What happens when Salicylic Acid reacts with Acetic Anhydride?
When salicylic acid reacts with acetic anhydride in the presence of an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid, it undergoes an esterification reaction to form acetylsalicylic acid, which is also known as aspirin. The reaction involves the substitution of a -OH group in the salicylic acid molecule with an acetate group (-O-COCH3) from the acetic anhydride molecule. The reaction is shown below:
Salicylic acid + Acetic anhydride → Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) + Acetic acid
The reaction is exothermic and can be used to produce aspirin on a large scale. The purity of the final product can be improved by recrystallization. Aspirin is widely used as a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducer.