1. General

Review the following topics: esterfication, IR spectroscopy

Don't forget to start writing your formal report. By now, you should be able to write an introduction and the experimental part for part 1.

2. Experiment

Safety note: Concentrated sulfuric acid is very corrosive. Wear nitrile gloves when you transfer it.

It is very important that the benzoic acid that you are using is dry. If you are not sure about it, place it in an oven (T~100C) or a heating lamp for 15 minutes to dry it.

Do not overheat the mixture, because it will char (turn black) due to decomposition of the benzoic acid. A gentle boil is enough to get the reaction going.

During the extraction, make sure that you think about first which layer contains your product. If you don't see a phase separation, add more water. If necessary, transfer the mixture into a small separatory funnel.

3. Thing to think about

a. Why do you reflux the mixture?

b. Why do you use sodium bicarbonate during the work-up? Could you use sodium hydroxide as well?