Phthalic acid

In a field of chemistry called "Organic Chemistry", which mainly involves the study of carbon-based molecules, phthalic acid, is a dicarboxylic acid, which refers to the two COOH groups present in the molecule. The two carboxylic acids are present on an aromatic ring, here benzene, which is where the systematic name "Benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid" is from.

Phthalic acid is one of three structural isomers of benzenedicarboxylic acid. Which refers to the placement of the two carboxylic acids on the benzene-ring. If there were a gap between them it would be the molecule isophthalic acid, with the systematic name Benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid, while if the acid groups were opposing each other, it would be terephthalic acid, with the systematic name Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid.

 Synthesis 
The molecule "Napthalene", when oxidised by potassium permanganate, or similarly strong oxidizers, gives the molecule Phthalic anhydride, with through hydrolysis with hot water, gives Phthalic acid.

References

Category:Dicarboxylic acids
Category:Xylene derivatives