Karboksylaattiyksiköiden

Karboksylaatti is a common term used in chemistry to refer to the conjugate base of a carboxylic acid. When a carboxylic acid, which has the general formula R-COOH, loses a proton (H+), it forms a negatively charged ion known as a carboxylate anion. This anion has the structure R-COO-. The negative charge is delocalized across the two oxygen atoms due to resonance, giving the carboxylate ion significant stability.

Salts formed from carboxylic acids and metals are often called carboxylates. For example, sodium acetate (CH3COONa) is the sodium salt of acetic acid and is a carboxylate salt. Many esters are derived from carboxylic acids and are sometimes referred to as carboxylate esters, although this is less common terminology. The term "carboxylate" can also be used to describe the functional group -COO- when it is part of a larger molecule, particularly in organic chemistry.

Carboxylate ions are prevalent in nature and in industrial applications. They are found in soaps (fatty acid salts), in biological molecules like amino acids and DNA, and are used as catalysts and intermediates in various chemical reactions. The properties of carboxylate compounds vary widely depending on the nature of the R group attached to the carboxylate functional group.