Isobutyraldehyde
Isobutyraldehyde is produced industrially by the hydroformylation of propene. Several million tons are produced annually. In the context of butanol fuel, isobutyraldehyde is of interest as a precursor to isobutanol. "E. coli" as well as several other organisms has been genetically modified to produce isobutanol. α-Ketoisovalerate, derived from oxidative deamination of valine, is prone to decarboxylation to give isobutyraldehyde, which is susceptible to reduction to the alcohol:
(CH3)2CHC(O)CO2H → (CH3)2CHCHO + CO2
(CH3)2CHCHO + NADH + H+ → (CH3)2CHCH2OH + NAD+ It can also be produced using engineered bacteria. Strong mineral acids catalyse the rearrangement of methallyl alcohol to isobutyraldehyde. Hydrogenation of the aldehyde gives isobutanol. Oxidation gives methacrolein or methacrylic acid. Condensation with formaldehyde gives hydroxypivaldehyde.
Synthesis
Isobutyraldehyde is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3)2CHCHO. Isobutyraldehyde is made, often as a side-product, by the hydroformylation of propene.