Name | salicylic acid | acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) |
---|---|---|
Systematic name | 2-hydroxybenzoic acid | 2-acetoxybenzoic acid |
Formula | C6H4(OH)CO2H | C6H4(OCOCH3)CO2H |
Melting point | 159°C 318°F |
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Boiling point | ||
Color | ||
Structure |
A colorless, crystalline organic carboxylic acid. It is usually prepared by Kolbe synthesis (aka Kolbe-Schmitt[?] reaction), which works by heating sodium phenolate[?] (the sodium salt of phenol) with carbon dioxide under pressure (100 atm[?], 125°C), then treating it with sulfuric acid.
Salicylic acid is also found in plants, especially in fruit, in the form of methyl salicylate. It is toxic if digested in large quantities, but in small quantities used as a food preservative[?] and antiseptic in toothpaste. The carboxyl group (-COOH) can react with alcohols, forming several useful esters. The hydroxyl group (-OH) can react with acetic acid to acetylsalicylic acid.
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