Duff reaction

The Duff reaction (after James Cooper Duff) also known as the hexamine aromatic formylation, is a formylation reaction used in organic chemistry for the synthesis of benzaldehydes. Hexamine acts as the formyl carbon source, while acetic acid or trifluoroacetic acid acts as both reagent and solvent. The process is generally inefficient, but is unusual in that it is able to attach multiple aldehyde groups. Other formylation reactions struggle to achieve this, as aldehydes are strongly deactivating.