A tricarboxylic acid is an organic carboxylic acid whose chemical structure contains three carboxyl functional groups (−COOH). The best-known example of a tricarboxylic acid is citric acid.
Citric acid, a type of tricarboxylic acid, is used in the citric acid cycle – also known as tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or Krebs cycle – which is fundamental to all aerobic organisms.
Common name | IUPAC name | Molecular formula | Structural formula |
---|---|---|---|
citric acid | 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | C6H8O7 | |
isocitric acid | 1-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | C6H8O7 | |
aconitic acid | prop-1-ene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | C6H6O6 |
(cis-form and trans-form) |
propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | C3H5(COOH)3 | |
agaric acid | 2-hydroxynonadecane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid | C22H40O7 | |
trimesic acid | benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid | C9H6O6 |
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