video tutorial Synthesis of anisole from phenol and methyl iodide

Name: video tutorial - Synthesis of anisole from phenol and methyl iodide
Uploaded: 2025-12-11T09:03:43.712Z
Duration: 9 min 53 s
Description: iodide and phenol, using a strong base....Add the methanol into a flask equipped with a thermometer, and stir bar.

Objective: synthesize anisole (methoxybenzene) via Williamson ether synthesis from phenol and methyl iodide using sodium methoxide as base; reclaim reagents for economy.
Prepare sodium methoxide by reacting sodium metal with dry methanol under reflux with a condenser; use ~8 g sodium.
Activate phenol by dissolving it in the sodium methoxide/methanol mixture (phenol ~32 g) and allow to melt and mix; cool to below 40 °C before methylation.
Add methyl iodide (≈50 g, about 25 mL) to the cooled mixture; maintain cold conditions initially, then reflux for about 1.5 hours to drive the reaction.
Distill off methanol after the reaction and monitor the formation of sodium salts; collect the methanol by distillation for recycling.
Extract the product with dichloromethane, wash successively with sodium hydroxide solution and water, and dry over calcium chloride; remove solvent.
Purify by distillation; anisole distills around 140 °C with total distillation time ~45 minutes; yield 17 g from phenol (53%).
Recycling: neutralize the aqueous phase with acid, treat with persulfate to regenerate iodine, use regenerated iodine with the distillate methanol and red phosphorus to reform methyl iodide.