Carboxylic acids are weaker than mineral acids but stronger than alcohols and many simple phenols. The pKₐ is approximately 16 for ethanol and 10 for phenol.

Aliphatic carboxylic acids with up to four carbon atoms are miscible in water due to hydrogen bond formation. However, solubility decreases with an increasing number of carbon atoms. Higher carboxylic acids become practically insoluble in water due to increased hydrophobic ...

Carboxylic acids have higher boiling points due to more extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding. These bonds persist even in the vapour phase, with most carboxylic acids existing as dimers in the vapour phase or in aprotic solvents.

Aliphatic carboxylic acids up to nine carbon atoms are colourless liquids with unpleasant odours, while higher acids are wax-like solids with low volatility, resulting in practically odourless characteristics.

Acid chlorides hydrolyze with water to form carboxylic acids, while hydrolysis with aqueous base produces carboxylate ions, which can be acidified to yield the corresponding carboxylic acids.

Grignard reagents react with carbon dioxide to form salts of carboxylic acids. Upon acidification with mineral acid, these salts transform into the corresponding carboxylic acids.

Methanoic acid is used in rubber, textile, dyeing, leather, and electroplating industries. Ethanoic acid serves as a solvent and is used in the food industry as vinegar. Hexanedioic acid is crucial in manufacturing nylon-6, 6. Esters of benzoic acid find ...

Aromatic carboxylic acids avoid Friedel-Crafts reactions due to deactivation caused by the carboxyl group. The carboxyl group acts as a deactivating and meta-directing group in electrophilic substitution reactions.

Carboxylic acids with alpha-hydrogens undergo halogenation at the alpha-position using chlorine or bromine in the presence of red phosphorus, a reaction known as Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky reaction.

Sodium borohydride is ineffective in reducing the carboxyl group in carboxylic acids. Diborane is preferred for reduction as it selectively targets the carboxyl group without affecting other functional groups like ester, nitro, or halo groups.