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
Nonanoic acid Nonanoic acid Nonanoic acid, also called pelargonic acid, is an organic compound with structural formula CH(CH)COH. It is a nine-carbon fatty acid. Nonanoic acid is a colorless oily liquid with an unpleasant, rancid odor. It is nearly insoluble in water, but very soluble in organic solvents. The esters and salts of nonanoic acid are called nonanoates. Its refractive index is 1.4322. Its critical point is at 712 K (439 °C) and 2.35 MPa. Nonanoic acid occurs naturally as esters in the oil of pelargonium. Together with azelaic acid, it is produced industrially by ozonolysis of oleic acid. Synthetic esters of