Karboksylaattiryhmänä

Karboksylaattiryhmänä, also known as a carboxylate group, is a functional group found in organic chemistry. It is the deprotonated form of a carboxylic acid. The general formula for a carboxylate group is RCOO⁻, where R represents a hydrogen atom or an organic substituent. This group consists of a carbonyl group (C=O) and an adjacent negatively charged oxygen atom (O⁻).

Carboxylate groups are formed when carboxylic acids lose a proton (H⁺) from the hydroxyl (-OH) group, typically in the presence of a base. This deprotonation makes the carboxylate group negatively charged. This negative charge is delocalized across the two oxygen atoms through resonance, which contributes to the stability of the carboxylate ion.

The presence of a carboxylate group significantly influences the chemical properties of a molecule. Carboxylate salts, formed by the reaction of carboxylic acids with bases, are often soluble in water due to their ionic nature. Carboxylate groups are key components of amino acids, where they are found in the side chains of acidic amino acids like aspartic acid and glutamic acid. They are also essential in biological systems, playing roles in enzyme activity, protein structure, and metabolism. In various industrial applications, carboxylate groups are found in soaps, detergents, and polymers.