Carboxylic acid Carboxylic acid A carboxylic acid is an organic compound that contains a carboxyl group (C(=O)OH). The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R–COOH, with R referring to the rest of the (possibly quite large) molecule. Carboxylic acids occur widely and include the amino acids (which make up proteins) and acetic acid (which is part of vinegar and occurs in metabolism). Salts and esters of carboxylic acids are called carboxylates. When a carboxyl group is deprotonated, its conjugate base forms a carboxylate anion. Carboxylate ions are resonance-stabilized, and this increased stability makes carboxylic acids more acidic than alcohols, along with
Isophthalic acid Isophthalic acid Isophthalic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH(COH). This colorless solid is an isomer of phthalic acid and terephthalic acid. The main industrial uses of purified isophthalic acid are for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin and for the production of unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and other types of coating resins. Isophthalic acid is produced on the billion kilogram per year scale by oxidizing meta-xylene using oxygen. The process employs a cobalt-manganese catalyst. The world's largest producer of isophthalic acid is Lotte Chemical Corporation. In the laboratory, chromic acid can be used as the oxidant.