We offer paracetamol which is used as an analgesic and antipyretic. It is one of the active metabolite . Unlike it does not have many side effects and thus used effectively for headaches, fever and other minor pain. Paracetamol is prepared in the following manner:
Phenol is nitrated using sulfuric acid and sodium nitrate in mild condition.
The para-isomer is separated from the ortho isomer by fractional distillation.
The 4-nitrophenol is reduced to 4-aminophenol using a reducing agent such as sodium borohydride in basic medium.
4-aminophenol is reacted with acetic anhydride to give paracetamol.
