Formation of Salts From Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic acids are completely deprotonated by strong bases such as metal hydroxides to give salts.

Caboxylic acids are also deprotonated by the weak bases such as sodium bicarbonate. In this reaction, they form sodium salt of the acid, carbon dioxide and water. This reaction is also used as a test for carboxylic acids in the laboratory. The liberation of CO₂ in the form of bubbles on treatment with NaHCO₃ indicates a carboxyl functional group in the compound. This test is not given by phenols since they are weaker acids than the carboxylic acids.