298885, Veracur, Nasal Catarrh, Dowling's, Formacide-B, Formalin-F, Parasite-S, Sur-Hoof, RefChem:65, DTXCID30637, DTXSID5047796, NSC28424, 200-001-8, Paraform, CH2O, UN 2209 (formalin), Formaldehyde (gas), Formaline [German], Formalina [Italian], Oplossingen [Dutch], HCHO, Caswell No. 465, FORMYL GROUP, Fordor, UN 1198, Aldehyd mravenci [Czech], Aldeide formica [Italian], Aldehyde formique [French], Formalin-loesungen [German], Formaldehyd [Czech, Polish], CCRIS 315, NSC 298885, HSDB 164, Aldehyde formique [ISO-French], BFV, AI3-26806, CARBON MONOXIDE (18O), MFCD00003274, UN1198, UN2209, RCRA waste no. U122, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 043001, DSSTox_CID_637, DSSTox_RID_82549, DSSTox_GSID_47796, Formaldehyd (CZECH, POLISH), Formalaz, MFCD00133991, CARBONMONOXIDE, Formic     aldehyde, aldehido, aldehidos, aldehydum, formaidehyde, formaldeyde, formaldhyde, methanon, paraformaldehyd, paraformaldehye, Formadehyde, Formaldehye, Aldehyd, Durine, paraformaidehyde, an aldehyde, Formaldehyde (37% w/w aq. soln., Stabilized 7-8% of Methanol), para formaldehyde, paraform-aldehyde, Para-formaldehyde, UNII-1HG84L3525, Formaldehyde Solution (36.5 - 38% in Water) (Stabilized with ~10-15% Methanol), F-gen, Hyperband (TN), Formalin [JAN], EINECS 200-001-8, Daminozide metabolite, HCOH, 28 - Formaldehyde, Floguard 1015, Formalin (JP18), 53026-80-5, CARBON-MONOXIDE, Formaldehyde; Methanal, Hercules 37M6-8, H2CO, long-chain fatty aldehyde, WLN: VHH, Formaldehyde [BSI:ISO], FORMALDEHYDE [II], FORMALDEHYDE [MI], Paraformaldehyde (JP17), SCHEMBL268, bmse000256, Epitope ID:116196, EC 200-001-8, FORMALDEHYDE [IARC], Formaldehyde, 4% in PBS, Formaldehyde, methanol-free, SCHEMBL1111, SCHEMBL1257, CHEMBL1255, FORMALDEHYDE [VANDF], RC(=O)H, BIDD:ER0493, GTPL4196, SCHEMBL10052729, SCHEMBL29355350, CHEBI:188447, Neutral Formalin Buffered Solution, STR00013, Tox21_111160, Tox21_302438, FM 282, AKOS008967440, DB03843, Formaldehyde 1000 microg/mL in Water, FP36729, NA 9202, UN 1016, UN 2209, NCGC00255116-01, 8013-13-6, BP-21234, E240, Formaldehyde (37per cent w/w aq. soln.), F0622, NS00007685, P0018, C00067, C22406, D00017, D01494, Q161210, SR-01000944454, SR-01000944454-1, Q27110014, Paraformaldehyde, 16% w/v aqueous solution, methanol free (packaged in 10 ml ampoules), 12795-06-1, formaldehyde;formaldehyde [bsi:iso];methanal;formaldehyde (act. 37%);formalin;formaldehyde formaldehyde [bsi:iso] methanal formaldehyde (act. 37%) formalin
Theoretical properties:
molecular_formula: CH2O
molecular_weight: 30.026 g/mol
exact_mass: 30.010564683 g/mol
formal_charge: 0
hydrogen_bond_donor_count: 0
hydrogen_bond_acceptor_count: 1
rotatable_bond_count: 0
heavy_atom_count: 2
topological_polar_surface_area: 17.1 Å²
isotope_atom_count: 0
covalently_bonded_unit_count: 1
Physical properties:
physical_state: Nearly colorless gas [Note: Often used in an aqueous solution]. /Pure formaldehyde/
color: Nearly colorless gas [Note: Often used in an aqueous solution]. /Pure formaldehyde/
odor: Pungent, suffocating odor
boiling_point: -6 °F at 760 mmHg (NIOSH, 2024)
melting_point: -134 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
density: 0.815 at -4 °F anhydrous form (EPA, 1998) - Less dense than water; will float
solubility: Miscible (NIOSH, 2024)
flash_point: 140 °F for 40% solution (EPA, 1998)
vapor_pressure: greater than 1 atm (NIOSH, 2024)
Descriptions:
pubchem: Formaldehyde (gas) can cause cancer according to an independent committee of scientific and health experts.
chebi: An aldehyde resulting from the formal oxidation of methanol.
chembl: FORMALDEHYDE is a small molecule listed in the ChEMBL database and has reached clinical trial phase -1.0.
wikipedia: Formaldehyde (  for-MAL-di-hide, US also   fər-) (systematic name methanal) is a pungent colorless gas mainly used in the production of industrial resins, such as for particle board, coatings, plastics, pulp, paper, synthetic fibers, and textiles. A ~5% solution in water of formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and fumigant in industrial, agricultural, and healthcare settings, and a ~37% solution is used to preserve tissue samples in labs. In 2024, the global production of formaldehyde was estimated at 26 million tons per year, and is a precursor to many other materials and chemical compounds. 
It is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH2O and structure H2C=O. The gas spontaneously polymerizes into paraformaldehyde. It is stored as a ~37% aqueous solution known as formalin, which consists mainly of the hydrate CH2(OH)2. It is the simplest of the aldehydes (R−CHO).
Formaldehyde also occurs naturally. It is derived from the degradation of serine, dimethylglycine, and lipids.  Demethylases act by converting N-methyl groups to formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is classified as a group 1 carcinogen and can cause respiratory and skin irritation upon exposure.