Perfluorinated carboxylic acid
Encyclopedia
Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), or perfluorocarboxylates are fully fluorinated organofluorine compounds—or perfluorinated compounds
—with carboxylic acid
or carboxylate functional group
s. PFCAs are fluorocarbon
derivatives. The simplest PFCA is trifluoroacetic acid
.
Larger PFCAs such as perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA) are under scrutiny for their toxicity and presence in humans, which is more than that of wildlife. Longer chained PFCAs such as perfluorononanoic acid
are more bioaccumulative and can predominate in wildlife biomonitoring samples.
PFCAs with one carboxylic acid group and five to nine fluorinated carbons function as fluorosurfactant
s.
Perfluorinated compounds
A perfluorinated compound is an organofluorine compound with all hydrogens replaced by fluorine on a carbon chain—but the molecule also contains at least one different atom or functional group. Thus, PFCs have properties similar to fluorocarbons as they are fluorocarbon derivatives...
—with carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
or carboxylate functional group
Functional group
In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of...
s. PFCAs are fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbons, sometimes referred to as perfluorocarbons or PFCs, are organofluorine compounds that contain only carbon and fluorine bonded together in strong carbon–fluorine bonds. Fluoroalkanes that contain only single bonds are more chemically and thermally stable than alkanes...
derivatives. The simplest PFCA is trifluoroacetic acid
Trifluoroacetic acid
Trifluoroacetic acid is the simplest stable perfluorinated carboxylic acid chemical compound, with the formula CF3CO2H. It is a strong carboxylic acid due to the influence of the electronegative trifluoromethyl group. TFA is almost 100,000-fold more acidic than acetic acid...
.
Larger PFCAs such as perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid , also known as C8 and perfluorooctanoate, is a synthetic, stable perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. One industrial application is as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of fluoropolymers. It has been used in the manufacture of such prominent...
(PFOA) are under scrutiny for their toxicity and presence in humans, which is more than that of wildlife. Longer chained PFCAs such as perfluorononanoic acid
Perfluorononanoic acid
Perfluorononanoic acid, or PFNA, is a synthetic perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant that is also an environmental contaminant found in people and wildlife along with PFOS and PFOA.-Chemistry and properties:...
are more bioaccumulative and can predominate in wildlife biomonitoring samples.
PFCAs with one carboxylic acid group and five to nine fluorinated carbons function as fluorosurfactant
Fluorosurfactant
Fluorosurfactants, or fluorinated surfactants, are synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms. They can be polyfluorinated or fluorocarbon-based . As surfactants, they are more effective at lowering the surface tension of water than comparable hydrocarbon...
s.