Question

Nicotinic acid, more commonly named niacin, is one of the B vitamins. Show how nicotinic acid can be converted to (a) ethyl nicotinate and then to (b) nicotinamide.

Short answer

Answer: The conversion of nicotinic acid to ethyl nicotinate involves an esterification reaction, while the conversion from ethyl nicotinate to nicotinamide involves hydrolysis and amidation reactions.

Step-by-step solution

Draw the chemical structure of nicotinic acid

Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin or vitamin B3, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5NO2. It has a carboxylic acid moiety (-COOH) and a pyridine ring. Draw the structure of nicotinic acid.

Understand the conversion from nicotinic acid to ethyl nicotinate

To convert nicotinic acid to ethyl nicotinate, we will perform an esterification reaction. Esterification involves replacing the -OH group of the carboxylic acid with an -OR group, where R is an alkyl group. In this case, R will be an ethyl group (-CH2CH3).

Draw the chemical structure of ethyl nicotinate

Ethyl nicotinate has the molecular formula C8H9NO2. Draw the chemical structure of ethyl nicotinate, replacing the -OH group in the carboxylic acid moiety of nicotinic acid with the ethyl group (-CH2CH3).

Understand the conversion from ethyl nicotinate to nicotinamide

To convert ethyl nicotinate to nicotinamide, we first need to hydrolyze the ester bond formed in the previous step. This is typically done with the presence of a strong acid or base. The hydrolysis of the ester yields nicotinic acid and ethanol. Then, we perform an amidation reaction, replacing the -OH group of the carboxylic acid with an -NH2 group (amide group).

Draw the chemical structure of nicotinamide

Nicotinamide, also known as vitamin B3 amide, has the molecular formula C6H6N2O. Draw the chemical structure of nicotinamide, replacing the -OH group in the carboxylic acid moiety of nicotinic acid with an -NH2 group (amide group). In summary, the conversion from nicotinic acid to ethyl nicotinate involves an esterification reaction, while the conversion from ethyl nicotinate to nicotinamide involves hydrolysis and amidation reactions.