EXTRACTION OF PHENOL AND ITS METABOLITES FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

In the development of an extraction method utilizing the ''salting out '' technique, the extraction efficiencies for phenol, catechol, resorc inol, and hydroquinone from aqueous solutions were determined using te trahydrofuran (THF), acetonitrile (ACN), dimethylformamide (DMF), ethy l acetate (EtOAc), and diethyl ether (Et2O). Single additions of potas sium fluoride (anhydrous), sodium chloride, lithium chloride, ammonium acetate, and sodium bicarbonate were used to saturate the solvent/wat er combinations. Phase separations were not observed for combinations of THF/LiCl, NaHCO3; ACN/NaHCO3; and DMF/NaCl, LiCl, NH4OAc, NaHCO3; A CN/KF converted hydroquinone to quinone, while extraction DMF/KF yield ed no hydroquinone in nonacidified solutions. Essentially an other sol vent/salt combinations gave quantitative recoveries. As an aside and i n addition, KF was determined to be an efficient drying agent.