What type of isomer is Maleic Acid?
1 Answer
Mar 22, 2016
A cis geometric isomer, i.e. a type of diastereomer found in alkenes.
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Maleic acid is otherwise known as cis-butenedioic acid, which has a double bond that is flanked by two carboxylic acid groups. Maleic acid, a geometric isomer, is thus a diastereomer and therefore a stereoisomer.
An important distinction to make here is that maleic acid is the cis isomer, whereas fumaric acid is the trans isomer!
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If someone asks you to draw maleic acid, and you draw trans-butenedioic acid, you haven't drawn maleic acid! You've drawn its trans, geometric isomer, fumaric acid.
