Carboxylic acids can be classified as aliphatic (RCOOH) or aromatic (ArCOOH) based on whether the attached group is alkyl or aryl. Fatty acids, esters of glycerol, are examples of higher aliphatic carboxylic acids.

Carboxylic acids contain the carboxyl functional group, -COOH, which consists of a carbonyl group attached to a hydroxyl group.

Anisole reacts with a mixture of concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids in nitration, yielding a mixture of ortho and para nitroanisole as the product.

Anisole undergoes Friedel-Crafts reaction with alkyl halide and acyl halide in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride as a Lewis acid catalyst. The reaction introduces the alkyl and acyl groups at ortho and para positions.

The alkoxy group is ortho, para directing, and activates the aromatic ring in a manner similar to phenol. In the halogenation of anisole, the methoxy group activates the benzene ring, allowing bromination to occur even without an iron (III) bromide ...