Trifluoroacetic acid Trifluoroacetic acid Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is an organofluorine compound with the chemical formula CFCOH. It is a structural analogue of acetic acid with all three of the acetyl group’s hydrogen atoms replaced by fluorine atoms and is a colorless liquid with a vinegar like odor. TFA is a stronger acid than acetic acid, having an acid ionisation constant that is approximately 34,000 times higher, as the highly electronegative fluorine atoms and consequent electron-withdrawing nature of the trifluoromethyl group weakens the oxygen-hydrogen bond (allowing for greater acidity) and stabilises the anionic conjugate base. TFA is widely used in organic chemistry for
Sorbic acid through a chemical reaction with nitrites at pH of 2-4.2 – the latter conditions being ones that mimic the gastric environment. In living yeast cells sorbic acid enhances oxygen free radical formation by the mitochondrial electron transport chain, leading to damage to the mitochondrial DNA. Sorbic acid Sorbic acid, or 2,4-hexadienoic acid, is a natural organic compound used as a food preservative. It has the chemical formula CH(CH)COH. It is a colourless solid that is slightly soluble in water and sublimes readily. It was first isolated from the unripe berries of the "Sorbus aucuparia" (rowan tree), hence its name. The