MHT CET Chemistry Question (2026) — Solution

Step-by-step solution

An aromatic aldehyde is a compound in which the aldehyde group ( -CHO ) is directly attached to an aromatic ring. Let us evaluate the given options: 1. In the first structure (3-phenylpropanal), the -CHO group is attached to an sp^3 hybridized carbon of an aliphatic chain, not directly to the benzene ring. 2. In the second structure (cinnamaldehyde), the -CHO group is attached to an sp^2 hybridized carbon of an alkene chain. 3. In the third structure (cyclohexanecarbaldehyde), the -CHO group is attached to a cyclohexane ring, which is non-aromatic. 4. In the fourth structure (2-methylbenzaldehyde or o-tolualdehyde), the -CHO group is directly attached to the aromatic benzene ring. Therefore, 2-methylbenzaldehyde is the only aromatic aldehyde among the given choices.