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3-Nitrochalcone Lab Report

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Before the start of this experiment, the theoretical yield was calculated. Based off the data, it was found that the limiting reagent is 3-nitrobenzaldehyde. The theoretical yield is determined by relating the moles of the limiting reagent to the moles of the anticipated product by a ratio obtained from the overall equation. The theoretical yield was calculated to be 1.3 g. However, the actual yield obtained was greater than the theoretical yield; in other words, the actual mass of the product was higher than the theoretical mass. This led to an abnormally high yield of 320% and an impure product. Though the experiment was carried out smoothly, errors may have occurred that led to an actual mass of 4.166 g for the crude chalcone. After the …show more content…

Data Table 2 shows the results gathered after the purification of 3-nitrochalcone. Since only half of the crude product was used, the theoretical yield for the crystallized product was determined to be 2.1 g. This led to a percent yield of 39%. The melting point of the crystallized product was also determined to be 142℃, which differed slightly from the literature value of 146℃. As a result, the product, 3-nitrochalcone, was not completely pure. It probably contained water and alcohol, because any impurities would have lowered the melting point. Considering the fact that the crude product was not thoroughly dried before purification, water and ethanol were already in the product. Even after crystallization into “pure 3-nitrochalcone”, the product was also not completely dried. The yield should have been much lower than 39%. If the product is not allowed time to dry, not only water, but methanol, which was the solvent that was used to crystallize the crude, would be in the product. Both the crude and crystallized 3-nitrochalcone were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy to test and prove these …show more content…

The two peaks next to each other, 2360.23 cm-1 and 2341.78 cm-1, most likely indicated a nitrile or alkyl stretch. These peaks disappeared in the spectrum for the crystallized 3-nitrochalcone, though. The peaks were most likely as the result of an incomplete reaction or a reaction that did not go to completion. The product probably did not completely tautomerize, showing an alkyl or nitrile group. The crude product was also not completely dried, as indicated from the presence of an -OH group at the 3383.38 cm-1 peak. Figure 2 depicts the infrared spectrum of the crystallized product. The two peaks, signifying the nitrile or alkyl stretch, were still on the spectrum, but smaller. However, a peak at 3380.36 cm-1 indicates that an OH stretch is still present in the crystallized product. This verifies that the product was not pure; that –OH group was likely from methanol, the solvent used to purify the crude product. In order to remove the methanol/OH group, the crystallized product was left to dry in an oven for several minutes to spur dehydration. After that, another IR spectrum was taken for the dried product (Figure 3). In this spectrum, there was no alcohol peak, which indicates that the product became pure; the compound lost the hydroxyl group and no methanol was found in the pure product. As a result, Figure 3 is the desired

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