Question
Question: What is the IUPAC name of succinic acid?...
What is the IUPAC name of succinic acid?
Solution
Acid is a functional group containing the group of −COOH . Some acids contain two carboxylic acid groups, one of the examples of di carboxylic acid is succinic acid. It contains two −COOH groups and between two −COOH groups two methylene groups are present.
Complete answer:
Carboxylic acids are one of the functional groups of organic compounds containing −COOH group. These are called acids as these compounds can easily lose protons.
The IUPAC nomenclature of carboxylic acids can be written by considering the longest carbon chain and the suffix of the longest carbon chain must end with -oic acid. If the substituents were present they should get a lower number and should be written in alphabetical order.
Succinic acid is a carboxylic acid containing two −COOH groups, in between these two −COOH groups two methylene (−CH2) groups are present. The structure of succinic acid is
HOOC−CH2−CH2−COOH
Thus, succinic acid contains four carbon atoms. The longest carbon chain will be named as butane, but there is a presence of two carboxylic acids at first and fourth carbons, hence the IUPAC name will be as butane−1,4−dioicacid .
The molecular formula of succinic acid is C4H6O4 . Though, we gave numbering from any side, both the carboxylic acids get the same number.
Note :
Some of the examples of dioic acids are Oxalic acid, malonic acid. Succinic acid, glutamic acid, adipic acid and pimelic acid. The number of methylene groups in the oxalic acid is zero, and increases by one from oxalic acid. Thus, succinic acid has two methylene groups between the two carboxylic acids.