Acetaminophen Synthesis Lab Report

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Introduction
Acetaminophen, also known as Paracetamol, is an organic compound that is commonly used as a medication for pain and fever relief. It has been around for a while and is found under several different brand names around the world. With research, the chemistry behind acetaminophen can be discovered as well as its practical applications, its adverse effects to society and the environment, and other information surrounding this compound.

The History
In the middle ages, Antipyretic agents (for preventing or reducing fevers) were compounds found in the bark of white willow and cinchona trees. Alternatives to this were eventually sought for in the 1880s as the cinchona tree had become scarce. In the 1880s, the development of alternative antipyretic agents began to develop acetanilide in 1886 and phenacetin the following year. At this point in time, Harmon Northrop Morse had already synthesized …show more content…

There are three steps that occur in the synthesis of acetaminophen. First is the nitration of phenol, where phenol (hydroxybenzene) reacts with sodium nitrate, which is an oxidizing agent, while in the presence of sulfuric acid. This produces a mixture of structural isomers of nitrophenol. The second step is the reduction of a nitro group to an amine. In this case, oxygen is lost from the nitro group of 4-nitrophenol and a hydrogen is added to form 4-aminophenol, an amine. By the weak forces of attraction of a catalyst, the 4-nitrophenol molecules are held to the surface of the catalysts; the strong covalent bonds in the nitro group are then weakened and are vulnerable to be attacked by hydrogen. The final step is the formation of an amide. Most amines undergo reactions with anhydrides to produces amides. 4-aminophenol is suspended in water at room temperature and reacts readily with ethanoic anhydride, which is an acetic anhydride, producing a precipitate of the amide, which is the acetaminophen. (“Paracetamol

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