Organic Chemistry: Carboxylic Acids, Esters, and Amines

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering nomenclature, equilibrium, reactions, and structures of carboxylic acids, esters, and amines.

Carboxylic Acid

An organic compound characterized by the carboxyl functional group ($R\text{-COOH}$), named systematically by identifying the longest carbon chain, dropping the '-e', and adding '-oic acid'.

Methanoic Acid

The simplest one-carbon carboxylic acid with the chemical structure $H\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-OH}$.

Ethanoic Acid

A two-carbon carboxylic acid with the chemical formula $CH_3\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-OH}$.

Propanoic Acid

A three-carbon carboxylic acid with the formula $CH_3\text{-CH}_2\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-OH}$.

Butanoic Acid (Butyric Acid)

A four-carbon carboxylic acid with the formula $CH_3\text{-CH}_2\text{-CH}_2\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-OH}$, commonly referred to as butyric acid.

Acid Dissociation Constant ($K_a$)

The equilibrium constant measuring acid strength, expressed as $K_a = \frac{[\text{Products}]}{[\text{reactants}]}$; for ethanoic acid, $K_a = 1.8 \times 10^{-5}$, where $pK_a = -\log(1.8 \times 10^{-5})$.

Carboxylate Ion

The deprotonated, negatively charged conjugate base of a carboxylic acid, which constitutes the predominant species in solution at a physiological pH of $7$.

Amphipathic

The property of having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, characteristic of fatty acids at physiological pH.

Keto Group

A carbonyl functional group flanked by two carbon groups, having the general structure $R\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-R}$.

Alpha-Keto Acid

A carboxylic acid that possesses a keto group on the carbon directly adjacent to the carboxyl group, exemplified by pyruvate.

Decarboxylation Reaction

A reaction occurring in beta-keto acids that eliminates a carboxyl group as carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).

Ester

A functional group with the general formula $R\text{-C}(=\text{O})\text{-O-}R'$, formed via the dehydration reaction of a carboxylic acid with an alcohol.

Ester Naming Protocol

A three-step process: 1. Name the alcohol group; 2. Name the carboxylic acid component, changing the '-oic acid' suffix to '-ate'; 3. Combine the two names together.

Oxidation Pathway to Carboxylic Acids

A synthetic route wherein an alcohol (e.g., ethanol) containing a hydroxyl group ($\text{-OH}$) is oxidized via an oxidizing agent like dichromate to an aldehyde intermediate, and subsequently to a carboxylic acid.

Primary ($1^\circ$) Amine

A derivative of ammonia wherein one hydrogen atom is replaced by a carbon group, giving the general formula $R\text{-NH}_2$.

Secondary ($2^\circ$) Amine

An amine wherein two hydrogen atoms from ammonia are replaced by carbon-containing groups, such as $R\text{-NH-CH}_3$.

Tertiary ($3^\circ$) Amine

An amine in which all three hydrogens of ammonia are substituted with organic groups, represented as $R\text{-N}(\text{CH}_3)_2$.

$4^\circ$ Amine

A quaternary nitrogen species with four organic alkyl groups bonded to a central nitrogen atom.