Analysis Of Acetanilide

Introduction: Acetanilide (chemical formula C8H9NO) is an important chemical which has a wide variety of uses in many different substances. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of colored dyes and fabrics, and as a reagent in the production of rubber. Acetanilide is also incredibly valuable because of its use in pharmaceuticals. It is a main building block in the synthesis of penicillin, which is an important antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections such as syphilis; pneumonia, meningitis, gonorrhoea, scarlet fever and many more. In the late 1800’s it was discovered Acetanilide had painkiller properties and it was packaged and sold under the name Antifebrin. However, it was quickly discovered that this substance was quite

The final melting point of the product within a range is then used to determine the overall purity of the solid obtained. The actual yield of Acetanilide was also compared to the theoretical yield, determining the % of product formed. When the reagents (Aniline and Acetic anhydride) were initially added to the flask, the crude product of acetanilide started to form, along will a small number of impurities. As the compounds were mixed the solution turned a pale-yellow color, with white crystals of acetanilide forming in the solution as the reaction proceeded. As the solution began to heat up the crystals dissolved because the energy (as heat) was being added to the molecules of liquid causing separation between the pure Acetanilide and impurities in solution. The charcoal was then added to bond to the impurities in the solution, separating them from the Acetanilide, and ensuring they would not recrystalized as the solution was cooled. The solution was then left to return to room temperature, and the acetanilide became purified pure crystals, while the impurities remained in the solution and were filtered out. The final product was flaky white crystals of