Liquid-liquid purification

Liquid-liquid purification consists of a range of techniques that separate compounds based on multiple properties.

Miscibility

Separating funnels separate organic and aqueous immiscible liquids at their boundary layer. We can add a solvent such as dichloromethane to emphasise the boundary layer and make the liquids easier to separate.

Volatility

Simple distillation separates volatile compounds based on their boiling point. Simple distillation cannot separate compounds with similar boiling points well. If we need to separate a mixture of alcohols or alkenes we would use steam distillation and fractional distillation, respectively.

Multiple properties

Chromatography is a powerful class of techniques that can separate compounds based on a range of properties. This includes separating by size, charge and phase affinity. For this simulation, we use chromatography that separates compounds based on their molecular size.

Other properties

Specialized techniques are used in a case-specific manner. For example, sublimation as a separation technique is only used for compounds that sublime (transition from solid directly to gas phase). This is a good example of how knowing the properties of a compound is crucial in identifying the best technique for its separation.