Question

I'm an undergrad student and we recently performed saponification of esters which resulted in the formation of carboxylic acid which we had isolated out of the reaction mixture. After recrystallisation of the crude sample , the crystals came out to be super fluffy unlike any other crystals of previous compounds we've made yet

Is there a reason to this fluffiness?

Answer 1

The fluffiness of the crystals in the saponification reaction can be due to impurities or trapped air within the crystal structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fluffiness of the crystals obtained after recrystallization of the carboxylic acid in the saponification reaction can be attributed to the presence of impurities or trapped air within the crystal structure.

When crystals form, impurities or air can get trapped in the lattice structure, resulting in a less dense and fluffy appearance.

To improve the crystal formation, you can try promoting slow crystallization by cooling the mixture slowly or using a different solvent for recrystallization. This can help reduce the chances of impurities or air getting trapped in the crystals and result in denser crystals.