Uses of Aconitic Acid

Because of the polyfunctional character of aconitic acid, it being both an unsaturated acid and a polybasic acid, the compound can undergo a variety of chemical reactions. Application of derivatives obtained by such reactions has aroused considerable interest in the plasticizer, wetting agent and resin manufacturing fields. 

Much of the chemical behavior of aconitic acid is closely related to the chemistry of maleic and fumaric acids. As mentioned earlier, aconitic acid can exist as either the trans- oi the cts-isomer. It was not until 1928, over one hundred years after its initial discovery, that the fraws-aconitic 

As a result of the cis-trans isomerization two isomeric aconitic anhydrides are known. Treatment of the irans-aconitic acid with acetyl chloride,46,96 96 or with acetic anhydride,96 97 leads to the formation of both the cfs-aconitic anhydride (II) and the irans-aconitic anhydride (III). More recently it has been reported that good yields of the cfs-anhydride 

Aconitic acid is easily esterified by conventional methods and physical properties of some of the trialkyl aconitates are presented in Table III. 

Early investigators had reported the preparation of aconityl chloride in low yields by the use of phosphorus oxychloride and phosphorus pentachloride.100-101 Froschl and Maier,102 however, tried unsuccessfully to repeat this work and reported that the use of thionyl chloride was also without success. 

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Numerous other uses of aconitic acid or its derivatives have been described in the patent literature.118 142 Many of these relate to their... 

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