The presence of soluble tannins in tea leaves complicates the isolation of caffeine, as low
molecular weight tannins are also soluble in methylene chloride. However, we can take
advantage of the chemical reactivity of the ester bonds in hydrolyzble tannins. When tea
leaves are boiled in the presence of weak bases, such as CaCO3, the ester bond is cleaved.
This cleavage produces glucose and a calcium salt of gallic acid. These very polar
compounds will stay in water and will not be extracted into the methylene chloride.
Additionally, the base also converts caffeine molecules the may be present as salts to the
free base, increasing its solubility in methylene chloride.
The presence of soluble tannins in tea leaves complicates the isolation of caffeine, as low molecular weight tannins are also soluble in methylene chloride. However, we can take advantage of the chemical reactivity of the ester bonds in hydrolyzble tannins. When tea leaves are boiled in the presence of weak bases, such as CaCO3, the ester bond is cleaved. This cleavage produces glucose and a calcium salt of gallic acid. These very polar compounds will stay in water and will not be extracted into the methylene chloride. Additionally, the base also converts caffeine molecules the may be present as salts to the free base, increasing its solubility in methylene chloride.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..