[Orgo Lab] Recrystallization of Acetanilide

Review how recrystallization removes impurities by exploiting differences in temperature-dependent solubility, and identify the ideal solvent for acetanilide.

Weigh about 600 mg of crude acetanilide into a flask, add solvent and a boiling chip, and heat while adding hot solvent in 1 mL portions until the solid dissolves.

Slowly add activated carbon to the saturated solution, then preheat the filter paper and flask with 1-2 mL of hot solvent before filtering.

Swirl the flask and perform a hot filtration to remove the activated carbon and boiling chip, using hot solvent or vapors to bring down any crystals on the funnel.

Allow the collected acetanilide solution to cool to room temperature, then place it in an ice bath to maximize product recovery.

Collect the crystalline product, wash twice with cold solvent, dry the crystals, then weigh the product, calculate percent recovery, and measure the melting point.