Crystallographic and spectroscopic characterization of (R)-O-acetyl­mandelic acid

The title compound [systematic name: (R)-(−)-2-acet­oxy-2-phenyl­acetic acid], C10H10O4, is a resolved chiral ester derivative of mandelic acid. The compound contains an acetate group and a carb­oxy­lic acid group, which engage in inter­molecular hydrogen bonding, forming chains extending parallel to [001] with a short donor–acceptor hydrogen-bonding distance of 2.676 (2) Å.