Characterization of the Intermediate Products in Acetaminophen Synthetic Path.

Abstract

The intermediate products, 4-nitrophenol and 4-aminophenol, and the final product of acetaminophen synthesis were characterized using infrared spectroscopy and melting points. The synthetic route had three parts: nitration of the phenol group, reduction of the nitro group to amine and the acetylation of the amino group. The synthesis had an overall yield of reaction of 43 %. Infrared spectra were acquired and their main functional groups identified by comparing them to spectra obtained in the literature and in the infrared frequency table. The melting point was determined for each of the products where the values found were within the melting range got in the literature. The results show that the synthesis of acetaminophen from phenol was successful being able to characterize the products at each step of the reaction.