Chemistry's Investigatory Project. (2021-2022) : Topic-Synthesis of Aspirin
Chemistry's Investigatory Project. (2021-2022) : Topic-Synthesis of Aspirin
Chemistry's Investigatory Project. (2021-2022) : Topic-Synthesis of Aspirin
Investigatory
Project. (2021-2022)
Topic-Synthesis of
Aspirin.
APPARATUS REQUIRED
First period Second Period Third period Fourth Period
Salicylic acid Shell Vial 125 mL Flask 3 x 50 mL test
tubes
Acetic anhydride melting point phenolphthalein ferric chloride
apparatus indicator dropper
85% phosphoric capillary tubes buret 2 x 50 mL beakers
acid
50 mL flask 0.1 M NaOH ethanol
Büchner funnel mortar and hot plate
pestle
buret clamp aspirin tablets Mortar and
pestle
stand with iron aspirin tablets
ring
wire gauze 50 mL graduated
cylinder
beaker of tap Parafilm
water
Aspirator spec 20
Burner cuvettes
distilled water Distilled water
ice bath centigram
balance
filter paper shell vial
Filter funnel
filter paper
stand with iron
ring
Procedure
Day 1 – Synthesis
Use a centigram balance to weigh a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask.
Place about 2 g of sylicylic acid in the flask and weigh again. In
the fume hood, the instructor will transfer 5.0 mL of acetic
anhydride from a buret into the flask. Add 5 drops of 85%
phosphoric acid (catalyst) to the flask.
Clamp the flask in a beaker of tap water supported on a ring
stand over a burner flame. Stir if needed to dissolve the salicylic
acid. Heat the water to boiling, and shut off the flame. Keep the
flask in the hot water bath for 10 more minutes.
While the flask is still in the water bath, slowly add 2 mL of
distilled water to the flask to decompose any excess acetic
anhydride.
After a minute, remove the flask from the water bath and add
20 mL of distilled water. Let the flask cool to room temperature.
As the solution cools, crystals of aspirin will appear. Cool the
solution further by placing the reaction flask in an ice bath. Chill
5-10 mL of distilled water in a separate container.
Weigh a watch glass and filter paper on the centigram balance.
Set up a Büchner funnel on a vacuum flask connected to a
water aspirator. Place the filter paper in the funnel and moisten
with distilled water from a squirt bottle. Turn on the aspirator
and transfer the aspirin slurry into the funnel. Wash the crystals
with 5 mL of the cold DI water.
Transfer the filter paper and aspirin to a pre-weighed watch
glass and allow to air dry in your locker until the next lab
period.
It is safe to discard of the filtrate down the sink with water.
Day 2 – Analysis/Melting Point
Weigh the dry product to obtain the yield of the reaction.
Calculate the theoretical yield and percent yield of the reaction.
Pack a few crystals of your aspirin product in a melting point
capillary tube. Your instructor will demonstrate how to use the
melting point apparatus. Allow the temperature of the melting
point apparatus to increase 1 C per minute starting from 120
C. Measure the melting point range of the aspirin product. The
melting point range is the temperature when you first notice
the aspirin crystals melting up until the temperature when no
crystals remain.
Day 3 – Titration Analysis
Accurately weigh between 0.10-0.15 g of the aspirin product
into a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add 15 mL of 95 % ethanol and
swirl to dissolve. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to
the flask.
Record the exact concentration of the standard 0.1 M NaOH
solution. Fill a buret with the standard NaOH solution and
record the initial volume. Titrate the sample until a faint pink
end point is reached. The pink color should last for at least 30
seconds after swirling.
Repeat the titration with 0.10-0.15 g of a crushed aspirin tablet.
You may need to use a mortar and pestle to crush the tablet.