Question

Caffeine Extraction Lab:

Why is 1,2-dichloroethane a better solvent for this extraction than water?

Answer 1

The technique used to separate an organic compound from a mixture of compounds is called Extraction.

Extraction process selectively dissolves one or more of the mixture compounds into a suitable solvent. The solution of these dissolved compounds is referred to as the Extract. Here the organic solvent 1,2-dichloroethane is used to extract caffeine because caffeine is more soluble in 1,2-dichloroethane (140 mg/ml) than it is in water (22 mg/ml).

Therefore, 1,2-dichloroethane is a better solvent for the extraction of caffeine than water.