Programme Book - UPM - Universiti Putra Malaysia

P16SYNTHESIS OF CINNAMIC ACID AND ITS DERIVATIVESF.N.A Osman, N. Mohd Yunos, A.M. Yahaya, S.M. Mohd Nor*Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPMSerdang, Selangor, MalaysiaCorresponding author: smariam@upm.edu.myIn nature, cinnamic acid sometimes can be found occurring as its derivatives. Anexample of the common derivatives is the p-methoxycinnamic acid which only variesby the presence of methoxy substituent on the aromatic group of the compound. Thisp-methoxy group enhances the general bioactivity of this compound. One of thecommon reactions for the cinnamic acid and its derivatives is the esterificationprocess which could be done either in the presence of catalyst or without the presenceof catalyst. Five cinnamates were produced by esterification of cinnamic acid and p-methoxycinnamic acid with different alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, butanol, 1-hydroxy-1-cyclohexanecarbonitrile and 3-hydroxy-butyronitrile. Besides directesterification, this compound can undergo a reduction process using LiAlH 4 to give p-methoxycinnamic alcohol which then followed by esterification using acid which inthis case is acetic acid. Further study on the metal complexes of p-methoxycinnamicacid and its ester were conducted. The four complexes produced are Cu(p-mca)2,Fe(p-mca)3, Cu(mp-mce)2 and Fe(mp-mce)3. The site of coordination on ligands forp-methoxycinnamic acid complexes are at the oxygen atom of the carboxylate groupwhich is proven by the IR spectra that shows the disappearance of v(O-H) peak at2508.81 cm -1 . In the IR spectra of the methyl p-methoxycinnamate ester complexesv(C=O) peak at 1711.56 cm -1 disappeared.31 |16 th Industrial Chemistry Seminar: Chemistry- A Passport to a Brighter Future