monocarboxylic

9.9

Containing only one acid group called COOH in the molecule

adjective
/ˌmɒnəˈkɑːrbɒksɪlɪk/

Specialized

: monocarboxílico

Most fatty acids are monocarboxylic, containing a single carboxyl group at one end of the carbon chain.

Examples

Formic acid is the smallest monocarboxylic acid found naturally in some insects.
Acetic acid is a simple monocarboxylic acid widely used in industry.
The monocarboxylic acid was used in the reaction.
Is acetic acid a monocarboxylic compound?
Acetic acid is a widely used monocarboxylic acid that is crucial in the food industry.
Formic acid, a simple and naturally occurring monocarboxylic acid, is known for its presence in ant venom.
Many commercial products contain monocarboxylic acids, which are essential in various industrial processes.

Surface Forms

monocarboxylic positive

Morphology

monocarboxylic = carboxylic (semi-transparent) = mono + carboxyl + ic

The prefix 'mono-' clearly contributes the meaning 'one', but the base term 'carboxylic' is specialized chemical vocabulary, so the whole word is only partly accessible to a general learner.

Etymology

Monocarboxylic comes from the parts mono- meaning 'one' and carboxyl meaning the 'acid group' in a molecule. So a monocarboxylic compound is one that has a single carboxyl group.