Separating the Components of Panacetin

Introduction

The objective of this experiment is to find out the composition of Panacetin and compared the value listed on the bottle from a pharmaceutical company. From the experiment, the components of Panacetin were separate based on physical and chemical properties .Panacetin contains aspirin, sucrose and an unknown substance. Sucrose was separated from the aspirin and known on grounds that sucrose is insoluble in the organic solvent but not aspirin and the unknown. Sucrose was then undergoes gravity filtration . Gravity filtation allows the solid to be removed from liquid in which the solid adhere to filter paper and organic liquid drained down.

Aspirin was separated from the unknown due to the acid base properties .Aspirin convert into its water soluble sodium salt by adding sodium bicarbonate with the production of carbon dioxide gas .

Ph-COOH+ NaHCO3 → Ph-CO"O" ^"-" "N" "a" ^"+" "+" CO2 +H2O

The sodium salt thus migrate from the organic layer containing dichloromethane solution to the aqueous layer while the unknown remained in the organic layer. By using the liquid –liquid extraction technique , two immiscible solvent of different densities are separated and hence the aspirin and unknown. Aspirin was then regenerated by the addition of HCl. The solid aspirin will then be separated from filtrate by vacuum filtration. The solid is trapped by the filter paper and the liquid is drawn through the funnel into the flask below due to pressure difference.

The unknown component was then isolated by evaporating the solvent from dichloromethane in rotovap with the hot water bath. This allowed the efficient and gentle to get rid of solvents in shorter time since the vacuum chamber lowers the pressure of the liquid and hence lower the melting point of the liquid. Liquid solvents than can be removed without excessive heating at a faster rate.

Experimental Data

The unknown tested was unknown 2

Separation of sucrose

Mass of Panacetin= 3.007g

Mass of filter paper =0.674g

Mass of sucrose with filter paper =1.282g

Observation:

-Upon the addition of dichloromethane, there were some solid residues in the mixture

-the solid mixture adhered to the filter paper while the filtrate drained down

Separation of aspirin

Mass of glassware=30.593g

Mass of aspirin with glassware=31.765g

Observation:

-Upon