Does excessive sulfuric acid as catalyst affect the synthesis of aspirin?
Did the addition of excessive sulfuric acid affect this in any way? What could have caused salicylic acid crystals to be produced instead of aspirin?


The intended reaction was the formation of an ester from a a phenol and an anhydride. 

However, with an excess of sulfuric acid, acidic hydrolysis of the product according to an $\mathrm{A_{Ac}2}$ mechanism takes place.