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.

Aromatic carboxylic acids are prepared by oxidizing alkylbenzenes using chromic acid or acidic/alkaline potassium permanganate. The entire side chain is oxidized to the carboxyl group, with primary and secondary alkyl groups affected while tertiary groups remain unaffected.

Carboxylic acids are obtained from primary alcohols through oxidation using oxidizing agents like potassium permanganate or potassium dichromate (Jones reagent). Aldehydes can also be converted to carboxylic acids using mild oxidizing agents.