What experimental difficulty would you encounter if you had neglected to include a drying step before evaporating the ether solution of fluorene?
You have posted this question before. Perhaps the reason you haven't had a response is because we don't know how the compound was prepared; therefore, we don't know what other compounds may be in the fluorene/water/ether solution.
The main problem is that the product will be wet. This will lead to a recording of a higher yield than there should be. The product is a waxy solid and will be sticky if wet, consequently difficult to handle and indeed may not crystalise at all.
If the fluorene is to be used in a subsequent reaction, especially if a water sensitive base is to be used to remove one of the protons, then the reaction will fail or very much more base will be required to get the bright orange colour.
If you neglected to include a drying step before evaporating the ether solution of fluorene, you would encounter the experimental difficulty of incomplete or inefficient evaporation. The presence of residual water or moisture in the solution can hinder the evaporation process.
When organic solvents like ether are used, they can often contain traces of water, which can adversely affect the desired outcome of the experiment. Water has a higher boiling point than ether, and if present in the solution, it can cause the evaporation process to be incomplete or inefficient. This can result in a lower yield or impurities in the final product.
To avoid this experimental difficulty, it is crucial to include a drying step before evaporating the ether solution. This can be done by adding a drying agent, such as anhydrous sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate, to absorb any residual water or moisture present in the solution. The drying agent should be thoroughly mixed with the solution and allowed to sit for some time to ensure maximum water absorption.
After the drying step, the solution can then be evaporated, and the desired compound, in this case, fluorene, will be obtained in a more efficient manner. The drying step helps eliminate the interference of water, improving the overall quality and yield of the final product.