Succinic acid (IUPAC systematic name: butanedioic acid; historically known as spirit of amber) is a diprotic, dicarboxylic acid with chemical formula C4H6O4 and structural formula HOOC-(CH2)2-COOH. It is a white, odorless solid. Succinate plays a role in the citric acid cycle, an energy-yielding process. The name derives from Latin succinum, meaning amber, from which the acid may be obtained.