Carboxylic acids are considerably more acidic than alcohols and
most of simple phenols Carboxylic acids are reduced to primary alcohols with LiAlH4,
or better with diborane in ether solution and also undergo a-halogenation with Cl2
and Br2 in the presence of red phosphorus (Hell-Volhard Zelinsky reaction) Methanal, ethanal, propanone, benzaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid and benzoic
acid are highly useful compounds in industry Exercises
8