Glycerates

Glycerates are a class of chemical compounds derived from glyceric acid, a three-carbon hydroxycarboxylic acid. The term encompasses salts in which the carboxyl group is deprotonated and esters formed by reaction of the carboxyl group with alcohols. Because glyceric acid contains both a primary and a secondary alcohol, many different glycerate esters can be prepared by esterification at the carboxyl group, and a variety of salts can form with metal or ammonium cations.

In biology, glycerate derivatives occur as components of metabolic pathways. A notable example is 3-phosphoglycerate, the glycerate backbone bearing a phosphate group, an intermediate in glycolysis and in the Calvin cycle. Other glycerate derivatives are involved in serine biosynthesis and in photorespiration, reflecting the ubiquity of glycerate motifs in carbon metabolism.

Chemically, glycerates can be prepared by oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid, followed by neutralization to yield salts, or by selective esterification of glyceric acid with suitable alcohols to give ester derivatives. They serve as intermediates or building blocks in organic synthesis and can function in flavors, fragrances, or pharmaceutical applications depending on the substituents attached.

Because glycerates represent a family of related compounds rather than a single substance, their physical properties—such as acidity, solubility, and reactivity—vary with the degree of esterification and the nature of the counterion. Safety and handling depend on the specific ester or salt involved.