What is a rotary evaporator used for in organic lab?
Rotary evaporators (also called “rotavaps”) are used to remove solvents from reaction mixtures and can accommodate volumes as large as 3 liters. They are found in almost every organic laboratory, since they allow performing this task very quickly. This keeps the solvent from freezing during the evaporation process.
What can be used instead of rotary evaporator?
You can use severe flowing air (Nitrogen if yours is air sensitive) from gas inlet with say a syringe into the solution. The severe turbulence of rotation of the solution in the vial would evaporate the solvent.
When using the rotary evaporator What is the purpose of the vacuum pump?
A vacuum pump is an important part of the rotary evaporator setup because it reduces the pressure within the system. This lowers the boiling temperature of the solvent enabling faster evaporation. One of the implications of this is you can work with a lower temperature bath than you would otherwise.
Why is rotary evaporation used?
Rotary evaporation is a technique commonly used in organic chemistry to remove a volatile solvent from a non-volatile compound of interest. The decreased pressure also helps to reduce the boiling point of the solvent which evaporates at a significantly lower temperature than at atmospheric pressure.
Which will boil first ethanol or water?
Ethanol and isopropanol boil at a lower temperature than water, which generally means that they will evaporate quicker than water. The boiling temperature is largely determined by attractive interactions between the liquid molecules.
What is the purpose of rotary evaporation?
Rotary evaporation is the process of reducing the volume of a solvent by distributing it as a thin film across the interior of a vessel at elevated temperature and reduced pressure. This promotes the rapid removal of excess solvent from less volatile samples.
When should you not use a rotary evaporator?
Rotovaps cannot be used for air and water-sensitive materials. Highly reactive materials should also not be rotovaped to prevent damage to seals. Distillation is a more appropriate choice for solvent removal for these items. 14.
Is rotary evaporator the same as distillation?
One difference between distillation and rotary evaporation is that the distillate is most often retained in distillation while the residue is retained in rotary evaporation. Since low pressure is used, a rotary evaporator is also quite efficient at removing the last traces of residual solvent from a solution.
What is a diaphragm vacuum pump?
Diaphragm Vacuum Pumps are dry pumps that operate using a pulsing motion that opens and closes valves to move air. This design eliminates the need for oil. The valves are often made of polytetrafluoroethylene making the pump resistant to corrosives and less susceptible to damage from vapors.