Formate

Formate (IUPAC name: methanoate) is the anion derived from formic acid. Its formula is represented in various equivalent ways: CHOO^âˆ' or HCOO^âˆ' or HCO₂^âˆ'. It is the product of deprotonation of formic acid. It is the simplest carboxylate anion. A formate (compound) is a salt or ester of formic acid.

Biochemistry

Formate is produced in large amounts in the hepatic (liver cells) mitochondria of embryonic cells and in cancer cells by the folate cycle.

Formate is reversibly oxidized by the enzyme formate dehydrogenase:

HCO₂^âˆ' â†' CO₂ + H⁺ + 2 e^âˆ'

Formate esters and salts

Formate esters have the formula ROC(O)H (alternative way of writing formula RO₂CH). Many form spontaneously when alcohols dissolve in formic acid.

Formate salts have the formula M(O₂CH). Such salts are prone to decarboxylation. For example, hydrated nickel formate, a salt, decarboxylates at about 200 °C to give finely powdered nickel metal:

Ni(O₂CH)₂(H₂O)_x â†' Ni + 2 CO₂ + x H₂O + H₂

Such fine powders are useful as hydrogenation catalyst.

Examples

• ethyl formate, CH₃CH₂(HCOO)
• sodium formate, Na(HCOO)
• caesium formate, Cs(HCOO); see Caesium: Petroleum exploration
• methyl formate, CH₃(HCOO)
• methyl chloroformate, CH₃OCOCl
• triethyl orthoformate
• trimethyl orthoformate, C₄H₁₀O₃

References

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