What is the Difference Between Proton NMR of Methyl Benzoate and Phenylacetic Acid?

The main difference between the proton NMR of methyl benzoate and phenylacetic acid lies in the number of chemically non-equivalent protons and the presence of a hydroxyl group in phenylacetic acid.

1. Number of chemically non-equivalent protons: Methyl benzoate has 4 chemically non-equivalent protons, while phenylacetic acid has 5.
2. Presence of a hydroxyl group: Phenylacetic acid has a hydroxyl group (OH), which contributes to an additional peak in its proton NMR spectrum. In the case of methyl benzoate, there is no hydroxyl group.

These differences in the number of protons and the presence of a hydroxyl group lead to distinct NMR spectra for methyl benzoate and phenylacetic acid, allowing them to be distinguished using proton NMR spectroscopy.

Comparative Table: Proton NMR of Methyl Benzoate vs Phenylacetic Acid

The key difference between proton NMR of methyl benzoate and phenylacetic acid lies in the number of chemically non-equivalent protons and the presence of a hydroxyl group in phenylacetic acid. Here is a table comparing the proton NMR of methyl benzoate and phenylacetic acid:

Methyl benzoate has a total of 4 chemically non-equivalent protons, while phenylacetic acid has 5 chemically non-equivalent protons. The proton NMR of methyl benzoate does not show any peak due to the absence of a hydroxyl group. In contrast, the proton NMR of phenylacetic acid shows a peak at 11.0 ppm, which represents the hydrogen atom (proton) of the hydroxyl group.