RECRYSTALLIZATION

Adolfo, Angela Nicole G., Alcaraz Frances Jillian F., Aliman, Stephanie T., Astor, Jashmin D.
Bauzon, Franchesca D., Cabral, Danica Rose G.

Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Santo Tomas
ABSTRACT
Recrystallization is a purifying method of organic solids where the amount of solute
that can be dissolved by a solvent increases with temperature. In the experiment, each of the
three test tubes contains pure acetanilide dissolved in water, ethanol, and hexane respectively.
The test tubes were observed at room temperature, during heating (37-40 C) and upon
cooling. Moreover, there was crude acetanilide obtained from mixture of aniline, distilled
water and acetic anhydride. Water was used as the recrystallizing solvent to obtain the pure
acetanilide. The crude and pure acetanilide was weighed. After which, the percentage yield
of acetanilide was computed and the melting point of the recrystallized acetanilide was
determined. Therefore, recrystallization is a good purification method compatible with the
nature of acetanilide.
INTRODUCTION
A solid sample can be purified through the process of recrystallization, to prepare a
highly concentrated solution at a high temperature. Melting point can be used to determine
the purity of this sample. The solution is cooled. Decreasing the temperature causes the
solubility of the impurities in the solution and the substance being purified to decrease. The
impure substance then crystallizes before the impurities- assuming that there was more
impure substance than there were impurities. The impure substance will crystallize in a purer
form because the impurities won't crystallize yet, therefore leaving the impurities behind in
the solution. A filtration process must be used to separate the more pure crystals at this point.
The procedure can be repeated. Solubility curves can be used to predict the outcome of a
recrystallization procedure. The slower the rate of cooling, the larger the crystals are that
form. The disadvantage of recrystallization is that it takes a long time. Also, it is very
important that the proper solvent is used. This can only be determined by trial and error,
based on predictions and observations. The solution must be soluble at high temperatures and

insoluble at low temperatures. The advantage or recrystallization is that, when carried out
correctly, it is a very effective way of obtaining a pure sample of some product, or
precipitate.

The following are the objectives

1.)

To be able to select an appropriate recrystallizing solvent

2.)

To separate and purify acetanilide by recrystallization

3.)

To compare the melting points of impure and recrystallized acetanilide

METHODOLOGY
Prepare three (3) different test tubes and place a corn-grain sized amount of pure
acetanilide, then add distilled water to the first test tube, hexane to the next one, and ethanol
to the last. Before placing it in a water bath for 1-5 minutes, make sure that the test tubes
were shaken. The test tubes were placed to an ice bath right after, and note the solubility of
the pure acetanilide in the different solvents at varying temperature. In an Erlenmeyer flask,
mix 2mL of Aniline and 20mL of distilled water, and then slowly add 3mL of acetic
anhydride. Note the changes then cool the flask in an ice bath to speed up the crystallization
of the solution. The solution was then filtered to obtain the fully formed crystals, let it dry by
pressing with filter paper and weigh the crude Acetanilide.
For the second crystallization, pour 20mL of water of the recrystallizing solvent when
the crude Acetanilide was completely dried. The solution was placed in a water bath until all
the solid dissolves. If the solution shows a change in color, add a pinch of activated charcoal
to remove the colored impurities and heat it again. After heating, the solution should be
filtered immediately while it is still hot using a fluted filter paper. The filtrate was placed on
an ice bath to hasten the crystallization. Collect the crystals and let it dry by pressing inbetween filter papers, and then weigh it.
After heating, the solution was filtered immediately while it is hot and the filtrate was
placed on an ice bath to hasten the crystallization of the solution. When the solution is done

crystallizing, the solution was filtered and the crystals were collected. The crystals were
dried by pressing in-between filter papers. The yielded pure acetanilide was weighed.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, the process of recrystallization is a quick, simple, and easy way to
purify a compound whether it is known or unknown. It is efficient for dissolving the solid to
be crystallized in a hot solvent or solvent mixture and by then, cooling the solution slowly. It
is also somehow useful for identifying an unknown compound because impurities affect
boiling and melting points which can cause or may lead to the identification of another
different compound. Charcoal, or for a concrete example that was used in the experiment is
the activated charcoal, is useful in removing some of the impurities of the mixture.