Acetylsalicylic Acid Discovery

How Acetylsalicylic Acid was Discovered Acetylsalicylic Acid in its earliest form was a powder for the bark and leaves of the willow tree. Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C. and 377 B.C, founded it. This “Miracle Drug” that was able to relieve pains was later looked into with further detail by Johann Buchner. He isolated a tiny amount of bitter tasting yellow, need- like crystals, and called salicin. By 1829 French Chemist Henri Leroux had improved the extraction procedure to obtain about 30 grams from 1.5 kg of bark. In 1838, Italian chemist Raffaele Piria split salicin into a sugar and an aromatic component (salicic aldehyde). Later, Henri Leroux had extracted salicin, in crystalline form for the first time, and Raffaele Piria succeeded in obtaining salicylic acid in its pure state. The problem with salicylic acid was that it was tough on stomachs and needed buffering. In 1853, French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt neutralized salicylic acid by buffering it with sodium (sodium salicylate) acetyl chloride, creating acetylsalicylic acid.

Where the Molecule can be Found This molecule also known as aspirin can be found everywhere in our surroundings. People in our community today including myself very commonly use it. In can be found in household cabinets, behind the counter medicines, in medicines themselves, and in nature.

How the Molecule is Created Aspirin tablets of the same dosage amount are manufactured in batches. After careful weighing, the necessary ingredients are mixed and compressed into units of granular mixture called slugs. The slugs are then filtered to remove air and lumps, and are compressed again (or punched) into numerous individual tablets. (The number of tablets will depend on the size of the batch, the dosage amount, and the type of tablet machine used.) Documentation on each batch is kept throughout the manufacturing process, and finished tablets undergo several tests before they are