Acetate

Acetate

Names
IUPAC name Acetate
Systematic IUPAC name Ethanoate
Identifiers
CAS Number	71-50-1
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	170
PubChem	175
InChI InChI=1S/C2H4O2/c1-2(3)4/h1H3,(H,3,4)/p-1 Key: QTBSBXVTEAMEQO-UHFFFAOYSA-M InChI=1/C2H4O2/c1-2(3)4/h1H3,(H,3,4)/p-1 Key: QTBSBXVTEAMEQO-REWHXWOFAL
SMILES CC(=O)[O-]
Properties
Chemical formula	C 2H 3O− 2
Molar mass	59.04 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

An acetate /ˈæsᵻteɪt/ is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with an alkaline, earthy, or metallic base. "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called an anion) typically found in aqueous solution and written with the chemical formula C₂H₃O₂⁻. The neutral molecules formed by the combination of the acetate ion and a positive ion (called a cation) are also commonly called "acetates" (hence, acetate of lead, acetate of aluminum, etc.). The simplest of these is hydrogen acetate (called acetic acid) with corresponding salts, esters, and the polyatomic anion CH₃CO₂⁻, or CH₃COO⁻.

Most of the approximately 5 billion kilograms of acetic acid produced annually in industry is used in the production of acetates, which usually take the form of polymers. In nature, acetate is the most common building block for biosynthesis. For example, the fatty acids are produced by connecting the two carbon atoms from acetate to a growing fatty acid.

When part of a salt, the formula of the acetate ion is written as CH₃CO₂⁻, C₂H₃O₂⁻, or CH₃COO⁻. Chemists abbreviate acetate as OAc⁻ or AcO⁻. Thus, HOAc is the abbreviation for acetic acid, NaOAc for sodium acetate, and EtOAc for ethyl acetate. The abbreviation "Ac" (or "AC") is also sometimes encountered in chemical formulas to indicate the acetate ion (CH₃CO₂^-), or the acetyl group (CH₃CO). This abbreviation is not to be confused with the symbol of actinium, the first element of the actinide series. For example, the formula for sodium acetate might be abbreviated as "NaAc", rather than "NaC₂H₃O₂". Care should also be taken to avoid confusion with peracetic acid when using the OAc abbreviation; for clarity and to avoid errors when translated, HOAc should be avoided in literature mentioning both compounds.