List of carboxylic acids
Carboxylic acids are organic compounds characterized by a carboxyl (-COOH) functional group. The naming of these compounds is governed by IUPAC nomenclature, which ensures systemic and consistent naming of chemicals. Numerous organic compounds have other common names, often originating in historical use of these. It is worth noting that the IUPAC name is not always the preferred name, for example, lactic acid is a common, and also the preferred, name for what systemic rules call 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid.
This list is ordered by the number of carbon atoms in a carboxylic acid.
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural formula |
| methanoic acid | formic acid | HCOOH |
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural formula |
| ethanoic acid | acetic acid | CH 3COOH |
| ethanedioic acid | oxalic acid | HOOCCOOH |
| oxoethanoic acid | glyoxylic acid formylformic acid |
OHCCOOH |
| 2-hydroxyethanoic acid | glycolic acid dicarbonous acid hydroxyacetic acid |
HOCH2COOH |
.....
propane
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural formula |
| propanoic acid | propionic acid ethanecarboxylic acid |
CH 3CH 2COOH |
| prop-2-enoic acid | acrylic acid acroleic acid ethylenecarboxylic acid propene acid vinylformic acid |
CH2=CHCOOH |
| 2-propynoic acid | propiolic acid acetylene carboxylic acid propargylic acid |
CH≡CCOOH |
| propanedioic acid | malonic acid methanedicarboxylic acid |
HOOCCH2COOH |
| 2-hydroxypropanedioic acid | tartronic acid hydroxymalonic acid |
HOOCCHOHCOOH |
| oxopropanedioic acid | mesoxalic acid ketomalonic acid |
HOOCCOCOOH |
| 2,2-dihydroxypropanedioic acid | dihydroxymalonic acid Mesoxalic acid monohydrate |
HOOCC(OH)2COOH |
| 2-oxopropanoic acid | pyruvic acid α-ketopropionic acid acetylformic acid pyroracemic acid |
CH3COCOOH |
| 2-hydroxypropanoic acid | lactic acid milk acid |
CH3CHOHCOOH |
| 3-hydroxypropanoic acid | hydracrylic acid | CH2OHCH2COOH |
| 2,3-dihydroxypropanoic acid | glyceric acid | CH2OHCHOHCOOH |
| 2-oxiranecarboxylic acid | glycidic acid | epoxide |
butane
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural formula |
| butanoic acid | butyric acid propanecarboxylic acid |
CH3(CH2)2COOH |
| 2-methylpropanoic acid | isobutyric acid isobutanoic acid |
(CH3)2CHCOOH |
| butanedioic acid | succinic acid | HOOC(CH2)2COOH |
| 3-oxobutanoic acid | acetoacetic acid | CH3COCH2COOH |
| (E)-butenedioic acid | fumaric acid trans-1,2-ethylenedicarboxylic acid 2-butenedioic acid trans-butenedioic acid allomaleic acid boletic acid donitic acid lichenic acid |
HOOCCH=CHCOOH |
| (Z)-butenedioic acid | maleic acid cis-butenedioic acid maleinic acid toxilic acid |
HOOCCH=CHCOOH |
| oxobutanedioic acid | oxaloacetic acid oxalacetic acid oxosuccinic acid |
HOOCCH2COCOOH |
| hydroxybutanedioic acid | malic acid hydroxybutanedioic acid |
HOOCCH2CHOHCOOH |
| 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid | tartaric acid 2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid threaric acid racemic acid uvic acid paratartaric acid |
HOOC(CHOH)2COOH |
| (E)-but-2-enoic acid | crotonic acid trans-2-butenoic acid beta-methylacrylic acid 3-methylacrylic acid (E)-2-butenoic acid |
CH3CH=CHCOOH |
pentane
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural formula |
| pentanoic acid | valeric acid valerianic acid butane-1-carboxylic acid |
CH3(CH2)3COOH |
| 3-Methylbutanoic acid | Iso-valeric acid | (CH3)2CHCH2CO2H |
| pentanedioic acid | glutaric acid propane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid 1,3-propanedicarboxylic acid n-pyrotartaric acid |
HOOC(CH2)3COOH |
| 2-oxopentanedioic acid | alpha-Ketoglutaric acid 2-ketoglutaric acid α-ketoglutaric acid 2-oxoglutaric acid oxoglutaric acid |
HOOC(CH2)2COCOOH |
hexane
| 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-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 |
heptane
| 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 |
octane
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural Formula |
| octanoic acid | caprylic acid | CH3(CH2)6COOH |
| benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid | Phthalic acid | C6H4(COOH)2 |
nonane
| 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 |
decane
| 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
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural Formula |
| tetradecanoic acid | myristic acid | CH3(CH2)12COOH |
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 |
| eicosanoic acid | arachidic acid eicosanoic 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 |
C21
| IUPAC name | Common name | Structural Formula |
| heneicosanoic acid | CH3(CH2)19COOH |
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 |