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Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by a carboxyl (-COOH) functional group. The naming of these compounds is governed by IUPAC nomenclature, which ensures systematic and consistent naming of chemicals. Numerous organic compounds have other common names, often originating in historical source material thereof. The systematic IUPAC name is not always the preferred IUPAC name, for example, lactic acid is a common, and also the preferred, name for what systematic rules call 2-hydroxypropanoic acid.
This list is ordered by the number of carbon atoms in a carboxylic acid.
C1
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
Notes
|
| formic acid |
methanoic acid |
HCO2H
|
|
| carbonic acid |
hydroxymethanoic acid |
HOCO2H
|
Despite having an organic-like name, H2CO3 is not considered an organic compound.
|
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| hexanoic acid |
caproic acid
n-caproic acid |
CH3(CH2)4COOH
|
| hexanedioic acid |
adipic acid
hexane-1,6-dioic acid |
HOOC(CH2)4COOH
|
| 2,3-dimethylbutanoic acid
|
|
CH3(CHCH3)2COOH
|
| 3,3-dimethylbutanoic acid
|
|
CH3C(CH3)2CH2COOH
|
| 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid |
citric acid
3-carboxy-3-hydroxypentanedioic acid
2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid |
HOC(COOH)((CH2)COOH)2
|
| prop-1-ene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid |
aconitic acid
achilleic acid
equisetic acid
citridinic acid
pyrocitric acid |
HOOCCH=C(COOH)CH2COOH
|
| 1-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid |
isocitric acid |
HOOCCHOHCH(COOH)CH2COOH
|
| (2E,4E)-hexa-2,4-dienoic acid |
sorbic acid |
CH3(CH=CH)2COOH
|
C7
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| heptanoic acid |
enanthic acid
oenanthic acid
n-Heptylic acid
n-Heptoic acid |
CH3(CH2)5COOH
|
| heptanedioic acid |
pimelic acid |
HOOC(CH2)5COOH
|
| cyclohexanecarboxylic acid |
|
C
6H
11COOH
|
| benzenecarboxylic acid |
benzoic acid
carboxybenzene
dracylic acid |
C
6H
5COOH
|
| 2-hydroxybenzoic acid |
salicylic acid |
HOC
6H
4COOH
|
| 2,2-dimethylpentanoic acid
|
|
CH3(CH2)2C(CH3)2COOH
|
| 2,3-dimethylpentanoic acid
|
|
C2H5(CHCH3)2COOH
|
| 2,4-dimethylpentanoic acid
|
|
CH3(CHCH3)CH2(CHCH3)COOH
|
| 3,3-dimethylpentanoic acid
|
|
C2H5C(CH3)2CH2COOH
|
| 2-ethylpentanoic acid
|
|
C3H7CH(C2H5)COOH
|
| 3-ethylpentanoic acid
|
|
C2H5CH(C2H5)CH2COOH
|
| 2-methylhexanoic acid
|
|
C4H9CH(CH3)COOH
|
| 3-methylhexanoic acid
|
|
C3H7CH(CH3)CH2COOH
|
| 2,2,3-trimethylbutanoic acid
|
|
CH3CH(CH3)C(CH3)2COOH
|
| 2-ethyl-2-methylbutanoic acid
|
|
C2H5C(C2H5)(CH3)COOH
|
| 2-ethyl-3-
methylbutanoic acid
|
|
CH3CH(CH3)CH(C2H5)COOH
|
C8
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| octanoic acid |
caprylic acid |
CH3(CH2)6COOH
|
| benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid |
phthalic acid |
C6H4(COOH)2
|
| benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid |
isophthalic acid |
C6H4(COOH)2
|
| benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid |
terephthalic acid |
C6H4(COOH)2
|
| 2-methylheptanoic acid
|
|
C5H11CH(CH3)COOH
|
| 3-methylheptanoic acid
|
|
C4H9CH(CH3)CH2COOH
|
| 4-methylheptanoic acid
|
|
C3H7CH(CH3)C2H4COOH
|
| 5-methylheptanoic acid
|
|
C2H5CH(CH3)C3H6COOH
|
| 6-methylheptanoic acid
|
|
(CH3)2CHC4H8COOH
|
| 2,2-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C4H9C(CH3)2COOH
|
| 2,3-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C3H7[CH(CH3)]2COOH
|
| 2,4-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C2H5CH(CH3)CH2CH(CH3)COOH
|
| 2,5-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
CH3CH(CH3)C2H4(CH3)COOH
|
| 3,3-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C3H7C(CH3)2CH2COOH
|
| 3,4-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C2H5[CH(CH3)]2CH2COOH
|
| 3,5-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
(CH3)2CHCH2CH(CH3)CH2COOH
|
| 4,4-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
C2H5C(CH3)2C2H4COOH
|
| 4,5-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
CH3[CH(CH)3]2C2H4COOH
|
| 5,5-dimethylhexanoic acid
|
|
(CH3)3CC3H6COOH
|
| 2-ethanehexanoic acid
|
|
C4H9CH(C2H5)COOH
|
| 3-ethanehexanoic acid
|
|
C3H7CH(C2H5)CH2COOH
|
| 4-ethanehexanoic acid
|
|
C2H5CH(C2H5)C2H4COOH
|
| 5-ethanehexanoic acid
|
|
CH3CH(C2H5)C3H6COOH
|
| 2-octenoic acid
|
|
C5H11CH=CHCOOH
|
| 3-octenoic acid
|
|
C4H9CH=CHCH2COOH
|
| 4-octenoic acid
|
|
C3H7CH=CHC2H4COOH
|
| 5-octenoic acid
|
|
C2H5CH=CHC3H6COOH
|
| 6-octenoic acid
|
|
CH3CH=CHC4H8COOH
|
| 7-octenoic acid
|
|
CH2=CHC5H10COOH
| 2-6 dimethyl octen dioic acid
C9
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| nonanoic acid |
pelargonic acid
1-octanecarboxylic acid |
CH3(CH2)7COOH
|
| benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid |
trimesic acid |
C
6H
3(COOH)
3
|
| (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoic acid |
cinnamic acid
trans-cinnamic acid
phenylacrylic acid
cinnamylic acid
3-phenylacrylic acid
(E)-cinnamic acid
benzenepropenoic acid
isocinnamic acid |
C
6H
5CH=CHCOOH
|
C10
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| decanoic acid |
capric acid
|
CH3(CH2)8COOH
|
| decanedioic acid |
sebacic acid
1,8-octanedicarboxylic acid |
HOOC(CH2)8COOH
|
C11
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| undecanoic acid |
hendecanoic acid |
CH3(CH2)9COOH
|
C12
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| dodecanoic acid |
lauric acid
dodecylic acid
dodecoic acid
laurostearic acid
fulvic acid
1-undecanecarboxylic acid
duodecylic acid |
CH3(CH2)10COOH
|
| benzene-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexacarboxylic acid |
mellitic acid
graphitic acid
benzenehexacarboxylic acid |
C
6(COOH)
6
|
C13
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| tridecanoic acid |
tridecylic acid |
CH3(CH2)11COOH
|
C14
C15
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| pentadecanoic acid |
pentadecylic acid |
CH3(CH2)13COOH
|
C16
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| hexadecanoic acid |
palmitic acid |
CH3(CH2)14COOH
|
C17
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| heptadecanoic acid |
margaric acid
heptadecylic acid |
CH3(CH2)15COOH
|
C18
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| octadecanoic acid |
stearic acid |
CH3(CH2)16COOH
|
| (9Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid |
oleic acid
(9Z)-octadecenoic acid
(Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid
cis-9-octadecenoic acid
cis-Δ9-octadecenoic acid
|
CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
|
| (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid |
linoleic acid |
CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
|
| (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid |
ALA
α-linolenic acid
cis, cis,cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid
(Z,Z,Z)-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid |
CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH
|
| (6Z,9Z,12Z)-octadeca-6,9,12-trienoic acid |
GLA
γ-linolenic acid
gamolenic acid |
CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)4COOH
|
| (6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-6,9,12,15-tetraenoic acid |
SDA
stearidonic acid
moroctic acid |
CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)5COOH
|
C19
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| nonadecanoic acid |
nonadecylic acid |
CH3(CH2)17COOH
|
C20
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| icosanoic acid |
arachidic acid
arachic acid |
CH3(CH2)18COOH
|
| (5Z,8Z,11Z)-eicosa-5,8,11-trienoic acid |
Mead's acid |
CH3(CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)3COOH
|
| (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenoic acid |
AA
ARA
arachidonic acid |
CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)3COOH
|
| (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)-eicosa-5,8,11,14-pentaenoic acid |
EPA |
CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)3COOH
|
C21
C22
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| docosanoic acid |
behenic acid |
CH3(CH2)20COOH
|
| (4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)-docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid |
DHA
cervonic acid |
CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)2COOH
|
C23
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| tricosanoic acid |
tricosylic acid |
CH3(CH2)21COOH
|
C24
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| tetracosanoic acid |
lignoceric acid |
CH3(CH2)22COOH
|
C25
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| pentacosanoic acid |
pentacosylic acid |
CH3(CH2)23COOH
|
C26
| IUPAC name |
Common name |
Structural formula
|
| hexacosanoic acid |
cerotic acid |
CH3(CH2)24COOH
|
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