Caffeine extraction
Objective:
To extract caffeine from tea powder using polar - nonpolar solvent extraction technique.
Theory: The technique used to separate an organic compound from a mixture of compounds is called Extraction. Extraction process selectively dissolves one or more of the mixture compounds into a suitable solvent. The solution of these dissolved compounds is referred to as the Extract. Here the organic solvent dichloromethane is used to extract caffeine from an aqueous extract of tea leaves because caffeine is more soluble in dichloromethane (140 mg/ml) than it is in water (22 mg/ml). However, the tannins that are slightly soluble in dichloromethane can be eliminated by converting it to their salts (phenolic anions by adding sodium carbonate) (tannins are phenolic compounds of high molecular weight and being acidic in nature can be converted to salts by deprotonation of the -OH group) which remain in the water.
Bevarages cover a vast variety of addictive drinks out of which Tea and Coffee are the most popular acceptable drinks. Tea powder is extracted from tea leaves which contain tannins, which are acidic in nature, a number of colored compounds and a small amount of unrecompensed chlorophyll and an important stimulant called Caffeine. Because of the presence of Caffeine, tea and coffee are gaining popularity as an addictive stimulant. An average 30g of tea can contain 20-ll0 mg of caffeine thereby making tea a significant source of caffeine compared to other beverages. Caffeine can stimulate nervous system and can cause relaxation of respiratory and cardiac muscles. Caffeine is well known to increase both the alertness level and attention span. But like all other addictives, tea also shows withdrawal symptoms like headache, nervousness and insomnia for a regular consuming person.
Caffeine, 1,3,7 - trimethylxanthine, belongs to a wide class of compounds known as alkaloids. These are plant derived compounds with complex structure containing
To extract caffeine from tea powder using polar - nonpolar solvent extraction technique.
Theory: The technique used to separate an organic compound from a mixture of compounds is called Extraction. Extraction process selectively dissolves one or more of the mixture compounds into a suitable solvent. The solution of these dissolved compounds is referred to as the Extract. Here the organic solvent dichloromethane is used to extract caffeine from an aqueous extract of tea leaves because caffeine is more soluble in dichloromethane (140 mg/ml) than it is in water (22 mg/ml). However, the tannins that are slightly soluble in dichloromethane can be eliminated by converting it to their salts (phenolic anions by adding sodium carbonate) (tannins are phenolic compounds of high molecular weight and being acidic in nature can be converted to salts by deprotonation of the -OH group) which remain in the water.
Bevarages cover a vast variety of addictive drinks out of which Tea and Coffee are the most popular acceptable drinks. Tea powder is extracted from tea leaves which contain tannins, which are acidic in nature, a number of colored compounds and a small amount of unrecompensed chlorophyll and an important stimulant called Caffeine. Because of the presence of Caffeine, tea and coffee are gaining popularity as an addictive stimulant. An average 30g of tea can contain 20-ll0 mg of caffeine thereby making tea a significant source of caffeine compared to other beverages. Caffeine can stimulate nervous system and can cause relaxation of respiratory and cardiac muscles. Caffeine is well known to increase both the alertness level and attention span. But like all other addictives, tea also shows withdrawal symptoms like headache, nervousness and insomnia for a regular consuming person.
Caffeine, 1,3,7 - trimethylxanthine, belongs to a wide class of compounds known as alkaloids. These are plant derived compounds with complex structure containing
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