“Aspirin

Preparation”

Name: - Sagar Gupta

Class: - XII
Section: - B
Roll No: - 31
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Session: -32024 - 2025
 Contents
Serial No. Title
1 Certificate
2 Acknowledgement

3 Introduction

4 Creators

5 Synthesis

6 Safety

7 Procedure

8 Conclusion
9 Bibliography
This is to certify the bona fide Sagar Gupta, Student of
XII / B (Science); roll no - 31
Worked on project titled -
“Synthesis of Aspirin”
During the academic year 2024- 2025.

.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am thankful to Principal Ms. Suhasini K Nath, my
chemistry teacher Ms. Sunaina and school for providing
me the opportunity to conduct this project. I am thankful
for the help extended by teachers for successful completion
of this Project.
INTRODUCTION – Structure and Composition
One of the most widely used nonprescription drugs is aspirin. In the United States,
more than 15,000 pounds are sold each year. This is not surprising when one
considers the medicinal applications for aspirin. It is an effective analgesic (pain
killer) that can reduce the mild pain of headache, toothache, neuralgia (never
pain), muscle pain, and join pain (from arthritis and rheumatism). Aspirin behaves
as an antipyretic drug (it reduces fever) and it is an anti-inflammatory agent
capable of reducing swelling and redness associated with inflammation. It is also
an effective agent in preventing strokes and heart attacks due to its ability to act as
an anticoagulant by preventing platelet aggregation.

The father of modern medicine was Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460
B.C and 377 B.C. Hippocrates left historical records of pain relief treatments,
including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to
help heal headaches, pains and fevers. By 1829, scientists discovered that it was
the compound salicin in willow plants that gave pain relief. It was a short time later
that a tiny amount of bitter tasting, yellow, needle-like crystals were isolated from
willow bark by Johann Buchner, professor of pharmacy at the University of Munich.
By 1829, a French chemist improved the extraction procedure and was able to
obtain about 30g from 1.5kg of bark. In 1838, an Italian chemist was able convert
salicin to an acid of crystallized, colorless needles, which he named salicylic acid.

Since salicylic acid contains phenolic and carboxylic acid groups, it was irritating to
the mouth, throat, and stomach. After considerable work, the derivative
acetylsalicylic acid was found to have similar pain- relieving properties without the
harsh side effects. It was in 1899, that the Bayer Company in Germany patented
the ester acetylsalicylic acid and marketed the product as “aspirin” in 1899. Their
studies showed that this material was less of an irritant and the acetylsalicylic acid
hydrolyzed in the small intestine to salicylic acid, which was then absorbed into the
bloodstream. The relationship between salicylic acid and aspirin is shown in Figure
1.

Salicyclic Acid
(Aspirin)

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CREATORS - The Pioneers of Aspirin Synthesis

The first person to do so was a French chemist named Charles Frederic

Gerhardt. In 1853, Gerhardt neutralized salicylic acid by buffering it with
sodium (sodium salicylate) and acetyl chloride, creating acetylsalicylic acid.
Gerhardt's product worked but he had no desire to market it and abandoned
his discovery.
In 1899, a German chemist named Felix Hoffmann (Fig. 2), who worked for a
German company called Bayer, rediscovered Gerhardt's formula. Felix Hoffmann
made some of the formula and gave it to his father who was suffering from the pain
of arthritis, with good results. Felix Hoffmann then convinced Bayer to market the
new wonder drug. Aspirin was patented on February 27, 1900.

The folks at Bayer came up with the name Aspirin, it comes from the 'A" in acetyl
chloride, the "spir" in spiraea ulmaria (the plant they derived the salicylic acid
from) and the 'in' was a then familiar name ending for medicines. Aspirin
was first sold as a powder. In 1915, the first Aspirin tablets were made.
Interestingly, Aspirin ® was once a trademark belonging to Bayer. After
Germany lost World War I, Bayer was forced to give it up as part of the Treaty
of Versailles in 1919.

Fig. 2: Felix Hoffman

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 Figure 5: The Aspirin Synthesis Reaction

SAFET– First and Primary Concern

Y
The chemicals used to synthesize aspirin present a health hazard and
exposure should be kept to a minimum:

1) Sulfuric Acid: A highly corrosive liquid that will cause severe burns if it
comes into contact with skin.
2) Salicylic Ac
id: Harmful by inhalation, ingestion, and through skin absorption. An
irritant.
3) Acetic anhydride: Poison. Corrosive. Cuases severe burns. Harmful if
swallowed or inhaled. Causes severe respiratory irritation. Eye contact
may cause serious irritationbur
orns.
4) Ferric Chloride Solution:
Corrosive
5) Ethanol: Toxic andflammable
6) Always wear Lab Grade coats and Safety Goggles

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PROCEDURE – What to do to get Aspirin?
1. Set up a secure water bath, as shown in the figure to the right,
using a ring stand, extension clamp (which will be used to hold a 125
mL Erlenmeyer flask), and a hotplate. Begin heating the water. A 600
mL beaker will accommodate the
flask well.

2. Weigh approximately 2 grams of

salicylic acid, using a watch glass, on
the top loading balance. Record the
weight to the full precision of the
balance.

3. Transfer the salicylic acid

completely to a clean, dry 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask.

4. In the hood, transfer 4.0 mL of acetic anhydride into the 125 mL

Erlenmeyer flask using a 10 mL graduated cylinder.

5. In the hood, carefully add 5 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid to

the Erlenmeyer flask using the dropper provided. Be careful not to let
the sulfuric acid drop anywhere other than into the flask. If any acid
does spill anywhere, advise the teaching assistant immediately. Swirl
the flask to help mix the contents. Do not add the sulfuric acid before
the acetic anhydride. The reaction mixture should form a clear
solution as it is heated.

6. Bring the flask back to the desk. Place it in the extension clamp
(tilting the flask will help minimize boil over). Make sure the reaction
mixture is below the liquid level in the bath and that the water is
boiling. Heat in the boiling water bath for not less than 20 minutes by
which time all of the solid should have dissolved.

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7. Obtain 50 mL of ice water in a 150 mL beaker. After removing the flask from the
water bath, measure 10 mL of ice water in a 10 mL graduated cylinder and add it to the
reaction mixture, 3-5 drops at a time, to hydrolyze the unreacted acetic anhydride.

8. Chill the Erlenmeyer flask in an ice bath with occasional swirling to cause
precipitation of the product. Add 25 mL of ice water to the reaction mixture. If no
precipitate forms, scratching the side of the flask with a glass stirring rod may help
initiate crystallization. While the flask is chilling, prepare a vacuum filtration apparatus
as shown in the figure to the right.

9. Weigh a piece of filter paper on a watchglass. Record the weight of the paper +
the watchglass. Place the weighed paper in the Buchner funnel. Wet the paper with a
small amount of water using your wash bottle to seal the paper to the funnel surface.

10. Turn on the aspirator. Swirl the flask and pour its contents carefully onto the
center of the filter paper. Use a stirring rod with a rubber policeman to assist in getting
all of the solid out of the flask.

11. When all the solid has been captured on the filter paper and the liquid has all
been sucked through, wash the product by slowly pouring a measured amount of ice
water, not to exceed 15 mL, on the surface of the precipitate. Decrease the aspirator
flow and adjust it so the liquid is removed at a very slow drop rate. This is to wash the
precipitate to remove any remaining acetic acid.

12. Take a very small amount (50 mg) of the sample and place it on a watch glass. We
will use this amount to perform some tests. It can be dried on the laboratory
ventilators.

13. Transfer the filter paper and remaining product back to the watch glass by
inserting a clean spatula under the bottom of the filter paper to peel it away from the
funnel. Weigh the product and weigh paper.

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Bibliography
This project would be nearly incomplete
if I had not used
the information given in
the followingwebsites.

• www.projectsjugaad.co
m

• pages.mtu.edu

• www.scribd.co
m

• www.slideshare.ne
t

• www.cbseportal.com

My special thanks to the up loader of information on these

websites. If considered, I have used everything that
GOOGLE shows me…….

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