2-Chlorobenzoic acid is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with the formula ClC₆H₄CO₂H. It is one of three

isomeric In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers. Iso ...

chlorobenzoic acid Chlorobenzoic acid may refer to: * 2-Chlorobenzoic acid 2-Chlorobenzoic acid is an organic compound with the formula ClC6H4CO2H. It is one of three isomeric chlorobenzoic acids, the one that is the strongest acid. This white solid is used as a ...

s, the one that is the strongest acid. This white solid is used as a precursor to a variety of drugs, food additives, and dyes.Takao Maki, Kazuo Takeda "Benzoic Acid and Derivatives" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. .

Synthesis and reactions

It is prepared by the

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

of 2-

chlorotoluene Chlorotoluene is a group of three isomeric chemical compounds. They (''ortho''-chlorotoluene, ''meta''-chlorotoluene, and ''para''-chlorotoluene) consist of a disubstituted benzene ring with one chlorine atom and one methyl group. Properties The ...

. The laboratory scale reaction employs

potassium permanganate Potassium permanganate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula KMnO4. It is a purplish-black crystalline salt, that dissolves in water as K+ and , an intensely pink to purple solution. Potassium permanganate is widely used in the c ...

. Alternatively it arises by the hydrolysis of α,α,α-trichloro-2-toluene. The chloride is readily replaced by ammonia to 2-aminobenzoic acid. Similarly, the chloride is displaced by diphenylphosphide, leading to 2-diphenylphosphinobenzoic acid. At elevated temperature it decarboxylates.

References

Benzoic acids Chlorobenzenes {{organohalide-stub