4-hydroxybenzoic acid can react with alcohols to form compounds known as parabens - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 11 - 2015
Question 11
4-hydroxybenzoic acid can react with alcohols to form compounds known as parabens.
(a) Name the functional group circled in the structure of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
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Worked Solution & Example Answer:4-hydroxybenzoic acid can react with alcohols to form compounds known as parabens - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 11 - 2015
Step 1
Name the functional group circled in the structure of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
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Answer
The functional group circled in the structure of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid is the carboxyl (acid) group.
Step 2
Name the type of reaction taking place when parabens are formed.
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Answer
The type of reaction taking place when parabens are formed is esterification (or condensation).
Step 3
Draw the paraben formed when 4-hydroxybenzoic acid reacts with ethanol.
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Answer
The structure of the paraben formed when 4-hydroxybenzoic acid reacts with ethanol is as follows:
O
||
C - O - CH₂ - CH₃
|
C₆H₄ - COOH
This structure represents ethyl paraben.
Step 4
State a conclusion that can be drawn from the information in the table.
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Answer
As the molecular size (number of carbon atoms) increases, the absorption of the parabens decreases. This indicates a potential trend where larger molecules may be absorbed less effectively through the skin.
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