CBSE · Class 12 · Chemistry · Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic AcidsWhy do carboxylic acids have higher boiling points than corresponding alcohols?

Carboxylic acids possess significantly higher boiling points compared to alcohols of comparable molecular masses primarily because carboxylic acid molecules form extremely strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding. In fact, they commonly exist as stable cyclic dimers in the liquid and vapor phases due to the formation of two simultaneous hydrogen bonds between two carboxyl molecules, effectively doubling their molecular mass and requiring more thermal energy to break.