would it be possible to separate salicylic acid from phenol by adding aqueous NaOH to an ether solution?

Question

would it be possible to separate salicylic acid from phenol by adding aqueous NaOH to an ether solution containing a misxture of these two solids? explain your answer

Answer 1

Yes. The sodium salt of most organic acids is soluble in water. And this is the case with your salicylic acid. So after you add the aqueous NaOH, (and shake) the Phenol will partition to the Ether phase and the Sodium Salicylate will partition to the aqueous phase. If you separate the two layers (say in a separatory funnel), you could neutralize the aqueous system with say HCl and precipitate Salicylic Acid. You could also evaporate the ether and have some relatively pure Phenol (BP182C).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboxylic_acid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid

Answer 2

If pH = 7.6, then pOH = 14-7.6 = 6.4 because of the fact the pH/pOH is extremely on the edge of 7.00, it is inadequate to calculate: [OH-] = 10^-pOH = 10^-6.4 = 3.ninety 8*10^-7 as being the molarity of the NaOH Water dissociates to produce [OH-] = 10^-7, so this [OH-] could be subtracted from the great [OH-] as a owing to isolate the [OH-] originating from the NaOH [OH-] from NaOH = (3.ninety 8*10^-7) - (10^-7) = 2.ninety 8*10^-7 The concentration of the NaOH in answer = 2.ninety 8*10^-7M