An acetate, or ethanoate, is either a salt or ester of acetic acid.
Acetate - C2H3O2
In organic chemistry, the abbreviation Ac refers to the acetyl group. The anion and the functional group may be written as −OAc and AcO−, or OAc respectively. Examples include HOAc for acetic acid, NaOAc for sodium acetate, and EtOAc for ethyl acetate. Ac is also the symbol for the chemical element actinium, but confusion between actinium and the acetyl group is rare, since actinium has virtually no role in organic chemistry.
Contents |
The acetate anion, [CH3COO]−, is a carboxylate and is the conjugate base of acetic acid. The acetate ion is formed by the deprotonation of acetic acid:
An acetate ester is an ester of acetic acid, with the general formula CH3COOR, where R is an organyl group.
Acetate can also refer to cellulose acetate, especially fibres or other derived products such as the acetate disc used in audio record production. Cellulose acetate can be found in many household products.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
