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Topic: Reaction for making a polymer  (Read 5668 times)

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Offline derhaus

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Reaction for making a polymer
« on: November 05, 2008, 01:02:49 PM »
In the synthesis of Aspirin experiment, Aspirin was made from the reaction between salicylic acid, acetic anhydride; phosphoric acid was also used as the catalyst.
The overall reaction of this is
C4H6O3(l) + C7H6O3(s) --> C9H8O4(s) + C2H4O2(l)
where C9H8O4 is the Aspirin and C2H4O2 is the acetic acid.
I found that the salicylic acid can also react with other salicylic acid and from some sort of polymer.
I'm just wondering what is the overall chemical reaction for the making of this polymer.

C7H6O3(s) + C7H6O3(s) --> ?
Are the reagents listed above correct and what is(are) the products?

Thank you very much.


Offline nj_bartel

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Re: Reaction for making a polymer
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2008, 02:07:03 PM »
peroxide where the alcohol is maybe?

Offline derhaus

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Re: Reaction for making a polymer
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2008, 03:31:36 PM »
I thought when two salicylic acids reacts, the alcohol group on one salicylic will grab the hydrogen on the alcohol group of the other salicylic acid and leaves as a water molecule. Two salicylic acids will connected by 1 oxygen atom, like ether...  ???

Offline azmanam

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Re: Reaction for making a polymer
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2008, 03:52:16 PM »
How do you know you're getting a polymer - and how do you know it's a homopolymer of salicylic acid?

I'd guess some sort of intermolecular acid-catalyzed esterification.  But I'd also guess it'd be fairly unlikely under those conditions.  If it keeps happening add an amine base.
Knowing why you got a question wrong is better than knowing that you got a question right.

Offline nj_bartel

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Re: Reaction for making a polymer
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2008, 04:28:44 PM »
I thought when two salicylic acids reacts, the alcohol group on one salicylic will grab the hydrogen on the alcohol group of the other salicylic acid and leaves as a water molecule. Two salicylic acids will connected by 1 oxygen atom, like ether...  ???

I looked at it too quickly, ignore my suggestion.

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