Ammonium malate refers to
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...
s containing malate and ammonium. Two stoichiometries are discussed: NH
4(C
2H
3(OH(CO
2)
2H, containing one ammonium ion per formula unit, and (NH
4)
2(C
2H
3(OH(CO
2)
2. Malate, the conjugate base of
malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms ( ...
, is chiral. Consequently a variety of salts are possible, R vs S vs racemic. The monoammonium salt has been crystallized as the monohydrate.
Diammonium malate has been used as a
food additive and has the
E number E349 and is the subject of some controversy.
References
Malates
Ammonium compounds
Food additives
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