Working Up The Reaction

Abstract

It is important to give some thought to the work up of the reaction before you attempt it. There are several aspects which need to be considered which will be dealt with here. First of all do make sure that the reaction has indeed finished (by careful analysis using your chosen monitoring system). When using tic analysis it is sometimes difficult to judge by spotting the reaction mixture directly on to the tlc plate. In these cases it is often possible to get a more accurate assessment by withdrawing a small aliquot of reaction mixture by syringe and adding it to a small vial containing a few drops each of ether and aqueous ammonium chloride. Agitation followed by tic of the organic phase will often give clean, reliable tlc information. This technique can also be used to screen alternative work up conditions, for example adding to water or aqueous base rather than ammonium chloride solution, or using other organic solvents in place of ether.