Solvent Extraction
Solvent Extraction - Related Videos
06:42
Extraction of Biomarkers from Sediments - Accelerated Solvent Extraction
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jeff Salacup - University of Massachusetts Amherst The distribution of a group of organic biomarkers called glycerol-dialkyl glycerol-tetraethers (GDGTs), produced by a suite of archaea and bacteria, were found in modern sediments to change in a predictable manner in response to air or water temperature1,2. Therefore, the distribution of these biomarkers in a sequence of sediments of known age can be used to reconstruct the evolution of air and/or water temperature on...
06:30
Efficient Purification of Elastin-Like Polypeptides (ELPs) from E. coli Using an Organic Solvent-based Extraction and Precipitation Method
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2026
This protocol describes a rapid, reproducible organic solvent-based extraction and precipitation method for purifying elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) from Escherichia coli, providing a potentially scalable alternative to conventional ELP purification methods.
05:45
Extraction of Short-chain Fatty Acids from Mouse Feces Using A Two-phase Acid–Solvent Method
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2026
This protocol describes a two-phase acid–solvent extraction method for isolating short-chain fatty acids from low-input mouse fecal samples without derivatization.
06:43
Rotary Evaporation to Remove Solvent
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2023
Source: Dr. Melanie Pribisko Yen and Grace Tang — California Institute of Technology Rotary evaporation is a technique most commonly used in organic chemistry to remove a solvent from a higher-boiling point compound of interest. The rotary evaporator, or "rotovap", was invented in 1950 by the chemist Lyman C. Craig. The primary use of a rotovap is to dry and purify samples for downstream applications. Its speed and ability to handle large volumes of solvent make rotary evaporation a preferred...
09:41
Schlenk Lines Transfer of Solvents
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2023
Source: Hsin-Chun Chiu and Tyler J. Morin, laboratory of Dr. Ian Tonks—University of Minnesota Twin Cities Schlenk lines and high vacuum lines are both used to exclude moisture and oxygen from reactions by running reactions under a slight overpressure of inert gas (usually N2 or Ar) or under vacuum. Vacuum transfer has been developed as a method separate solvents (other volatile reagents) from drying agents (or other nonvolatile agents) and dispense them to reaction or storage vessels while...
FAQs
Partitioning is governed primarily by polarity, ionization, solubility, and chemical affinity. A compound tends to accumulate in the phase with which it interacts more favorably, so substances in the same sample can distribute differently between aqueous and organic layers. These differences create the separation that allows a researcher to enrich a target biomolecule for later analysis or purification.
Polarity influences whether a substance is better accommodated by the aqueous or organic phase, while ionization changes its chemical behavior and therefore its affinity for each solvent. Consequently, the same compound may partition differently when its ionization state differs. Considering both properties helps researchers interpret which layer is most likely to contain the desired biological material.
Immiscibility allows the liquids to form separate layers after mixing rather than becoming one uniform phase. During contact, dissolved compounds can redistribute between those layers according to their solubility and affinity. Once separation occurs, the distinct layers make it possible to collect the phase enriched in the target material, which is essential for subsequent analysis or purification.
First, place the biological sample in contact with the selected aqueous and organic liquids, then mix the phases so dissolved substances can redistribute. Allow the liquids to separate into layers, identify the phase containing the target compound, and collect that phase for further analysis or purification. The workflow depends on recognizing the partition behavior of the material being recovered.
They should relate the target's known or expected polarity, ionization, solubility, and chemical affinity to the two solvents, then identify which layer should preferentially contain it. The separated layers provide the practical check: the researcher collects the phase expected to be enriched in the target. This decision directly affects the material available for downstream biological analysis or purification.
The method is useful when researchers need to isolate lipids, pigments, metabolites, drugs, or other biomolecules from a biological sample. In biochemical research, extraction can prepare these materials for analysis or purification. The approach also supports environmental biology and general sample preparation, where separating compounds from samples enables more focused study of the recovered material.