BHARAT NATIONAL PUBLIC

SCHOOL
CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

SYNTHESIS OF ASPIRIN

Name of the student: SIDDH AHUJA

Class: XII-B

Roll no.: 2412091

Guided by: SEEMA MAAM

 INDEX
S.No. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg. No.

1. Certificate 03
2. Acknowledgement 04
3. Introduction 05
4. Preparation of Aspirin 06-07
5. Procedure 08-10
6. Uses 11-13
7. Side Effects 14
8. Conclusion 15
9. Bibliography 16
Certificate
This is to certify that SIDDH AHUJA is a student of
class XII has successfully completed the research on the
below mentioned project under the guidance pf
MRS.SEEMA during year 2024-2025 in partial
fulfilment of Chemistry practical examination of
BHARAT NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

Subject Teacher: MRS. SEEMA

Acknowledgement
I feel proud to present my Investigatory project in Chemistry on the
topic “Synthesis of Aspirin” which know how much caffeine we are
taking in with each cup of tea.
This project wouldn’t have been feasible without the proper and
rigorous guidance to chemistry teacher Seema Maam who guided
me throughout this project in every possible way.

An investigatory project involves various difficult lab experiments

which have to be carried out by the student to obtain the
observations and conclude the report on a meaningful note. These
experiments are very critical and in the case of failure, may result in
disastrous consequences. Thereby, I would like to thank you for
guiding me on a step by step basis and ensuring that I completed all
my experiments with ease.

Rigorous hard work has been put in this project to ensure that it
proves to be the best. I hope that this project will prove to be a
breeding ground for the next generation of students and will guide
them in every possible way.
Introduction
Aspirin is the most widely used over-the- counter drug in the world.
The average tablet contains about 325 milligrams of acetylsalicylic
acid with an inert blinding material such as starch. Aspirin is used
to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and lower fever. Aspirin
originally was derived by boiling the bark of the white willow tree.
Although the salicin in willow bark has analgesic properties,
purified salicylic acid was bitter and irritating when taken orally.
Salicylic acid was neutralized with sodium to produce sodium
salicylate, which was better- tasting but still irritated the stomach.
Salicylic acid could be modified to produce phenylsalicylate, which
was better tasting and less irritating, but released the toxic
substance phenol when metabolized. Felix Hof man and Arthur
Eichengriin first synthesized the active ingredient in aspirin,
acetylsalicytic acid, in 1893.
PREPARATION OF ASIPRIN
AIM:
The purpose of this experiment is to prepare acetylsalicylic acid,
a.k.a. aspirin.

THEORY:
Aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, was first synthesized in 1893 by Felix
Hofmann, a chemist for the German firm of Bayer. This
compound had the medical properties of salicylic acid an extract
of willow bark without the unpleasant taste or the high degree of
irritation of the mucous membranes living the mouth, gullet, and
stomach.
Aspirin is both an organic ester and an organic acid. It is used
extensively in medicine as a pain killer (analgesic) and as a fever-
reducing drug (antipyretic). When ingested, acetylsalicylic acid
remains intact in the acidic stomach, but in the basic medium of
the upper intestinal tract, it hydrolyzes forming the salicylate and
acetate ions. However, its additional physiological effects and
biochemical reactions are still not thoroughly understood.
Aspirin (molar mass of 180.2 g/mol) is prepared by reacting
salicylic acid (molar mass of 138.1 g/mol) with acetic anhydride
(molar mass of 102.1 g/mol). Aspirin is a weak monoprotic acid.

Acetaminophen is an amide, a compound that is a derivative of

ammonia that has been reacted with an acidic substance, in this
case, acetic acid. Acetaminophen acts as a fever reducer and pain
reliever. It can be found in several analgesic preparation, such as
Tylenol, some of which may contain other ingredients such as
caffeine and buffers.
 Qualitatively, the purity of an aspirin or acetaminophen sample
can be determined from its melting point. The melting point of a
substance is essentially independent of atmospheric pressure, but it
is always lowered by the presence of impurities (a colligative
property of pure substances). The degree of the melting point
depends on the nature and the concentration of the impurity.
PROCEDURE:
1. Obtain a 50 ml Erlenmeyer flask, a filter flask, a Buchner funnel,
a watch glass, a thermometer, a weigh boat, and two pieces of filter
paper from the supply area. If the Erlenmeyer flask contains water
droplets, heat it on a Bunsen burner to remove the moisture.
2. Obtain the mass of the watch glass and record it on your data
sheet.
3. Weight about 2 grams of salicylic acid into the Erlenmeyer flask.
Do not try to weigh out exactly 2.000 grams of the chemical; your
results will be fine with +/-0.250 grams of salicylic acid. Since you
won,t need the mass of the flask for further work, zero the balance
and dispense the amount of chemical you need. Do not leave the
flask on the balance pan and try to get the salicylic acid into it,
you’ll make a mess.
4.Measure about 5 ml of acetic anhydride (density 1.082 g/ml) into
a graduated cylinder, then pour this into the flask with the salicylic
acid. Acetic anhydride will be in the fume hood, with a graduated
cylinder to measure it in. Swirl the contents of the flask gently to
mix them. The solid may not all dissolve. Add 5 drops of 85% of
Phosphoric acid (H3PQ4). This will also be in the hood.
5. Set up a Bunsen burner and ring stand. Use a 259 ml beaker to
make a water bath. Clamp the Erlenmeyer flask in the water bath.
6. Heat the water bath to about 75*c. Maintain this temperature for
15 minutes. Move the burner away from the bath when the water
gets too hot. A few degrees of temperature fluctuation will not hurt
the reaction, but excess heat will release acetic anhydride vapour.
7. At the end of 15 minutes, the salicylic acid should all have
dissolved and been converted to acetylsalicylic acid. Remove the
burner, and cautiously add about 2 ml of distilled water to the flask.
This will decompose any remaining acetic anhydride. You may
observe some hot acetic acid vapour being formed in this step.
 8. When the liquid has stopped giving of vapour, the flask from the
water bath and add 20 ml of distilled water. If two-layer form, or
the liquid is hazy, swirl the flask to obtain a clear solution. Allow the
flask to cool until you handle it comfortably. While the flask cools,
crystals of aspirin will probably appear. Do not move the flask or
handle it excessively. The largest, purest crystals form slowly from a
solution that is hot being stirred.
9. Once the flask has cooled until you can handle it, cool it further
in an ice bath, Again, avoid swirling or stirring it any more than
necessary. Keep the flask in the ice bath about 5 minutes.
10. Assemble the apparatus for a suction filtration. Place the filter
paper in the Buchner Funnel, wet it with distilled water, and start
the aspirator. Pour the contents of the flask into the flask. Use your
spatula to get as much of the aspirin into the funnel as possible.
11.Draw air through the funnel for a few minutes to dry the crystals.
Use the bottom of the Erlenmeyer flask to compress the crystals
and spread them so they cover the filter paper. Transfer as much of
the solid as you can.
12.Rinse the small Erlenmeyer flask well, then add 20 ml of distilled
water and return the crystals to the flask. You will have to bend the
weigh boat and use your spatula to move the crystals. Transfer as
much of the solid as you can.
13. Heat the contents of the flask to boiling. The crystals should all
dissolve. If they don’t, add a few milliliters of water to dissolve
them. When all the crystals have dissolved, remove the flask from
heat and cool it in water bath (a 250 ml beaker with tap water is
fine). Do this recrystallisation quickly to avoid hydrolysis of the
aspirin.
14. When the flask and its contents are cool enough to handle, cool
then further in an ice bath. Keep the flask in ice for about 5
minutes.
15. Filter the crystals as you did in step 11. Transfer them to the
watch glass.
16. Weigh the crystals on the watch glass, and calculate your
percent yield.
17. Scrub the flasks and the buncher funnel with soap and water,
then rinse them well, before you return them to the supply area.
Rinse the weigh boats and discard them.
 USES
* Aspirin : It is used in the treatment of a number of
conditions, including fever, pain, rheumatic fever and
inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, pericarditis,
and disease. Lover doses of aspirin have also shown to reduce the
risk of death from a heart attack, or the risk of stroke in some
circumstances. There is some evidence that aspirin is effective at
preventing colorectal cancer, though the mechanisms of this effect
are unclear
* Pain: Uncoded aspirin tablets, consisting of about 90%
acetylsalicylic acid.
*Headache: Aspirin, either by itself or in a combined
formulation, effectively treats some types of headaches.
*FEVER: Like the ability to control pain, aspirin’s ability to
control fever is due to its action on the prostaglandin system.
Although aspirin’s we as an antipyretic in adults is well-
established, many medical societies and regulatory agencies
strongly advise against using aspirin for treatment of fever in
children because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Swelling and
inflammation: Aspirin is used as an anti-inflammatory agent for
both acute and long- term inflammation, as well as for treatment
of inflammatory diseases.
* Heart attacks and stroke: Aspirin is an effective
analgesic for acute pain, but is generally considered inferior to
ibuprofen for the alleviation of pain because aspirin is more likely
to cause gastrointestinal bleeding. Aspirin is generally ineffective
for those pains caused by muscles. As with other NSAJDs,
combinations of aspirin and caffeine provide slightly greater pain
relief than aspirin alone. Aspirin is used in the treatment of
migraine. Aspirin is an important part of treatment of those who
have had a myocardial infraction (heart attack). For a subset of
the people, aspirin may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. In
lower doses, aspirin prevents the progression of cardiovascular
disease. Frequently, aspirin is combined with ADP receptor
inhibitors to prevent blood clots.
* Aspirin reduces the overall risk of both getting cancer and
dying from cancer. Some conclude the benefits are greater than
the risks due to bleeding in those at average risk
* Aspirin decomposes rapidly in solutions of ammonium
acetate or of the acetates, carbonates, citrates, or hydroxides of
the alkali metals. It is stable in dry air, but gradually hydrolyses in
contact with moisture to acetic and salicylic acids.
* Decreases inflammation: Inflammation is a compound
of plaque build-up and inflamed plaque is more likely to cause a
heart attack or strokes. Aspirin fights the inflammation associated
with heart disease.

*Inhibits blood clots: Some prostaglandins in the blood

trigger a series of events that cause blood platelets to clump
together and form blood clot as well.
*Reduces the risk of death: Research has shown that
regular aspirin use is associated with a reduction in death from all
causes, particularly among the elderly, people with heart diseases,
and people who are physically unfit.
* Remove sweat stains: Make a paste using ground
aspirin and water, and apply it over the yellowed arear before
laundering. The salicylic acid in aspirin is an effective cleaning
agent, working the same way that other acidic substances like
vinegar and lemon juice do.
* Soothe mosquito bites: To tame itching caused by a
mosquito bite, rub a dampened aspirin pill over the inflamed area
until discomfort subsids.
* Keep soil fresh: To keep your garden thriving, add one
aspirin per gallon of watering water in order to prevent fungus
from growing around the roots of fresh flowers. The treatment
will also result in longer-lasting flowers once the blooms are cut.
* Combat light cases of dandruff: TO remove pesky
dry skin flakes from your scalp, crush two aspirin tablets and add
them to a dab of shampoo before washing hair as usual.
* Remove rust spots: To remove rust spots crush an
aspirin or two and wet the stained area, then sprinkle the powder
onto the rust and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping away with
a damp sponge.
* Prevent cancer: An aspirin a day may help keen cancer
away. A recent study published in the annals of Oncology found
the benefits of taking aspirin to prevent some types of cancer
overweigh the harms. The researches note the effect of aspirin are
not apparent until at least three years after the start of use, and

some benefits are sustained for several years after stopping daily
aspirin therapy in long- term users. If those between 50 and 65
started taking aspirin daily for at least 10 years, there would be a
9% reduction in the number of cancer, strokes, and heart attacks.
ASPIRIN SIDE EFFECTS
Common side effects of aspirin:
 Vomiting
 Stomach pain
 Heartburn
 Drowsiness
 Nausea

Serious side effects of Aspirin:

 Ringing in the ears
 Loss of hearing
 Hives or rash
 Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, or throat
 Wheezing or breathing difficulties
 Hoarseness
 Fast heartbeat or fast breathing
 Cold, clamming skin
 Bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
 Bright red blood in stools or black or tarry stools
CONCLUSION
The theory of this experiment was that acetylsalicylic acid, also
known as aspirin, can be synthesized from salicylic acid, acetic
anhydride, and phosphoric acid. Esters are formed through
Fischer esterification. The information from the data acquired
from this experiment reveals that the correct product,
acetylsalicylic acid, was produced. The techniques used in this
experiment include, but are not limited to, the following: TLC;
Filtration; IR Spectrometry; NMR Spectrometry are commonly
used to finish drying organic material prior to the spectrometries.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 www.google.co.in
 www.yahoo.com
 www.wikipedia.org
 Practical chemistry B.Sc Main by A.Q.Thomas
 NCERT Class 12th chemistry Book
 NCERT Class 12th Lab Manual
 https://www.youtube.com/@ALLINVESTIGATORYPROJECT
 https://t.me/allinvestigatoryprojects