Ammonium nonanoate is a nonsystemic, broad-spectrum contact
herbicide
Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page fo ...
that has no soil activity. It can be used for the suppression and control of
weeds, including grasses, vines, underbrush, and annual/perennial plants, including moss, saplings, and tree suckers. Ammonium nonanoate is marketed as an aqueous solutions, at room temperature at its maximum concentration in water (40%). Solutions are colorless to pale yellow liquid with a slight fatty acid odor. It is stable in storage. Ammonium nonanoate exists as white crystals.
[Biopesticide Registration Action Document, Ammonium Nonanoate, US EPA, 2006]
Ammonium nonanoate is made from
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...
and
nonanoic acid
Pelargonic acid, also called nonanoic acid, is an organic compound with structural formula CH3(CH2)7CO2H. It is a nine-carbon fatty acid. Nonanoic acid is a colorless oily liquid with an unpleasant, rancid odor. It is nearly insoluble in water, ...
, a
carboxylic acid
In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is or , with R referring to the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or other group. Carboxylic ...
widely distributed in nature, mainly as derivatives (
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...
s) in such foods as apples, grapes, cheese, milk, rice, beans, oranges, and potatoes and in many other nonfood sources.
References
{{Ammonium salts
Herbicides
Ammonium compounds