Adding ferric chloride to phenols usually creates a precipitate.
Is there a simple way to "undo" the ferric/phenolate complex? It would be a nice way to purify phenols, or even separate different phenols.jtkelectroman - 15-3-2007 at 15:15
you should be able to distill itTacho - 19-3-2007 at 03:36
Thanks jtkelectronan, I'll try that.chemoleo - 19-3-2007 at 15:54
How about adding NaOH, filtering the FeOH2 (squeeze hard, or boil to form denser forms) and keep the soluble Na-phenolate?Tacho - 20-3-2007 at 03:27
Quote:
Originally posted by chemoleo
How about adding NaOH, filtering the FeOH2 (squeeze hard, or boil to form denser forms) and keep the soluble Na-phenolate?
Also a good idea...
Humm, maybe the precipitate I got in previous experiments with phenolates had a lot of FeOH2 in them since I added NaOH (carelessly) to phenols to
obtain the phenolate. Maybe the phenol/ferric complex does not usually precipitate like I thought. Separation may not be so simple without a
chromatography column.Ozone - 20-3-2007 at 12:28
Try adding a solution of EDTA, and wait a while. The colored complex should disappear. Then distill (or extract) the phenol out (it distills with
water). Good luck getting your phenol from the water, though.
