Dr.

Raw'aa Solaiman
Definition
 The most common method of purifying solid
organic compounds is by recrystallization.

 The process of recrystallization relies on the

property that for most compounds, as the
temperature of a solvent increases, the
solubility of the compound in that solvent also
increases.
Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
Crystallization and precipitation

Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
 Crystallization of a solid is not the same as
precipitation of a solid.
 In crystallization, there is a slow, selective
formation of the crystal framework resulting in a
pure compound.
 In precipitation, there is a rapid formation of a
solid from a solution that usually produces an
amorphous solid containing many trapped
impurities within the solid's crystal framework.

Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
The steps in the recrystallization
of a compound are:
 Find a suitable solvent for the recrystallization.
 Dissolve the impure solid in a minimum
volume of hot solvent.
 Remove any insoluble impurities by filtration
(Hot filtration)
 Slowly cool the hot solution to crystallize the
desired compound from the solution.
 Filter the solution to isolate the purified solid
compound. (Cold filtration)
Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
Choosing a solvent

 The compound should be very soluble at the

boiling point of the solvent and only sparingly
soluble in the solvent at room temperature.

 The unwanted impurities should be either

very soluble in the solvent at room
temperature or insoluble in the hot solvent.
Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
 The solvent should not react with the
compound being purified. The desired
compound may be lost during
recrystallization if the solvent reacts with the
compound.
 The solvent should be volatile enough to be
easily removed from the solvent after the
compound has crystallized.

Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
Notes
 The slower the rate of cooling, the larger the crystals
that form.

Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
 The disadvantage of recrystallization is

it takes a long time.

 The advantage of recrystallization is

when carried out correctly, it is a very effective

way of obtaining a pure sample of some
product, or precipitate.
 The purity of the crystals can be tested by
performing a "melting point determination

Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman
Dr.Raw'aa Solaiman