Q46 of 74 Page 158

Write steps to carry out the conversion of phenol to aspirin.

Aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid. Phenol is treated with NaOH to produce phenoxide ion. Phenoxide ion then undergoes electrophilic substitution with CO2 to yield salicylic acid as the major product. This is called kolbe’s reaction.


Then, acetylation of Salicylic acid produces Aspirin as a major product.



More from this chapter

All 74 →
44

Explain why is O=C=O nonpolar while R—O—R is polar.

 45

Why is the reactivity of all the three classes of alcohols with conc. HCl and ZnCl2 (Lucas reagent) different?

 47

Nitration is an example of aromatic electrophilic substitution and its rate depends upon the group already present in the benzene ring. Out of benzene and phenol, which one is more easily nitrated and why?

 48

In Kolbe’s reaction, instead of phenol, phenoxide ion is treated with carbon dioxide. Why?