A. Elliott
Dec 4, 2000
Citations
0
Influential Citations
2
Citations
Journal
Journal name not available for this finding
Abstract
Fluoroacetic acid is a carboxylic acid with slightly higher than average acidity that undergoes reactions typical of acetic acid. It is conveniently prepared by reaction of fluoride ion with chloro- or bromoacetic acid esters, followed by ester hydrolysis. It is extremely toxic and its sodium salt is one of the most effective all-purpose rodenticides known. Difluoroacetic acid also undergoes reactions of a typical carboxylic acid and is a moderately strong acid due to the electron-withdrawing nature of the fluorine atoms. It is much less toxic than fluoroacetic acid, and is best prepared by reaction of tetrafluoroethylene with ammonia, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate triazine. Trifluoroacetic acid is a strong carboxylic acid but poses no unusual toxicity problems except for its acidic nature. It is a good solvent for proteins and polyesters. The trifluoromethyl group is essentially inert to most common reagents, and trifluoroacetic acid is usually prepared by oxidation of compounds containing the trifluoromethyl group. It is the only fluoroacetic acid produced in significant commercial quantities. Keywords: Fluoroacetic acid; Sodium fluoroacetate; Rodenticides; Difluoroacetic acid; Trifluoroacetic acid