Question

*Explain how the products were extracted with acid and base (explaining solubility in particular layers)*

Phenyl acetate was reacted with anhydrous aluminium chloride. As soon as the HCl evolution subsided, the flask was heated for 1 hour. The flask was then allowed to cool and 100g of ice and 15ml of HCl was added. The mixture was then extracted with three 20ml portions of ether. The ether extracts were combined and the phenolic materials were extracted with two 50ml portions of 2M NaOH, keeping the lower aqueous extract which contains the extracted phenoxides. The combined basic extracts were acidified by the dropwise addition of concentrated HCl.

Answer 1

This is is an example of fries rearrangement reaction. In this case, phenyl Acetate reacts with aluminium chloride to form ortho and para isomers hydroxy acetophenone.

this mixture on reacting with Sodium Hydroxide forms sodium phenoxide salts.

this on acidification with hydrochloric acid forms mixture of hydroxy acetophenone.

Thus, the process of preparation separation and extraction is achieved.