Aspirin Melting Point Analysis

The melting point of the experimentally synthesized Aspirin product was found to be between 126-129 ˚C. This temperature range of initial to final melting point has a small and sharp temperature range of only 3˚C, which is within the acceptable limits of the 128-137˚C1 literature value for Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid/2-acetoxybenzoic acid), if located slightly toward the beginning of the literature melting temperature range. Therefore, the narrow melting point range, which falls within the standard literature value range results, indicate the reliability purity of the sample. Had the melting point been higher than the literature value, but maintained a sharp melting point range, the compound could have still indicated a pure sample. A lower

The reason for this is due to the alcohol functional group present in the salicylic acid starting material, as it has a higher Rf value when TLC is run on the compound in which it is contained at the start of the reaction. TLC of the Aspirin product contained an ester functional group, which was expected to have a lower Rf due to residual hydrogen bonding which occurred between the hydroxyl group of the carboxylic acid and adjacent carbonyl of the ester. Experimental results followed this expected outcome, indicating the successful synthesis of the experimental aspirin product, which maintained a lower Rf value than the reaction starting material (Rf Data Figure 1). Experimental IR results indicated the presence if characteristic wavelength peak values that are found in a successfully synthesized Acetylsalicylic Acid (2-acetoxybenzoic acid) or Aspirin product. The IR spectra revealed the presence of the ester functional group via a peak at 1760cm-1 indicating C=O carbonyl bonding of an ester. Also indicative of the ester functional group are the wavelength peaks between 1250-1050cm-1, signaling the presence of -C-O- bonding. Additional peaks in the spectrum, such as the shaky broad peak