You have been given the task of purifying a 60 mL sample of toluene. In order to

Question

You have been given the task of purifying a 60 mL sample of toluene. In order to develop your plan of action, you ask about the impurities likely to be present in the sample. You are told that it contains small amounts of acetone (~10%).

a Which technique would you choose for the purification process? Why?

b. Clearly describe the procedure you would use.

c. How will you know, from scrutinizing a 1H NMR spectrum of the purified toluene, that it has been freed from its impurities? Which signals would indicate the presence/absence of the impurity described above? Explain your rationale.

Explanation / Answer

a. Distillation is an adequate technique to purify toluene because acetone is more volatile than toluene. Boiling point for acetone is 65 oC, while that of toluene (111 oC).

b. A mixture of acetone and toluene contained in ballon is heated in sand bath and the vapor is condensated using cooling system and acetone is recuperated in a beaker.

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