A tricarboxylic acid is an organic carboxylic acid that contain three carboxyl functional groups (−COOH). A well-known example is citric acid.
Prominent examples Common name IUPAC name Molecular formula Structural formula citric acid 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid C6H8O7 isocitric acid 1-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid C6H8O7 aconitic acid prop-1-ene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid C6H6O6 (cis-form and trans-form) propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid C3H5(COOH)3 agaric acid 2-hydroxynonadecane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid C22H40O7 trimesic acid benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid C9H6O6
Some prominent substituted tricarboxylic acids Citric acid, is used in the citric acid cyclealso known as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or Krebs cyclewhich is fundamental to all aerobic organisms.
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) is a chelating agent for Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+.
See also Citric acid cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle) Dicarboxylic acid Mellitic acid Nitrilotriacetic acid
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