15. You are interested in separating 4-methylbenzoic acid from 1,4-dimethoxybenzene using a procedure similar to the extraction procedure we used in lab. You plan to use sodium bicarbonate instead of sodium hydroxide. a) Show the reaction between salicylic acid and sodium bicarbonate. Label the acid, base, conjugate acid, conjugate base. b) Give the pKa values of the acid and conjugate acid. c) Which base will work better, sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate

Solution :

a). The separation of 4-methylbenzoic acid from 1,4-dimethoxybenzene will work but it will result in lower recovery.

In the reaction of acid-base to form a sodium 4 - methoxy benzoate, that is soluble in the water, 4-methoxy benzoic acid reacts with the sodium bicarbonate to give sodium 4-methoxybenzoate as well as carbonic acid.

b). The pKa for the 4-methoxybenzoic acid is , and that of carbonic acid is

c). The Keq for the reaction is

Therefore, the equilibrium lies to the right  and also the reaction favors the products and the separation works.

But the recovery will be low when compared to the extraction with Sodium hydroxide as the strong base will drive the equilibrium further to the right position, thus neutralizing all the acids virtually. And the weak base will partially neutralize the acid.

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