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The Melting Point Analysis of Crude and Recrystallized Acetaminophen Synthesized from P-Aminophenol and Acetic Anhydride

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Abstract Acetic Anhydride and p-Aminophenol were heated in a vial attached to an air condenser to synthesize crude acetaminophen, resulting in 0.097 grams (47.48% yield). The crude acetaminophen was then recrystallized in a solvent of water and methanol over heat resulting in 0.082 grams (39.61% yield) of pure acetaminophen. Melting points of both crude and pure acetaminophen were taken, and found to be 165.9 - 170.9°C and 168.2 - 171.5°C, respectively. The literature melting point of acetaminophen is 169.5 – 171.0°C, indicating that our final product was pure.

Introduction The synthesis of acetaminophen involves the attraction of the electrophilic carbonyl group of acetic anhydride to the nucleophilic NH2 …show more content…

An automatic pipet was used to measure 0.450 mL water and 0.165 mL acetic anhydride and was added to the conical vial. A spin vane was placed into the vial and an air condenser was attached.
Heating:
The mixture was heated at 120°C using an aluminum block and was stirred gently. After all of the solid dissolved, it was heated for 20 additional minutes to ensure the reaction was complete.
Isolation of Crude Acetaminophen: The vial was removed from the heat and cooled to room temperature. The spin vane was rinsed with 2-3 drops of warm water over the conical vial. The vial was cooled to room temperature then placed in an ice bath for 15 minutes. The liquid was decanted from the mixture and the resulting crystals were dried on filter paper. The crystals were then placed on a watch glass for further drying. The crystals were weighed and a small sample was placed into a capillary tube for melting point determination.
Crystallization of Acetaminophen: The product was placed in a Craig tube and several drops of hot (100°C) solvent (50% water, 50% methanol, by volume) was added and heated until all of the crystals dissolved. The Craig tube was plugged and set in an Erlenmeyer flask to cool. Crystallization was induced once the mixture was at room temperature by scratching the inner wall of the tube. It was then placed into an ice bath for ten minutes until crystallization was complete. The tube was then

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