Thioacids are a class of compounds that contain sulfur in place of oxygen in traditional acids. They are characterized by the presence of a thiol group (-SH) and can be thought of as sulfur analogs of carboxylic acids. Thioacids can participate in various chemical reactions, similar to their oxygen-containing counterparts, and are often used in organic synthesis. One common example of a thioacid is thiolactic acid, which is derived from lactic acid. Thioacids can exhibit unique properties and reactivity due to the presence of sulfur, making them valuable in fields such as biochemistry and materials science.