Propose an experiment report on the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol including aim/objective, chemical/apparatus, procedure, observation, results, conclusion

Answer 1

Aim/Objective:
The aim of this experiment is to synthesize benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol using the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with potassium permanganate.

Chemicals/Apparatus:
- Benzyl alcohol
- Potassium permanganate
- Sulfuric acid
- Water
- Separatory funnel
- Beakers
- Glass stirring rod
- Buchner funnel
- Filtration set-up
- Vacuum pump
- Oven

Procedure:
1. In a 100 mL beaker, dissolve 10 mL of benzyl alcohol in 30 mL of sulfuric acid.
2. Add 5 g of potassium permanganate to the benzyl alcohol solution and stir continuously for 30 minutes.
3. After stirring, pour the mixture into a separatory funnel and add water to extract the benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol.
4. Separate the organic layer and the aqueous layer using the separatory funnel.
5. Filter the organic layer using a Buchner funnel and wash with water.
6. Dry the crystals in an oven at 60°C for 1 hour.
7. Record the observations during each step of the synthesis process.

Observations:
- The benzyl alcohol solution turned purple upon the addition of potassium permanganate.
- A white precipitate formed after the addition of water to the mixture.
- The crystals obtained were white and powdery in texture.
- The yield of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol was calculated to be 85%.

Results:
The synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol was successful with a yield of 85%. The white crystals obtained were confirmed to be benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol through melting point determination and spectroscopic analysis.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with potassium permanganate proved to be an effective method for the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. Further studies can be conducted to optimize the reaction conditions and improve the yield of the desired products.