Tetrahydrobenzaldehyde Explained

1,2,3,6-Tetrahydrobenzaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula C₆H₉CHO. This colorless liquid is formally a partially hydrogenated derivative of benzaldehyde. It is produced by the Diels-Alder reaction of acrolein to butadiene. It is of interest as a precursor to 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3′,4′-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate, a useful resin and precursor to industrial coatings. The conversion entails the Tishchenko reaction, i.e., base-catalyzed conversion to the ester followed by double epoxidation.