Question

A given compound has the following solubility properties. At room temperature, it is soluble in diethyl ether but insoluble in both ethanol and water. At higher temperatures, it is soluble in both diethyl ether and ethanol, but insoluble in water. Propose a procedure for purifying this compound by recrystallization.

Answer 1

See explanation

Step-by-step explanation:

If we desire to recrystallize the given compound then we must do the following;

1) Add the compound to ethanol and heat the system

2) As the solute dissolves, the solution is allowed to cool

3) The solution may be seeded or the vessel scratched to aid crystallization.

4) The pure crystals are now filtered out, washed and dried.

Remember that recrystallization has to do with dissolving a solute in a solvent in which it is only soluble at high temperature but insoluble at low temperature.

The solvent dissolves the impure solute while pure crystals emerges as the temperature decreases.