Acidifying the aqueous layer in the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol is done in order to extract the organic product from the reaction mixture. The acidification of the aqueous layer protonates the carboxylic acid and alcohol groups, making them more water-soluble and allowing the organic products to be separated from the aqueous layer.
The chemical equation for the acidification of the aqueous layer in the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol is as follows:
RCOOH (organic acid) + H2O (aqueous layer) + HCl (acid) → RCOOH2+ + Cl- + H2O
Where RCOOH refers to the organic acid (benzoic acid) and R refers to the organic alcohol (benzyl alcohol).
An example of this process is in the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol from the oxidation of toluene. After the oxidation reaction, the product mixture is usually washed with a basic aqueous solution to remove impurities. The organic layer is then further purified by extracting with an acidified aqueous layer to separate the benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol products.
Why do we acidify the aqueous layer in the synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol? Give the chemical equation of the reaction. Give an example
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