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Angelic acid

Angelic acid

IUPAC name	(Z)-2-methylbut-2-enoic acid
Identifiers
CAS number	565-63-9
SMILES	CC=C(C)C(=O)O
Properties
Molecular formula	C₅H₈O₂
Molar mass	100.116 g/mol
Melting point	45.5°C
Boiling point	185°C
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Angelic acid is a monocarboxylic unsaturated organic acid. It is found in garden angelica (Angelica archangelica), Umbelliferae, and many other plants. It was also isolated from the defensive secretion of certain carabid beetles.

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Properties and uses

Angelic acid has a double bond between the second and third carbons of the chain. Together with tiglic acid form a pair of cis-trans isomers. Angelic acid is a volatile body, of biting acid taste and pungent sour odour. It crystallizes in colorless monoclinic prisms. Angelic acid was formerly used therapeutically as a sedative.

Name and discovery

Angelic acid gets its name from the plant garden angelica (Angelica archangelica) from whose roots it was first obtained in 1842 by L. A. Buchner.^[1]