What is salicylic acid? Or the chemical make-up of it?

Question

What is salicylic acid? Or the chemical make-up of it?

Answer 1

--What is it?

Salicylic acid (from the Latin word for the willow tree, Salix, from whose bark it can be obtained) is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) with the formula C6H4(OH)CO2H, where the OH group is adjacent to the carboxyl group. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin. It is probably best known as a compound that is chemically similar to but not identical to the active component of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). In fact, salicylic acid is a metabolite of aspirin, the product of esterase hydrolysis in the liver.

---Production

Salicylic acid is an organic acid biosynthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine.

Sodium salicylate is commercially prepared by treating sodium phenoxide with a high pressure of carbon dioxide at high temperature via the Kolbe-Schmitt reaction. Acidification of the product solution gives salicylic acid:

It can be prepared by the hydrolysis of Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)[3] or methyl salicylate (Oil of Wintergreen) with a strong acid or base.

--Analysis

Salicylic acid is an enol of a β-keto carbonic acid and therefore forms purple complexes with iron(III) salts:

See the Reference below and it will take you to Wiki's website and will show you the Molecular Make-up of Salicylic Acid and more info.

Answer 2

Salicylic acid (from the Latin word for the willow tree, Salix, from whose bark it can be obtained) is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) with the formula C6H4(OH)CO2H, where the OH group is adjacent to the carboxyl group. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin. It is probably best known as a compound that is chemically similar to but not identical to the active component of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). In fact, salicylic acid is a metabolite of aspirin, the product of esterase hydrolysis in the liver.