Beta hydroxycarboxylic acid

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Beta hydroxy carboxylic acids (β-hydroxy acids) are carboxylic acids that also have a hydroxy group two carbons away from the carboxyl group. This is different from alpha hydroxy acids, where the groups are separated by one carbon. When beta hydroxy acids are dehydrated, they form an alpha-beta unsaturated acid. Compared with non-hydroxylated carboxylic acids, β-hydroxy acids are stronger, but weaker than alpha hydroxy acids. Because the hydroxyl group is farther from the carboxyl group, forming an intramolecular hydrogen bond is harder than in alpha hydroxy acids. Aldonic acids are a naturally occurring class of β-hydroxy carboxylic acids with the general formula HO2C(CHOH)nCH2OH. Gluconic acid is a common aldonic acid, the oxidized derivative of glucose. Other beta hydroxy acids include several compounds.