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Topic: Unknown Help  (Read 3043 times)

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Offline puckmaggie

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Unknown Help
« on: May 02, 2007, 01:24:36 AM »
Hey everyone.  Desperation is setting in so if anyone can help it would be appreciated.

Last lab for unknowns s tomorrow and I need some help to figure out my liquid unknown.  First off, we are not allowed IR, MS, NMR, etc.  If I have to I can IR but it is automatically -15 out of 50, so I'd rather not.

Here is what I have so far:
Physical state: Liquid, slightly viscous
Color: Clear, slightly yellow
Odor: Distinct smell that resembles Benzaldhyde, but seems to be a bit different
Ignition test: Flame black smoke >>> Aromatic
BP: 183-185  (but my barometric pressure at the moment was 649.1-649.3) So, I've found a range from multiple websites concluding I am between 188-194 C (this is my main problem I think).
Solubilities: Not soluble in water, NaOH, HCl, or H2SO4 

Based on this I did a chromic acid test (postive) and then a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine test (postive).  Makes it an aldehyde.

I am stuck between phenylacetaldehyde(bp = 195), Salicylaldehyde(bp=197), and Benzaldhyde[(bp=179) don't really think benzaldehyde due to slight difference in smell].

Anyone have any ideas or quick tests to check between those two?

Thanks


Offline UnintentionalChaos

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Re: Unknown Help
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2007, 03:52:48 AM »
Salicylaldehyde should test positive as a phenol with Fe(III). Or you can oxidize the compound to the acid and place it in a test tube and heat strongly. Take a smell and see if you get phenol. This would also be for salicyladehyde. If you have the oxidized product, dissolve in a known amount of NaOH and back-titrate and calculate molar mass (don't forget to switch this to the aldehyde) That isn't exactly fast though.

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