Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic acids are hydrocarbon derivatives for which the functional group is the carboxyl group

The R in the general form is typically an alkyl group. The simplest of the carboxylic acids is formic acid, where the R in the above general form is just hydrogen. Formic acid is a constituent of bee stings and the bites of other insects including mosquitos. When formic acid was discovered in space in some of the interstellar dust clouds, it generated a lot of bad jokes about cosmic mosquitos. Acetic acid is the next step up in complexity, with R being a methyl group. Vinegar contains about 5% acetic acid. These two carboxylic acids have the forms:

Carboxylic acids are important intermediate products for the production of esters and amides.