The key difference between trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid is that trichloroacetic acid is a colourless to white crystalline solid compound, whereas trifluoroacetic acid occurs as a colourless liquid.
Trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid are organic acid compounds we can categorize as carboxylic acids due to the presence of –COOH functional group.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Trichloroacetic Acid
3. What is Trifluoroacetic Acid
4. Side by Side Comparison –Trichloroacetic Acid vs Trifluoroacetic Acid in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Trichloroacetic Acid?
Trichloroacetic acid is an organic compound having the chemical formula (Cl)3-C-C-OOH. It is also named as TCA acid, TCAA, or as trichloroethanoic acid. It is an analogue of acetic acid; the three hydrogen atoms bonded directly to the carbon atom in acetic acid are replaced by three chlorine atoms in trichloroacetic acid molecule. There are salts and esters of trichloroacetic acid that are collectively named as trichloroacetates.
Figure 01: Chemical Structure of Trichloroacetic Acid
Furthermore, this substance occurs as a colourless to white crystalline solid compound. It also has a sharp, pungent odour. We can prepare this compound through the reaction between chlorine and acetic acid in the presence of a suitable catalyst. In addition to this, we can produce the same compound through the oxidation of trichloroacetaldehyde.
There are several uses of trichloroacetic acid, including the use in biochemistry for the precipitation of macromolecules (such as DNA, RNA, and proteins), use in cosmetic treatments such as chemical peels, as a topical medication for chemoablation of warts, etc.
What is Trifluoroacetic Acid?
Trifluoroacetic acid is an organic compound having the chemical formula (F)3-C-C-OOH. It is an organofluorine compound and is a structural analogue of acetic acid having all three hydrogen atoms in the acetyl group replaced with fluorine atoms.
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of Trifluoroacetic Acid
Moreover, this substance occurs as a colourless liquid having a pungent, vinegar-like odour. It is miscible with water. When considering the acidic strength, trifluoroacetic acid is a stronger acid than acetic acid due to the high electronegativity of fluorine atoms and the consequent electron-withdrawing nature of the trifluoromethyl group, which weakens the strength of the oxygen-hydrogen bond.
Industrially, we can prepare trifluoroacetic acid by the electrofluorination of acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride followed by the hydrolysis of the resulting product. However, this compound also occurs naturally in seawater but in trace amounts.
There are some important uses of trifluoroacetic acid. It is the precursor to many other fluorinated compounds such as trifluoroacetic anhydride. It is also useful as a reagent in organic synthesis reactions due to its properties such as volatility, solubility in organic solvents, acidic strength, etc. However, this substance is corrosive due to high acidity and is harmful when inhaled.
What is the Difference Between Trichloroacetic Acid and Trifluoroacetic Acid?
Trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid are organic acid compounds we can categorize as carboxylic acids due to the presence of –COOH functional group. The key difference between trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid is that trichloroacetic acid is a colourless to white crystalline solid compound, whereas trifluoroacetic acid occurs as a colourless liquid. Moreover, trichloroacetic is composed of chlorine, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms while trifluoroacetic is composed of fluorine, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms.
The below infographic summarizes the differences between trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid in tabular for side by side comparison.
Summary – Trichloroacetic Acid vs Trifluoroacetic Acid
Trichloroacetic acid is an organic compound having the chemical formula (Cl)3-C-C-OOH, while trifluoroacetic acid is an organic compound having the chemical formula (F)3-C-C-OOH. The key difference between trichloroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid is that trichloroacetic acid is a colourless to white crystalline solid compound, whereas trifluoroacetic acid occurs as a colourless liquid.
Reference:
1. “Trifluoroacetic Acid.” ScienceDirect, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Trichloroacetic acid structure” By Yikrazuul (talk) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Trifluoroacetic acid” By Yikrazuul (talk) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia