The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen. Suppose you had a mixture of

Question

The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen. Suppose you had a mixture of acetaminophen and slightly soluble in water. Sodium chloride, on the other hand, is water soluble. Let’s assume that the partition coefficient for acetaminophen is KD = 8 between ethyl acetate and water mixture. If we start with a salt acetaminophen mixture that contains 10 g of acetaminophen dissolved in 100 mL of water, how much acetaminophen can we extract with two extractions of ethyl acetate 20 mL each? Do each extraction separately. Calculate how much do you extract with one extraction first. Then consider how much remains in the aqueous layer and extract again

Explanation / Answer

Acetaminophen extraction

With first extraction with 20 ml ethylacetate

let x amount has been extracted in ethylacetate

Kd = amount in ethylacetate/amount in water

8 = (x/20)/[(10 - x)/100]

0.8 - 0.08x = 0.05x

x = 0.8/0.13 = 6.15 g

amount remained in water = 10 - 6.15 = 3.85 g

Second extraction with 20 ml of ethylacetate

let y amount has been extracted in ethylacetate

Kd = amount in ethylacetate/amount in water

8 = (y/20)/[(3.85 - y)/100]

0.308 - 0.08y = 0.05x

x = 0.308/0.13 = 2.37 g

amount remained in water = 3.85 - 2.37 = 1.48 g

Toatl amount of acetaminophen extracted in ethylacetate = 6.15 + 2.37 = 8.52 g

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