ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Chemistry => Topic started by: jackson1234 on May 04, 2011, 01:37:34 pm

Title: Synthesis of Medicine
Post by: jackson1234 on May 04, 2011, 01:37:34 pm

Why is it that when we react ethanoic acid and salicylic acid, we have a relatively lower and slower yield of aspirin,  that compared of reacting salicylic acid and acetic anhydride ? 

Title: Re: Synthesis of Medicine
Post by: Mao on May 05, 2011, 12:19:46 am

acetic anhydride is much more reactive than ethanoic acid.

Title: Re: Synthesis of Medicine
Post by: rama235 on May 26, 2011, 06:56:45 pm

its because when using ethanoic acid, the byproduct of water can reverse the reaction, so in the end, there won't be much aspirin. ethanoic anhydride doesn't produce water as a byproduct, so it has a higher production/yield of aspirin