Tartronic acid
Encyclopedia
Tartronic acid or 2-hydroxymalonic acid is a dicarboxylic acid
with the structural formula
of HOOCCH(OH)COOH.
Its derivative, 2-methyltartronic acid, is isomalic acid.
with air to form mesoxalic acid
, another type of hydroxydicarboxylic acid.
Dicarboxylic acid
Dicarboxylic acids are organic compounds that contain two carboxylic acid functional groups. In molecular formulae for dicarboxylic acids, these groups are often written as HOOC-R-COOH, where R may be an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aryl group...
with the structural formula
Structural formula
The structural formula of a chemical compound is a graphical representation of the molecular structure, showing how the atoms are arranged. The chemical bonding within the molecule is also shown, either explicitly or implicitly...
of HOOCCH(OH)COOH.
Its derivative, 2-methyltartronic acid, is isomalic acid.
Uses
Tartronic acids are best known as a reactant in the catalytic oxidationCatalytic oxidation
Catalytic oxidation combines the production of random and honeycomb block catalysts with fixed bed technology and integrated tube or plate heat exchangers. It is used for destroying contaminants in the exhaust gases from industrial processes....
with air to form mesoxalic acid
Mesoxalic acid
Mesoxalic acid, also called oxomalonic acid or ketomalonic acid, is an organic compound with formula C3H2O5 or HO-3-OH.Mesoxalic acid is both a dicarboxylic acid and a ketonic acid. It readily loses two protons to yield the divalent anion C3O52−, called mesoxalate, oxomalonate, or ...
, another type of hydroxydicarboxylic acid.