Procedure:
1) Accurately weigh approximately 0.40 g of Dimethyl maleate into a 50 mL round bottom flask that possesses a ground glass joint, and record the weight.
2) Dissolve the Dimethyl maleate in 10 mL of methanol, and add approximately 5 drops of 10percent solution (w/v) of zinc chloride in methenol, followed by approximately 1mL of 5percent (w/v) morpholine in methanol, and a small magnetic stirbar.
3) Attatch a water cooled condensor flask and heat the solution at reflux in silicone oil bath for at least 30 mins. the reaction should involve 30 mins of refluxing,not just 30 mins of heating. a setting of about "4" on the hot plate should be sufficent to get the methanol to boil (65 degrees C).
4) Allow the solution to cool at room temperature, then add it to 75 mL of water which has been placed in a separatory funnel. Extract the solution with 50 mL of diethyl ether, and after draining off the aqueus layer, wash the ether layer with another 50 mL portion of water.
5) Pour the remaining ether solution into a 50 mL beaker and allow the solvent to evaporate.
Instructions: Provide the chemical reaction being demonstrated in the experiment. it should include the starting materials, reagents, and products.
ACAD
The chemical reaction being demonstrated in the experiment is an ester hydrolysis reaction. The starting material is Dimethyl maleate (C6H8O4), which is a diester, and the reagents used are methanol (CH3OH), zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and morpholine (C4H9NO). The solvent used is diethyl ether (C4H10O), and the product of the reaction is the hydrolysis of Dimethyl maleate into two molecules of methanol and maleic acid (C4H4O4). Here is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction:
Dimethyl maleate + 2 Methanol + Zinc chloride + Morpholine -> 2 Methanol + Maleic acid
In this reaction, the ester bonds in Dimethyl maleate are broken by the presence of water and the reagents, resulting in the formation of methanol and maleic acid as the final products.