COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Group no. 8, 2F-Medical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas

ABSTRACT
Organic compounds have different chemical and physical characteristics, in this experiment entitled comparative investigations of organic compounds, we were able to identify some of those and compare the properties of the different compounds. Physical characteristics like its color, odor and physical state, its solubility in different types of solvents, acidity and basicity. The experiments objective is to be able to compare certain intrinsic physical properties of given compounds, like those that were mentioned earlier. In this experiment, our group used simple apparatuses like: test tubes, evaporating dish, litmus paper and dropper. The important solvents and compounds used are H20, 5% NaOH, 5%HCl, cyclohexane, DCM, ethanol, phenol, benzoic acid, ethyl acetate and ethyl amine. We noted its physical characteristics, its solubility by introducing 3 drops or 0.1 g of the compounds to the three solvents separately, and the ignition test through lighting 3 drops or a pinch of the compounds with a match in an evaporating dish. Most of the compounds were colorless except for phenol which is red-orange and benzoic acid which is white, when it comes to odor most of them are odorless, and those with odor has almost same smell with each other. In solubility and litmus paper test those that were found to be acidic are: phenol and benzoic acid, the only basic compound is ethyl amine, and the others are found out to be neutral, those that are found out to be polar are: ethanol, ethyl acetate and ethyl amine. Lastly, in the ignition test the compounds that were flammable are: cyclohexane, ethanol and ethyl acetate.

INTRODUCTION
Organic compounds are basically compounds that contain one or more carbon. There are more than 37 million presently know chemical compounds that contain carbon. Almost everything contain carbon because of its electronic structure, and the fact that it can share four valence electrons and can bond with another carbon, a reaction can easily occur. In comparative investigations of organic compounds, physical properties are usually observed first. The color of the compounds, its odor and physical state, whether it is solid, liquid or gas. We also take note of the miscibility and solubility of the compounds to different solvents. Miscibility is a measure of how easily different liquids will dissolve when mixed together. On the other hand, solubility is a measure of one substance's ability to dissolve in a specific amount of another substance at standard temperature and pressure, usually for solidliquid reactions. Polarity and acidity/basicity can

be also determined. The degree of polarity in a molecule of a substance affects how strongly it is attracted to other molecules in a substance. This attraction, in turn, can influence the physical properties of the substance. Acidity and basicity are simply the nature of the compounds. The last test is flammability. Flammability is defined as how easily something will burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion. The experiments objectives are to identify different physical characteristics of some given compounds, its miscibility and solubility in some solvents, its polarity and its flammability. Also, to be able to compare the given results to one another.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experiment, some basic laboratory apparatuses were used, like: test tubes, evaporating dish, litmus paper, dropper and matches. The solvents used for the experiment are distilled water, 5% HCl soln., 5%

NaOH soln., while the compounds used are cyclohexane, DCM, ethanol, phenol, benzoic acid, ethyl acetate and ethyl amine. First, we noted the physical state, odor and color of the compounds at room temperature, then; we performed the miscibility and solubility test of the compounds on the three solvents that were mentioned earlier, by placing 4 drops for the liquid compounds and 0.1 g for the solid compounds to the three different solvents, separately. After, we tested the acidity or basicity of the compound by testing its reaction to the litmus paper, by noting if there are changes in color of the paper from red to blue or blue to red or no change at all. The last part of the experiment was the flammability test; we performed this by getting 3 drops of the liquid compounds or a pinch of the solid compounds, placed it in a small evaporating dish and lighted it with a match.

Table 2.Results for Ethanol and Phenol

Test Cmpds. Condensed structural formula Physical state at RT Color Odor

Ethanol CH3CH2OH

Phenol

Liquid Colorless Plastic ballon-like odor

Liquid Red-orange Paste-like odor

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

After perfoming the experiment, here are table of the results gathered: Table 1.Results for Cyclohexane and DCM

Sollubility in H20 5% NaOH soln. 5% HCl soln. Reaction w/ litmus paper Ignition Test

Miscible Miscible Miscible Neutral

Immiscible Miscible Immiscible Acidic

Flammable

Nonflammable

Table 3.Results for Benzoic acid and Ethyl acetate

Test Cyclohexane Cmpds. Condensed structural formula Physical state at RT Color Odor Sollubility in H20 5% NaOH soln. 5% HCl soln. Reaction w/ litmus paper Ignition Test Liquid Colorless Odorless

DCM CH2Cl2

Test Benzoic Cmpds. acid Condense d structural formula Physical state at RT Color Odor Sollubility in H20 5% NaOH soln. 5% HCl soln. Reaction w/ litmus paper Ignition Test Solid White Odorless

Ethyl acetate

Liquid Colorless Odorless

Liquid Colorless Plastic ballon-like odor

Immiscible Miscible Miscible Neutral

Immiscible Miscible Miscible Neutral

Insoluble Soluble Insoluble Acidic

Miscible Miscible Miscible Neutral

Flammable

Nonflammable

Nonflammable

Flammable

Table 4.Results for Ethyl amine

Test Ethyl amine Cmpds. Condensed CH3CH2NH2 structural formula Physical Liquid state at RT Color Colorless Odor Strong odor Sollubility in H20 Miscible 5% NaOH Immiscible soln. 5% HCl Miscible soln. Reaction Basic w/ litmus paper Ignition NonTest flammable
As observed in the experiment most of these compounds are colorless, except for the benzoic acid and phenol that may have adopted its color from oxidation. Most of them are odorless but those with odor have almost the same odor as the others. We tested the miscibility and solubility in water, 5% NaOH and 5% HCl solutions. Through these we can figure out the polarity and the acidity or basicity of the compounds. Compounds are polar if they are miscible or soluble in water because water is a strong polar substance, polar compounds would dissolve or would be miscible in water because in solubility, like dissolves like. The compounds that were found out to be polar are: ethanol, ethyl acetate and ethyl amine. When it comes to acidity and basicity, both the litmus paper test and solubility or miscibility in 5% NaOH and 5%HCl can determine this. Those that are miscible or soluble in 5% NaOH which is a base, are acids, and those that reacts with 5%HCl are basic because 5%HCl is an acidic solvent. This is just because acid substances would always react with basic substances and vice versa. It can only

be miscible or soluble to either of the two solvents, or else they would be categorized as neutral. Those that were found out to be acidic are: phenol and benzoic acid, and the only basic compound is ethyl amine. Most of the compounds were neutral, which are either miscible or soluble to both solvents, neutral compounds are: cyclohexane, DCM, ethanol and ethyl acetate. In test of its reaction to litmus paper, those that were said to be acidic in the miscibility of solubility test turned the blue litmus paper to red, those that were said to be basic turned the red litmus paper to blue and those that were neutral made no change in color of the litmus paper. Ignition test is performed to indicate unsaturation of high carbon to hydrogen ratio. Those that were flammable are: cyclohexane, ethanol and ethyl acetate.

REFERRENCES
Bayquen, A.V., et.al. (2009). Laboratory Manual in Organic Chemistry. Quezon City, Philippines: C&E Publishing, inc. McMurry, J.(2010). Foundations of Organic Chemistry. Pasic City, Philippines Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd. 2007). Liquid: Microsoft Student [DVD]. Redmond, WA.:Microsoft Corporation. (2007). "Solutions." Microsoft Student [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.. Brandvold, Donald K.(2007). "Molecule." Microsoft Student [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.