Maleic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that is often utilized in research as a building block in the synthesis of a variety of polymers, resins, and copolymers, due to its unsaturated bond which provides sites for polymerization reactions. In the field of organic synthesis, it serves as a dienophile in Diels-Alder reactions, a widely studied mechanism for forming six-membered rings, which are common in many natural products and industrial chemicals. Researchers also utilize maleic acid²s chelating ability to study its interactions with various metal ions, which is relevant in the development of new materials and catalysis.