Tricarboxylic acid
Encyclopedia
A tricarboxylic acid is an organic
carboxylic acid
whose chemical structure
contains three carboxyl functional group
s (-COOH). The best-known example of a tricarboxylic acid is citric acid
.
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
whose chemical structure
Chemical structure
A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of molecules. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together. Molecular geometry can range from the very simple, such as...
contains three carboxyl functional group
Functional group
In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of...
s (-COOH). The best-known example of a tricarboxylic acid is citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
.
Examples
- Citric acidCitric acidCitric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
- Isocitric acidIsocitric acidIsocitric acid is a protonated form of isocitrate, which is a substrate of the citric acid cycle. Isocitrate is formed from citrate with the help of the enzyme aconitase, and is acted upon by isocitrate dehydrogenase...
- Aconitic acidAconitic acidAconitic acid is an organic acid. The two isomers are cis-aconitic acid and trans-aconitic acid. The conjugate base of cis-aconitic acid, cis-aconitate is an intermediate in the isomerization of citrate to isocitrate in the citric acid cycle...
- Propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acidPropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acidPropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, also known as tricarballylic acid, carballylic acid, and beta-carboxyglutaric acid, is a tricarboxylic acid that has three carboxylic acid functional groups...
(tricarballylic acid, carballylic acid) - Trimesic acidTrimesic acidTrimesic acid, formally known as benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, is a benzene derivative with three carboxylic acid groups.Trimesic acid is a planar molecule ....
See also
- Citric acid cycleCitric acid cycleThe citric acid cycle — also known as the tricarboxylic acid cycle , the Krebs cycle, or the Szent-Györgyi-Krebs cycle — is a series of chemical reactions which is used by all aerobic living organisms to generate energy through the oxidization of acetate derived from carbohydrates, fats and...
(tricarboxylic acid cycle) - Dicarboxylic acidDicarboxylic acidDicarboxylic 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...
- Mellitic acidMellitic acidMellitic acid, also called graphitic acid or benzenehexacarboxylic acid, is an acid first discovered in 1799 by M. H. Klaproth in the mineral mellite , which is the aluminium salt of the acid.- Preparation :...