ethanediarboxylic

Ethanediarboxylic refers to a chemical compound or a functional group characterized by a two-carbon chain with two carboxylic acid groups attached. This is more commonly known as oxalic acid. Oxalic acid has the chemical formula C2H2O4 and is a dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that is soluble in water.

In biological systems, oxalic acid is found in many plants, such as spinach, rhubarb, and sorrel. It can bind to calcium ions, forming calcium oxalate crystals, which can be a concern for kidney stone formation in humans. Industrially, oxalic acid is used as a cleaning agent, particularly for rust removal and bleaching wood. It is also employed in dyeing and in the synthesis of other organic compounds.

The ethanediarboxyl group itself, often referred to as the oxalate group when it is part of an ionic compound or ester, is a bidentate ligand, meaning it can bind to metal ions at two points. This property makes oxalate useful in coordination chemistry and in analytical chemistry for the determination of certain metal ions. The acidity of oxalic acid is relatively strong for a dicarboxylic acid, with two dissociation constants.