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
Benzilic acid is regulated by the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is also monitored by law enforcement agencies of many countries, because of its use in the manufacture in hallucinogenic drugs. Benzilic acid Benzilic acid is an organic compound with formula or ()(HO)C(COOH). It is a white crystalline aromatic acid, soluble in many primary alcohols. Benzilic acid can be prepared by heating mixture of benzil, ethanol and potassium hydroxide. Another preparation, performed by Liebig in 1838, is the dimerization of benzaldehyde, to benzil, which is transformed to the product by the benzilic acid rearrangement reaction. Benzilic acid is used in the manufacture of