3-Methylbutanoic acid instance of chemical compound
3-Methylbutanoic acid, also known as β-methylbutyric acid or more commonly isovaleric acid, is a branched-chain alkyl carboxylic acid with the chemical formula (CH3)2CHCH2CO2H.  It is classified as a short-chain fatty acid. Like other low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids, it has an unpleasant odor.  The compound occurs naturally and can be found in many foods, such as cheese, soy milk, and apple juice.History
3-Methylbutanoic acid is a minor constituent of the perennial flowering plant valerian (Valeriana officinalis), from which it got its trivial name isovaleric acid: an isomer of valeric acid which shares its unpleasant odor.  The dried root of this plant has been used medicinally since antiquity. Their chemical identity was first investigated in the 19th century by oxidation of the components of fusel alcohol, which includes the five-carbon amyl alcohols.Manufacture
In industry, 3-methylbutanoic acid  is produced by the hydroformylation of isobutylene with syngas, forming isovaleraldehyde, which is oxidised to the final product.
(CH3)2C=CH2 + H2 + CO → (CH3)2CHCH2CHO → 3-methylbutanoic acidSalts and esters
An isovalerate or 3-methylbutanoate ion is (CH3)2CHCH2COO−, the conjugate base of the acid. It is the form found in biological systems at physiological pH. An isovalerate or 3-methylbutanoate compound is a salt or ester of the acid.See also
2-Methylbutanoic acid, an isomer
Valeric acid, an isomer
type of example of manifestation of representation of