Organic carboxylic acids, solubility

Chowhan, Z. T. pH-solubility profiles of organic carboxylic acids and their salts. 

Chowhan, Z. T., pH-solubility profiles of organic carboxylic acids and their salts, J. Pharm. Sci. 67, 1257-1260 (1978). 

Choice of solvent. The solvent cannot be selected on the basis of rules or theoretical considerations but must be experimentally determined. There are certain theoretical considerations which serve as a general guide for example, it is known that naphthalene, CioHs, is insoluble in water, H2O, but soluble in benzene, CeHe. From similar studies the general rule is drawn that a solid is best dissolved in a liquid which it resembles in chemical composition and structure. An organic carboxylic acid RCOOH is expected to dissolve in water since it contains the hydroxyl group, OH but if... 

The silver salts of most carboxylic acids are only sparingly soluble in cold water, and hence are readily prepared. Moreover they very rarely contain water of crystallisation, and therefore when dried can be analysed without further treatment. The analysis itself is simple, rapid and accurate, because gentle ignition of a weighed quantity of the silver salt in a crucible drives off the organic matter, leaving a residue of pure metallic silver. 

Reactions between A -(l-chloroalkyl)pyridinium chlorides 33 and amino acids in organic solvents have a low synthetic value because of the low solubility of the amine partner. A special protocol has been designed and tested in order to circumvent this drawback. Soon after the preparation of the salt, an aqueous solution of the amino acid was introduced in the reaction medium and the two-phase system obtained was heated under reflux for several hours. However, this was not too successful because sulfur dioxide, evolved during the preparation of the salt, was converted into sulfite that acted as an 5-nucleophile. As a result, A -(l-sulfonatoalkyl)pyridinium betaines such as 53 were obtained (Section IV,B,3) (97BSB383). To avoid the formation of such betaines, the salts 33 were isolated and reacted with an aqueous solution of L-cysteine (80) to afford thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids hydrochlorides 81 (60-80% yields). 

Benzoic acid (benzene carboxylic acid) is a white crystalline solid with a characteristic odor. It is slightly soluble in water and soluble in most common organic solvents. 

Discussion. Many of the common carboxylic acids are readily soluble in water and can be titrated with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide solutions. For sparingly soluble organic acids the necessary solution can be achieved by using a mixture of ethanol and water as solvent. 

A carboxylic acid can be represented as R — CO2 H. Many different carboxylic acids participate in organic chemistry and biochemishy. Although carboxylic acids react in many different ways, breaking the C—OH bond is the only reaction that is important in polymer formation. A carboxylic acid is highly polar and can give up H to form a carboxylate anion, R — CO2. The carboxyl group (— CO2 H) also forms hydrogen bonds readily. These properties enhance the solubility of carboxylic acids in water, a particularly important property for biochemical macromolecules. 

FIGURE 15.1 Scheme showing PLC group fractionation of soluble organic matter into fractions of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds with application of urea clathra-tion, and methylation of carboxylic acids in polar fractions based on experimental data given in Reference 36 to Reference 52, Reference 77 to Reference 81, and Reference 88 to Reference 89. 

FIGURE 15.3 PLC separation of carboxylic acids from soluble organic matter with the use of carboxylic acids esterification based on experimental data given in Reference 36, Reference 67 to Reference 69, and Reference 102 to Reference 104. 

Especially in dicotyledonous plant species such as tomato, chickpea, and white lupin (82,111), with a high cation/anion uptake ratio, PEPC-mediated biosynthesis of carboxylates may also be linked to excessive net uptake of cations due to inhibition of uptake and assimilation of nitrate under P-deficient conditions (Fig. 5) (17,111,115). Excess uptake of cations is balanced by enhanced net re-lea,se of protons (82,111,116), provided by increased bio.synthesis of organic acids via PEPC as a constituent of the intracellular pH-stat mechanism (117). In these plants, P deficiency-mediated proton extrusion leads to rhizosphere acidification, which can contribute to the. solubilization of acid soluble Ca phosphates in calcareous soils (Fig. 5) (34,118,119). In some species (e.g., chickpea, white lupin, oil-seed rape, buckwheat), the enhanced net release of protons is associated with increased exudation of carboxylates, whereas in tomato, carboxylate exudation was negligible despite intense proton extrusion (82,120). 

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