Name the carboxylate anion formed in the following reaction.

• A. 2-methylpentanoate
• B. 4-methylhexanoate
• C. 4-methylpentanoate
• D. 2-methylhexanoate

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the parent carboxylic acid structure before it loses the acidic proton (H) from the carboxyl group (-COOH). The carboxylate anion is formed by deprotonation of this acid.
2. Locate the longest carbon chain that includes the carboxylate carbon (the carbon of the -COO⁻ group). This chain determines the base name of the carboxylate anion.
3. Number the carbon chain starting from the carboxylate carbon as carbon 1, since the carboxylate group has the highest priority in naming.
4. Identify the position and name of any alkyl substituents attached to the main carbon chain. Use the numbering from step 3 to assign the correct locant to each substituent.
5. Combine the substituent names and positions with the base name of the carboxylate anion, replacing the '-ic acid' suffix of the parent acid with '-ate' to name the carboxylate anion correctly.