[organosurf]

Molecular sieves  – water adsorbancy

Can molecular sieves ( zeolites / aluminosilicates ) eg 4A be used in the following circumstances :
1 ) Reflux temp of 80 – 100 °C ?
2 ) With liquid carboxylic acids ( sources of H+ ) at 80 – 100 °C ?
3 ) With oxidizing and reducing agents in organic solvents at 80 – 100 °C ?
4 ) Will they adsorb heavy metals like Palladium, Raney Nickel, Manganese, Strontium, Ruthenium
     at 80 – 100 °C ?
5 ) Organic solvent drying at room temperature, left overnight, then decanted ?
6 ) Can they be used in place of Dean-Stark apparatus ?
     ( especially where water is eliminated using lower boiling point solvents eg methanol, MTBE )

[discodermolide]

I think they should be ok in all of these cases! Make sure they are dry first.

[tomek]

See:
Drying of Organic Solvents: Quantitative Evaluation of the Efficiency of Several Desiccants
D. Bradley G. Williams and Michelle Lawton
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 2010 75 (24), 8351-8354