What is the relationship between salicylic acid and aspirin?
•
4 min read
An estimated 40,000 tonnes of aspirin are consumed annually worldwide [1.4.6]. The key to this ubiquitous drug lies in its origin. So, what is the relationship between salicylic acid and aspirin? Aspirin is the acetylated derivative of salicylic acid, created through a chemical synthesis process called esterification [1.2.1, 1.2.6].