Chapter  19: Carboxylic Acids

Summary

Carboxylic acids (RCO₂H) are a common and important functional group (e.g. amino acids, fatty acids etc.) and provide the point of access to the carboxylic acids derivatives (acyl chlorides, acid anhydrides, esters, amides etc.).

Carboxylic acids are the most acidic of the common organic functional groups.

We have already encountered several methods for the preparation of carboxylic acids which are reviewed here, such as oxidation of alcohols, aldehydes or alkyl aromatics.
 

Carboxylic Acids

• Nomenclature
• Physical Properties
• Structure
• Acidity
• Reactivity

 

• Overview
• Carbonation of Grignard Reagents
• Hydrolysis of Nitriles
• Oxidation of Primary Alcohols
• Oxidation of Aldehydes
• Oxidation of Alkylbenzenes

Reactions of Carboxylic Acids

• Conversion to Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
• Acyl Halides
• Acid Anhydrides
• Esters
• Amides
• Reduction to Alcohols
• α-Halogenation (Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky reaction)
• Decarboxylation Reactions

• IR
• 1H NMR
• 13C NMR
• UV-VIS
• Mass Spectrometry

• Sample Problems

© Dr. Ian Hunt, Department of Chemistry