Q: Each of the solvent given should effectively separate one of the following mixtures by thin-layer chromatography. Match the appropriate solvent with the mixture that you would expect to separate well with that solvent. Select your solvent from the following. Hexane, Methylene chloride, or Acetone.
a) 2-phenylethanol and acetophenone: methylene chloride but can't figure it out why...
b) bromobenzene and p-xylene: Hexane?
c) benzoic acid, 2, 4-dinitrobenzoic acid, and 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzoic acid: acetone maybe?
To identify the appropriate solvent for separating each mixture by thin-layer chromatography, you need to consider the polarity of the compounds in the mixtures.
a) For separating 2-phenylethanol and acetophenone, methylene chloride is the appropriate solvent. Both 2-phenylethanol and acetophenone are relatively polar, and methylene chloride is a moderately polar solvent. This polarity allows for effective separation of the compounds in the mixture.
b) When trying to separate bromobenzene and p-xylene, hexane is the appropriate solvent. Both bromobenzene and p-xylene are nonpolar compounds, and hexane is a nonpolar solvent. The nonpolarity of the solvent helps in separating these nonpolar compounds effectively.
c) To separate benzoic acid, 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid, and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid, acetone would be a suitable solvent. Both benzoic acid and its derivatives are polar compounds, and acetone is a polar solvent. The polarity of acetone allows for effective separation of these polar compounds.
In thin-layer chromatography, the goal is to select a solvent that matches the polarity of the compounds in the mixture to obtain optimal separation. The choice of solvent depends on the specific compounds involved in the mixture.
a) To effectively separate 2-phenylethanol and acetophenone using thin-layer chromatography, the appropriate solvent would be methylene chloride. Methylene chloride is a polar aprotic solvent that is commonly used for separating compounds with similar polarities. Both 2-phenylethanol and acetophenone have similar polarities, and therefore, methylene chloride would be a suitable solvent to separate them.
b) To effectively separate bromobenzene and p-xylene using thin-layer chromatography, the appropriate solvent would be hexane. Hexane is a nonpolar solvent that is commonly used for separating compounds with low polarities. Both bromobenzene and p-xylene are nonpolar compounds, and therefore, hexane would be a suitable solvent to separate them.
c) To effectively separate benzoic acid, 2, 4-dinitrobenzoic acid, and 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzoic acid using thin-layer chromatography, the appropriate solvent would be acetone. Acetone is a polar solvent that is commonly used for separating compounds with high polarities. Both benzoic acid, 2, 4-dinitrobenzoic acid, and 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzoic acid have relatively high polarities, and therefore, acetone would be a suitable solvent to separate them.