Diagnosis of Organic Molecules by Solubilty Tests

Diagnosis of Molecules by Solubility Tests

Classification of organic compounds By solubility

In this experiment we begin the process of determining the structural composition of organic compounds based upon interpretation of simple solubility tests which can be extremely useful in organic structure determination. Before proceeding, the difference between solubility and a chemical reaction must be explain . In some cases, a chemical reaction is occur by a change in color or heat or by the formation of a precipitate. Solubility involves the formation of one layer, if the compounds are miscible (can be mixed), or two layers, if the compounds are immiscible.
The solubility of organic compounds can be divided into two major categories: sol¬ubility in which a chemical reaction is the driving force, for example, the acid-base reaction,

and solubility in which simple miscibility is the only mechanism involved, such as dissolving ethyl ether in carbon tetrachloride. Although the two solubility sections below are interrelated, the first section deals primarily with the identification of functional groups and the second with the determination of solvents to be used in recrystallizations, spectral analyses, and chemical reactions.