ABSTRACT
Carboxylic acid derivatives are all compounds that, as implied by the name, can be synthesized, or derived, from carboxylic acids. Some of the most common carboxylic acid derivatives include acid chlorides (RC(O)Cl), acid anhydrides (RC(O)OC(O)R), esters (RC(O)OR), and amides (RC(O)NR2). Carboxylic acid derivatives, unlike aldehydes or ketones which react by addition, react by substitution of the group attached to the carbonyl carbon (chloride, carboxylate, alkoxide, or amide). In this chapter, readers are introduced to the general trend of reactivity (acid chlorides > acid anhydrides > esters > amides) and the factors that give rise to this reactivity pattern before attention is given in turn to the reactions of each derivative.
