SCHOOL NAME

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

SYNTHESIS OF ASPIRIN

Name of the student:

Class:

Roll no.:

Guided by:
 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 is a
student of class XII has successfully
completed the research on the
below mentioned project under the
guidance pf during year
2022-2023 in partial fulfilment of
Chemistry practical examination of
. (your school name).

Subject Teacher:
Acknowledgeme
nt
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
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