Acetate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An acetate, or ethanoate, is either a salt or ester of acetic acid.
In organic chemistry, the abbreviation Ac refers to the acetyl group. The anion and the functional group may be written as −OAc and AcO−, or OAc respectively. Examples include HOAc and NaOAc for acetic acid and sodium acetate for the former, and EtOAc for ethyl acetate for the latter. Ac is also the symbol for the chemical element actinium, but confusion between actinium and the acetyl group is rare, since actinium has virtually no role in organic chemistry.
Contents |
[edit] Salt
The acetate anion, [CH3COO]−, is a carboxylate and is the conjugate base of acetic acid. The acetate ion is formed by the deprotonation of acetic acid:
- CH3COOH ⇌ CH3COO− + H+
[edit] Ester
An acetate ester is an ester of acetic acid, with the general formula CH3COOR, where R is an organyl group.
Acetate can also refer to cellulose acetate, especially fibres or other derived products such as the acetate disc used in audio record production. Cellulose acetate can be found in many household products.
[edit] Structures
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
[edit] See also
