Boba155 - 10-5-2011 at 08:24
Hey guys, I'm trying to to extract prostaglandins from coral. The procedure calls for an elution gradient (column chromatography) of about 9L of
benzene.
However, I can't purchase this since it's a controlled substance, and I can't synthesize it (don't own distillation gear, etc).
Anyone have any extra? I'd love to buy up to 10L. Name your price.
On a side note, would toluene/pentane work just as well as benzene? Will the fractions be different?
UKnowNotWatUDo - 10-5-2011 at 10:22
Based off of the phrasing "controlled substance" I'm going to assume you live in the US. And I guarantee you benzene is not a "controlled substance"
here.
Bot0nist - 10-5-2011 at 10:36
I assume by controlled substance you don't mean it's scheduled as a 'drug'
It isn't even a 'watched' chemical in the US according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEA_list_of_chemicals
You should be fine. Just buy it. Are you having trouble finding a source that will ship to individuals?
unionised - 10-5-2011 at 10:53
Toluene/ hexane would probably work just as well.
How old is the reference you are using? People may have tried changing to toluene already.
Jor - 10-5-2011 at 11:24
Try toluene or some other solvent. 10L of benzene is not nothing!
My bad
Boba155 - 10-5-2011 at 13:23
Sorry guys, was a little unclear.
What I meant by "controlled" was that since it's a registered carcinogen it's very difficult to actually FIND a seller who will sell for a reasonable
price.
For instance, I really do not want to pay 300$ for 10L of Benzene based on sellers from eBay.
And I also can't buy from organizations like Sigma because I'm an individual.
Perhaps I will try toulene or hexane.
Can I use the same amounts that the process calls for? For instance, if the elution gradient is four stages (4x1000 ml of 25,50,75,100% ethyl acetate
in benzene), could I just switch it out with toulene or hexane (4x1000 ml of 25,50,75,100% ethyl acetate in toulene)?
Thanks for the help!
ScienceSquirrel - 11-5-2011 at 06:30
Sigma is going to charge you a fair bit for 10 litres of benzene and not a small amount for 10 litres of toluene.
You must have a fair bit of kit to try and do this.
What size column are you using?
How are you going to concentrate the fractions?
smuv - 11-5-2011 at 11:12
Hexane is not a good substitute for benzene. Toluene is much better.