Pour 4 grams of benzoin mixture and 14 milliliters of concentrated nitric acid in a round-bottom flask. Heat the mixture on the heating mantle until no more reddish brown NO2 gas is apparent on the reaction mixture. Stir the reaction mixture continuously using a stirring bar. Perform the reaction in a fume hood to vent NO2 produced during the reaction.
Remove the heating mantle and allow the mixture to cool for about five minutes. Add 75 milliliters of water to the reaction mixture. Stir the reaction mixture with the stirring bar to coagulate the precipitated product
Remove the yellow solid using a pipette. Wash the yellow solid with water. The yellow solid product obtained is benzyl.