Introductory Chapter: Carboxylic Acids - Key Role in Life Sciences

The carboxyl group consisting of a carbonyl (C=O) with a hydroxyl group (O–H) attached to the same carbon atom and is usually written as –COOH or CO2H. The compounds presenting two or more carboxylic groups are called dicarboxylic, tricarboxylic acids, while their salts and esters are called carboxylates. By the nature of the radical, they can be classified into saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic acids. In the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclature, carboxylic acids have an “-oic acid” suffix added to hydrocarbons having the same number of carbon atoms. Still, some organic acids are called by their common name, for example, formic acid and acetic acid.