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Sulfanilamide Synthesis Lab Report

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Sulfanilamide, along with other sulfa drugs became to be useful in the early 1900s. The discovery of Prontosil, an antibacterial agent, triggered the interest in sulfonamide derivatives. In 1935, it was learned that animals metabolized Prontosil to sulfanilamide [1]. Further experiments with sulfanilamide demonstrated similar properties as Prontosil. Since sulfanilamide was determined to be active in vivo and vitro, the interest in sulfa drugs was increased. Some sulfa drugs showed useful antibacterial properties. After some time, sulfa drugs began to lose their importance; however, the discovery of these antibacterial agents provided insights in chemotherapy. Sulfanilamide cannot be synthesized in one step; therefore, a multi-step synthesis is performed. The first step is to convert acetanilide to p-acetamidobenzenesuulfonyl chloride as shown in Figure 1. Acetanilide reacts with chlorosulfonic acid via an electrophilic aromatic substitution to generate the intermediate, p-acetamidobenzenesulfonul chloride. The next synthesis step is to convert the intermediate to p-acetamidobenzenesulfonamide by reacting it with aqueous ammonia. This reaction is …show more content…

In a hood, the mixture was heated in a hot-water bath for 10 minutes. After heating, the flask was allowed to cool in an ice-bath. P-acetamidobenzenesulfonamide was collected with the use of a Buchner funnel. The solid was then transferred into a 25-mL round-bottom flask and 5.3 mL of aqueous hydrochloric acid was added along with a boiling stone. A condenser was attached to the flask, and the solid was heated on heating mantle until it dissolved. After reflux, the mixture was cooled to room temperature. The experiment finished here because after adding sodium bicarbonate, the solution didn’t form into sulfanilamide. The melting point of the salt was determined and the IR spectrum of the salt was

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