Molecule of the Month

November 2006: Formic acid

Formic acid was discovered by John Ray, an English naturalist, in 1671. He isolated it by distilling large numbers of dead ants. Formic acid is present in the venom of bees and ants. It is also the irritant in leaves of the stinging nettle. Its name was derived from the Latin word formica, “ant”.

Formic acid (also known to chemists as methanoic acid) is the simplest carboxylic acid, a family that includes all molecules with a carboxyl functional group.

Brônsted and Lowry defined an acid as any molecule that could donate a proton (H+ ion) in a chemical reaction. Formic acid contains two hydrogen atoms, but only the one in the carboxyl group is appreciably acidic.

Formic acid is an intermediate in the manufacture of caffeine, antibiotics and artificial sweeteners. It is used in dyeing of natural and synthetic fibers, in the tanning of leather, and for pickling and deliming metal. Formic acid is an ingredient of rust removers, degreasers and institutional laundry products. BASF is the world’s largest producer of formic acid, with a capacity of 400 million pounds per year.






Carboxyl functional group


Formic Acid


Acetic Acid