Name reaction Note Spiral Notebook

The Duff reaction is a formylation reaction used in organic chemistry for the synthesis of benzaldehydes with hexamine as the formyl carbon source. The reaction requires strongly electron donating substituents on the aromatic ring such as in a phenol. Formylation occurs ortho to the electron donating substituent preferentially, unless the ortho positions are blocked, in which case the formylation occurs para. It is named after James Cooper Duff (1932).