Write a comprehensive laboratory report on synthesis of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol including objective, chemicals, apparatus, procedure, observation, results and conclusion

Answer 1

Title: Synthesis of Benzoic Acid and Benzyl Alcohol

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to synthesize benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol through the oxidation of toluene using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) as the oxidizing agent.

Chemicals:
1. Toluene
2. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
3. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
4. Water
5. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
6. Ethanol
7. Benzoic acid
8. Benzyl alcohol

Apparatus:
1. Round-bottom flask
2. Reflux condenser
3. Separatory funnel
4. Funnel
5. Beaker
6. Buchner funnel
7. Filter paper
8. Rotavapor
9. Melting point apparatus

Procedure:
1. 25 mL of toluene is mixed with 35 mL of sulfuric acid in a round-bottom flask.
2. The mixture is heated under reflux for 30 minutes.
3. 5 g of potassium permanganate is added to the round-bottom flask and the mixture is refluxed for an additional 1.5 hours.
4. The reaction mixture is cooled and poured into a separatory funnel containing water.
5. The organic layer is separated and washed with sodium hydroxide solution to remove any acid.
6. The organic layer is then washed with water and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate.
7. The solvent is removed using a rotavapor to obtain the crude product.
8. The crude product is recrystallized from ethanol to obtain pure benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol.
9. The melting points of the obtained products are determined.

Observation:
- During the reaction, a color change is observed from purple to brown indicating the oxidation of toluene.
- The obtained benzoic acid appears as white crystals with a melting point of 122-123°C.
- The obtained benzyl alcohol appears as a clear liquid.

Results:
- The yield of benzoic acid is calculated to be 80%.
- The yield of benzyl alcohol is calculated to be 85%.
- The melting points of the obtained products match the expected values.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol were successfully synthesized through the oxidation of toluene using potassium permanganate. The reaction proceeds efficiently with high yields of both products. The purity of the obtained products was confirmed by the melting point determination. Overall, the experiment was successful in achieving the objective of synthesizing benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol.