The carbonyl group is an organic functional group that consists of a carbon atom double bonded to an oxygen atom (Figure 1) . It is one of the most common reactive components in organic structures, and any compound that contains the carbonyl group is generally categorized as a carbonyl compound. It is important to distinguish these organic compounds from the organometallic group known as the metal carbonyls. Metal carbonyls are organometallic compounds where one or more of the metal ligands are carbon monoxide (CO). The organic carbonyl functional group is found in a variety of consumer products including plastics, adhesives, foods (proteins and fats), and drugs such as aspirin and penicillin. The structural features of the carbonyl group give these compounds their characteristic properties.

The carbonyl group possesses a trigonal planar arrangement of groups around the carbon atom which is sp² hybridized. As a result, the carbonyl carbon...