Chemist Juan Don Bigelow works for a pharmaceutical company. He needs to make mu

Question

Chemist Juan Don Bigelow works for a pharmaceutical company. He needs to make multi-kilogram quantities of a small molecule called Blebbitosin that is a potential therapeutic for Mango fever, a rare tropical disease. However, the last step in the synthesis of Blebbitosin is an equilibrium reaction, and the Keq is only slightly larger than 1. As a result, the final reaction only yields milligram quantities of the product.

Fragment A + Fragment B ?Blebbitosin + H2O

How could Juan Don Bigelow more efficiently synthesize the required quantity of Belbbitosin?

Explanation / Answer

He has to apply the Le Chatelier's principle. The concentration of H20 must be as low as possible.

He may:

- work with concentrated solutions of fragA and fragB

- use an other appropriate solvent and put an anhydrous salt in the bath to absorb water or engage the water in a secondary consuming reaction.

- if the reaction is endothermic, work at boiling, with continous evaporation of water

etc..

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