[furnace981]

I am aiming to extract a compound that is soluble in acetone but not in water. However, while I can pull the compound out with acetone alone, I will also pull out various other unwanted compounds that are soluble in both water and acetone.

My hypothetical approach to purify my yield further is that if I mix the acetone solute with water and then boil away the acetone using a temperature that is above acetone's bp but below waters, I will be left with the insoluble target molecules at the bottom of the beaker and the unwanted compounds suspended in water, which I can then pour off.

My question then is obviously, can this work or am I missing some key idea here? I am neither a grad nor a PhD, but I am a semester away from becoming a grad.

I appreciate any help anyone could offer.

[Squirmy]

Your approach seems like it could work, but there may be a better way.

Can you provide any more details? What are you trying to extract the compound from? What's the compound and is it soluble in any other solvents? Is it a liquid or a solid?

[furnace981]

The target is a plant extract, coming from plant matter. I recognize there are better methods, but I am unable to acquire the solvents I would need since this is an experiment I am doing on my own time and money.

The compound is soluble in alcohol as well, but acetone is a much better solvent and avoids extracting all water soluble compounds from the plant matter.

The compound should be a 'sticky goo' to use laymen terms, so I suppose closer to a solid.

EDIT: Ideally if I had access to petroleum ether then I would be all set as I could combine the solvent with it in and drain the lower layer of acetone off. However no where around here sells it and I suspect I lack the appropriate license to acquire it anyway.

[Squirmy]

In that case, I'd just try your approach and see if it works. What else can you do?

[furnace981]

All right thank you for your time and *delete me*

[408]

I suspect I lack the appropriate license to acquire it anyway.

There is no such thing as a petroleum ether purchasers license.