The acrylate ion is the ion

Ion

An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...

 of acrylic acid

Acrylic acid

Acrylic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCO2H. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a characteristic acrid or tart smell. It is miscible with water, alcohols,...

.
Acrylates are the salts and ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

s of acrylic acid. They are also known as propenoates (since acrylic acid is also known as 2-propenoic acid).

Acrylates contain vinyl

Vinyl

A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...

 groups, that is, two carbon

Carbon

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...

 atom

Atom

The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...

s double bond

Double bond

A double bond in chemistry is a chemical bond between two chemical elements involving four bonding electrons instead of the usual two. The most common double bond, that between two carbon atoms, can be found in alkenes. Many types of double bonds between two different elements exist, for example in...

ed to each other, directly attached to the carbonyl

Carbonyl

In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O. It is common to several classes of organic compounds, as part of many larger functional groups....

 carbon.

Acrylates and methacrylates (the salts and esters of methacrylic acid

Methacrylic acid

Methacrylic acid, abbreviated MAA, is an organic compound. This colourless, viscous liquid is a carboxylic acid with an acrid unpleasant odor. It is soluble in warm water and miscible with most organic solvents. Methacrylic acid is produced industrially on a large scale as a precursor to its...

) are common monomer

Monomer

A monomer is an atom or a small molecule that may bind chemically to other monomers to form a polymer; the term "monomeric protein" may also be used to describe one of the proteins making up a multiprotein complex...

s in polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...

 plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

s, forming the acrylate polymers

Acrylate polymers

An acrylate polymer belongs to a group of polymers which could be referred to generally as plastics. They are noted for their transparency and resistance to breakage and elasticity...

. Acrylates easily form polymers because the double bonds are very reactive.

Acrylate has been suggested to be used by marine phytoplankton as a poisonous defense against predators such as protozoa. When attacked, DMSP lyase breaks down DMSP into DMS (g) and acrylate.

See also

• Acrylate polymer
• Sodium polyacrylate
  Sodium polyacrylate
  Sodium polyacrylate, also known as waterlock, is a polymer with the chemical formula [-CH2-CH-]n widely used in consumer products. It has the ability to absorb as much as 200 to 300 times its mass in water. Acrylate polymers generally are considered to possess an anionic charge...
  
   thickeners
• Methacrylate
  Methacrylate
  Methacrylates are the salts or esters of methacrylic acid.Methacrylates contain methyl-vinyl groups, that is, two carbon atoms double bonded to each other, directly attached to the carbonyl carbon, and wherein the vinyl group is substituted with a non-terminal methyl group.Methacrylates are common...
  
  
• (Meth)acrylate
  (Meth)acrylate
  acrylate is a chemical notation that indicates that a compound has either an acrylate or a methacrylate group....