Substituents affect carboxylic acid acidity by influencing the stability of the conjugate base. Electron-withdrawing groups increase acidity by stabilizing the conjugate base through inductive and/or resonance effects, while electron-donating groups decrease acidity by destabilizing the conjugate base.

Carboxylic acids are more acidic than phenols because the carboxylate ion, the conjugate base of carboxylic acids, is more stabilized with two equivalent resonance structures, while the phenoxide ion has non-equivalent resonance structures, leading to less effective delocalization and lower ...

Carboxylic acids are among the most acidic organic compounds due to the stabilization of their conjugate base, the carboxylate ion, through two equivalent resonance structures. This contrasts with phenols, where the phenoxide ion has non-equivalent resonance structures, making carboxylic acids ...

Nitriles are hydrolyzed to amides and then to carboxylic acids in the presence of H⁺ or OH⁻ as catalysts. Mild reaction conditions are employed to halt the reaction at the amide stage.

Primary and secondary alkyl groups in alkylbenzenes are oxidized to form carboxylic acids. The oxidation is achieved through the use of oxidizing agents such as chromic acid or acidic/alkaline potassium permanganate.