Carboxyl group
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Image:Carboxyl-3D-space-filling-labelled.png In chemistry, a carboxyl group is a functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and single-bonded to a hydroxyl (-OH) group, typically written as -COOH:
where R is a hydrogen or an organic group.
Carboxyl groups are weakly acidic and are the characteristic constituents of carboxylic acids. They are present in most organic acids, this making them biodegradable.
The addition of a carboxyl group to a compound is known as carboxylation; the removal of one is decarboxylation. Enzymes that catalyze these reactions are known as carboxylases (EC 6.4.1) and decarboxylases (EC 4.1.1).
The C=O stretch of carboxyl groups can be identified spectroscopically by a sharp peak in the infrared between wavenumber 1700 and 2100 cm-1.de:Carboxylgruppe ja:カルボキシル基 pl:Grupa karboksylowa pt:Carboxila ro:Grupa carboxil