Question

although acetanilide and phenacetin aren't appreciably acidic, acetaminophen(like aspirin) is a stronger acid than water.what problem would you encounter if the unknown component were acetaminophen rather than acetanilide or phenacetin, and you extracted the aspirin with 5% NaOH? explain, giving equations for any relevant reactions.

Answer 1

Concepts and reason

Extraction:

Extraction is one of the widely used chemical methods for the separation of compounds from the mixture.

Solid-liquid extraction:

A compound is separated from a solid material (mixture) by extraction with a solvent (liquid). This process is referred to as a solid-liquid extraction.

Liquid-liquid extraction:

A soluble compound transfer from one liquid phase to another. This process is called as a liquid-liquid extraction.

Partition coefficient, :

The ratio of the concentration of a soluble compound in the second solvent to its concentration in the first solvent (water) is constant. It is called the partition coefficient.

Fundamentals

Mathematical expression for Partition coefficient, :

Liquid-liquid extractions involve transferring a solute, X, between two partially miscible or immiscible solvents, and .

If, X has the greatest solubility in .

Extraction Flow Chart:

Ans:

The major problems encountered in extraction process are solubility, acidity and reactivity of compounds.

Aspirin is successfully extracted with 5% NaOH if the unknown component is acetanilide or phenacetin.

Chemical reactions:

The extraction of aspirin is not possible if the unknown component is acetaminophen. Because the anionic salts are soluble in water.

Chemical reactions: