Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 11, No. 2 /Registration No. 11-8 /Received January 23, 2008
URL = http://chem.sci.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp/cejrnlE.html

Hybrid (Electrochemical-Chemical) Single Crystal Synthesis of Copper Aspirinate Starting from an Aspirin Tablet: an Undergraduate Bioinorganic Experiment.

Aarón Pérez-Benítez,^1* Miguel Ángel Méndez-Rojas,² Sylvain Bernès³ and Enrique González-Vergara⁴

*E-mail: <aronpersiu.buap.mx>

Abstract

Tetrakis-m-(acetylsalicylato)dicopper(II) (or copper aspirinate for short) is a very interesting biologically active compound that can be easily obtained starting from an aspirin tablet, a cup of drinking water and a piece of copper wire. Since in this experiment the quality of the single crystals was highly dependent on the concentration of the reactants (acetylsalicylic acid and copper hydroxide), a slow diffusion process could be achieved by the in-situ electrolytic generation of Cu(OH)2, followed by addition of a whole tablet of aspirin.

The experiment is quite simple and inexpensive as to be used for research or educational purposes and it affords high quality single crystals good enough to realize physical studies such as electron spin resonance, X-ray structural determination, etc.

Keywords: Copper aspirinate, water electrolysis, Cu(OH)2, single crystals synthesis, aspirin.

Contents

• 1. Abstract.
• 2. Introduction.
• 3. Electrochemical reaction.
• 4. Chemical reaction.
• 5. Experimental procedure.
• 6. Experimental details.
• 7. Internal and external glance of a single crystal of copper aspirinate.
• 8. Conclusion.
• 9. References.

CEJ Vol.11, No.2, Contents