Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: twistedsunshinexx on November 11, 2011, 08:11:32 AM
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Hi, I need help with an organic chemistry lab experiment. What are some of the objectives to perform separation and purification of organic compounds? :)
Also, discuss and differentiate the different methods of isolation and purification and indicate its applications and limitations of use?
Thank you so much! ;D
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I would read up on distillation, recrystallization, and chromatography.
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In my lab, normally, we use some following ways to separate and purify organic compounds from plants (and also, from synthesis process)
- TLC (thin layer chromatography)
- CC (column chromatography)
- Recrystalization ( this way is very effective and economic saving when u work with synthesis compounds)
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Don't forget extraction, precipitation/filtration, and evaporation (a subcategory of distillation where you are interested in the non-volatile material rather than the volatile material) as methods of isolation.
Typically a reaction carried out in a lab has four pieces - addition of starting materials, the reaction itself, isolation of your crude product, and purification. Depending on your materials, the type of reaction, and the end use of your product, there are a wide variety of different techniques for each of these, and more being developed constantly. You should be able to categorize any step in any lab procedure into one of these four pieces, so reading through the rest of the labs in your book, you should be able to come up with some good lists of techniques.