Question

8. Consider a liquid-liquid extraction procedure using a saturated aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and t-butyl methyl ether (density= 0.740) in a reaction tube shown below. Identify the organic layer. Explain your answer.

Answer 1

1. liquid liquid extraction is a technique to separate compounds based on their relative solubilities (Relative distribution) in two different immiscible liquids, usually water (polar) and an organic solvent (non-polar). It involve the transfer of compound to be extracted from one liquid into another liquid phase, generally from aqueous to organic,

2. In the figure depicted in question, lower layer will be an aqueous layer (density around 1) and upper layer will be an organic layer (density 0.74) as density of aqueous layer is more than that of organic layer , the compound to be separated will be distributed in between sodium bicarbonate solution and t-butyl methyl ether, these two solutions are immiscible as one is polar and other is non polar.