SINGLE EXTRACTION OF CAFFEINE FROM DRIED TEA LEAVES

Jasher Christian Boado, Alyanna Cacas, Phoebe Calimag, Caryl Angelica Chin, Haidee Cosilet, John Francis Creencia
Group 2, 2BMT, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas

ABSTRACT
Single Extraction, one of the approaches of extraction method, is a separation of substances with
different solubilities in two immiscible solvents. This experiment aims to extract caffeine from dried tea leaves
and to compute for its percentage yield. 10 grams of tea leaves was added in a mixture of dissolved 4.4g of
anhydrous sodium carbonate in 100ml distilled water, and boiled for 10 minutes on a low flame. The mixture
was cooled and the aqueous solution was extracted with 60ml of dichloromethane in a separatory funnel. With
half a spatula of anhydrous sodium sulfate, the organic layer was evaporated to dryness in a fume hood and the
percentage yield (percentage yield=


was computed. The experiment extracted 0.0336g of
caffeine from dried tea leaves thus acquiring a 0.336% percentage yield.
INTRODUCTION
Extraction is a separation technique that
involves the recovery of a desired substance from a
complex mixture (Extraction, 2005). The Difference
in Solubilities of the organic substance and the
inorganic substance is the principle that allows
extraction to work. The organic substance is usually
insoluble while the inorganic substance is more
often soluble. This is because in a mixture where
water is solvent, the ions of the inorganic
compounds are attracted to the polar ions of water.
While the nonpolar forces in organic compounds
repel them. (Bienz, 2014)
Extraction can be done through Single
Extraction or Multiple Extractions. In this
experiment, Single Extraction was performed.
Single Extraction involves one large
amount of solvent for extraction whereas in this
experiment is dichloromethane. This solvent has a
low boiling point and is inert towards all
components of the mixture (Extraction, 2005).
Furthermore, the experiment involved
Solid-Liquid Extraction and Liquid-Liquid Extraction.
Solid-Liquid Extraction is the extraction of a desired
substance from a solid using a liquid solvent.
Liquid-Liquid Extraction is the extraction of a
desired substance from a liquid mixture using a
liquid solvent. It involves the addition of a solvent
that is immiscible then the selective dispersion of
the analyte versus contaminants between the two
layers formed.
The experiment aims to ascertain the
efficiency between single extraction and multiple
extractions, to extract caffeine from dried tea leaves
and to compute for its percentage yield.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The reagents used in this experiment are
dried tea leaves in a teabag, sodium carbonate,
distilled water, dichloromethane and sodium sulfate.
Members of the group assembled the
single extraction set-up, weighed an evaporating
dish and collected the materials used in the
experiment.

Figure 1. (a) Extraction Set up (b) Separatory funnel
in use
A. Solid-Liquid Extraction
4.4g Na
2
CO
3
+ 100ml dH
2
O
dissolve
10g tea leaves
Boil for 10min



residue Aqueous extract

First, 4.4g of sodium carbonate was put in a
beaker with 100ml of distilled water and was directly
heated on a hot plate until all the solids disolved.
Then, 10g of teabags were put in the mixture and
was covered with a watch glass. The mixture was
boiled for 10 minutes in a low flame. Before
removing the teabags, the adhering liquid was
squeeze out of them by pressing the teabags
against the side of the beaker using a stirring rod.
The liquid on the beaker is the aqueous extract to
be used on Liquid-Liquid Extraction.

B. Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Aqueous Extract Dichloromethane




Aqueous layer Organic Layer


Residue Organic Layer
evaporate

caffeine
The mixture was cooled by running water and
was then transferred into the separatory flask.
Employing the single extraction method, 60ml of the
extracting solvent dichloromethane was added to
the aqueous solution. The two components are
agitated by swirling for two minutes and from time
to time the stop cock of the separatory flask was
opened to release pressure. After swirling, the
components were allowed to separate.
When layers were visible, the bottom layer was
confirmed to be the organic layer by draining at
least two drops of the bottom layer on a test tube
with water. If a layer is formed, then it is the organic
layer.
The whole of the organic layer was drained into
an erlenmeyer flask containing half a spatula of
anhydrous sodium sulfate. It was decanted into a
tared evaporating dish and was evaporated to
dryness in a fume hood. The residue was weighed
and the percentage yield was calculated.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. Solid-Liquid Extraction

Figure 2. Structure of Caffeine.
The role of the sodium carbonate in the
extraction of caffeine in tea leaves is to act as a
base that will convert the acidic tannins of caffeine
into there sodium salts.

Being ionic, these salts are insoluble in
dichloromethane. If this base is not used, tannins
will also be extracted into the solvent (Extraction,
2012).
The tea bags were boiled in the mixture
because caffeine is highly soluble in hot water. This
allows the caffeine to be released hence capable of
extraction. (Extraction, 2012)
B. Liquid-Liquid Extraction
The mixture was cooled to prevent the
extracting solvent, dichloromethane, which has a
low boiling point (-39.75
o
C) from boiling away. This
solvent is used because it is immiscible with water
(Department of Health and Human Services, 2011).
The two components are swirled to bring about
substantial physical mixing. When layers are
formed, dichloromethane is the bottom layer
because it is denser than water (Raikos, et.al.,
2009).

Figure 3. Shows the dispersion of the analyte
versus contaminants between the two layers
formed. The bottom layer is the organic layer.
The anhydrous sodium sulfate serves as a
drying agent to absorb all excess water from the
solution leaving only caffeine.
The caffeine was measured and the results are
Table 1. Data
Weight of tea leaves
used
10.0g
Weight of evaporating
dish + caffeine
98.8449g
Weight of empty
evaporating dish
98. 8113g
Weight of caffeine 0.0336g
After the results were taken, the group
computed for the percentage yield.
percentage yield=

=0.336%
The percentage yield of caffeine is 0.336%.
In conclusion, single extraction was found to be less
efficient than multiple extractions because more
amount of solvent was left in the process and a
small amount of caffeine was extracted.
REFERENCES
Book:
Bathan, G. I., Bayquen, A, V., Cruz, C, T., et.al. (2014).
Laboratory Manual in Organic Chemistry Revised Edition.
Manila: C&E Publishing Inc.
Internet:
Bienz, S. (2014) General practical course in chemistry:
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http://www.chem.uzh.ch/bienz/lecture/gpc/Files/Versuche
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Chromacademy. (no date) Sample preparation: Liquid-
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Department of Health and Human Services. (2011).
Dichloromethane. 12
th
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Extraction of caffeine from tea. (2012). Retrieved
http://overcomingochem.blogspot.com/2012/03/extraction
-of-caffeine-from-tea.html
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Raikos, N., Spagou, K., Vlachou, M., Pouliopoulus, A.,
Thessa-lonikeos, E., and Tsoukali, H. (2009).
Development of a liquid-liquid extraction procedure for
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Pictures:
Figure 1. Liquid-Liquid Extraction. (2012). Biocyclopedia.
Retrieved on September 7, 2014 from
http://www.eplantscience.com/index/dean/liquidliquid_extr
action.php
Figure 2. Extraction of caffeine from tea. (2012).
Retrieved on September 7, 2014 from
http://overcomingochem.blogspot.com/2012/03/extraction
-of-caffeine-from-tea.html
Figure 3. Chromacademy. (no date) Sample preparation:
Liquid-liquid extraction techniques. Retrieved on
September 7, 2014 from
http://http://www.chromacademy.com/lms/sco59/Sample_
Preparation_Liquid-Liquid_Extraction_Techniques.pdf