Paper About the Chemistry

Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to study the Grignard reaction and to gain skill in running reactions under anhydrous conditions. Specifically, it was to synthesize a Grignard reagent from bromobenzene and magnesium metal in diethyl ether, and use the Grignard reagent to prepare a tertiary alcohol and then purify and characterize the product.

Table of Physical Contents:

Name Formula MP/BP Density Safety Precautions

Acetophenone C8H8O 20°C/200°C 1.03g/cm3

Irritant, wear gloves, avoid contact

Ether (C2H5)2O -116°C/34°C 0.713g/cm3 Extremely flammable

Ammonia Chloride NH4Cl -338 °C/ 520°C 1.53 g/cm3 Irritant

Sodium Bicarbonate Solution NaHCO3 50°C 2.20 g/cm3 Do not inhale, or digest

Hexane C6H14 -94°C/64.1°C 0.0548 g/cm3 Rinse with water if in contact.

Procedure

The procedure was as followed from page 125-130 Microscale Procedure of "Modern Projects and Experiments in Organic Chemistry."

Observations

• Ether had a very strong penetrating smell

• Mixture turned yellow after initial bubbling

The IR graph was very good, and was as expected to be for our product, 1,1 Diphenylethanol. There was a nice broad OH peak at about 3400cm-1, and multiple weak signals in the aromatic C-H stretch at about 3080-3150cm-1, as well as the C=C stretch seen at around 1650cm-1. Putting this information together gives us a nice IR graph for 1,1 dephenyl ethanol. Because IR is so useful in determining the prescence of functional groups, OH has been confirmed by the broad peak at 3400cm-1 and it can be further said that