Tropic acid

Description

Tropic acid (Tropate) is a chiral substance, existing as either a racemic mixture or as a single enantiomer. Tropate is classified as a beta hydroxy acid or a Beta hydroxy acid derivative. Beta hydroxy acids are compounds containing a carboxylic acid substituted with a hydroxyl group on the C3 carbon atom. Tropate is considered to be soluble (in water) and acidic. Tropate can be synthesized from hydratropic acid and propionic acid. Tropate can be synthesized into tropan-3alpha-yl 3-hydroxy-2-phenylpropanoate. Tropic acid is proposed be used topicaly for the treatment of wrinkles.

Chemical properties

white to off-white crystalline powder

The Uses of Tropic acid

Tropic Acid is a benzoic acid derivative and thus carries anti-fungal properties.

Preparation

The process for preparing tropic acid which comprises reacting sodium phenylacetate with magnesium and isopropyl chloride, reacting the resulting sodium salt of alpha-carboxybenzylmagnesium chloride with formaldehyde, and hydrolyzing the resulting complex.

Definition

ChEBI: Tropic acid is a 3-hydroxy monocarboxylic acid that is propionic acid in which one of the hydrogens at position 2 is substituted by a phenyl group, and one of the methyl hydrogens is substituted by a hydroxy group. It has a role as a human xenobiotic metabolite. It is functionally related to a propionic acid and a hydratropic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a tropate.

Purification Methods

Crystallise tropic acid from water or *benzene. [Beilstein 10 IV 664.]