Forums / Chemical Synthesis Faculty Lounge / Solvent Choice

CEM Corporation :: Forums :: CEM Microwave University Forums :: Chemical Synthesis Faculty Lounge		<< Previous thread \| Next thread >>
Solvent Choice

Author

Post

Dean Sheard

Tue Aug 31 2010, 06:43PM

Registered Member #3614

Joined: Mon Jul 19 2010, 07:15PM
Posts: 3

I'm am planning to perform a MW synthesis using diethylene glycol monomethyl ether but was curious to know what other high boiling point solvents I could use that would act the same under MW conditions. Does anyone have experience using glycol ethers as solvents? The reaction would be run at 180 degrees for 10 mins.

Keller

Fri Sep 17 2010, 04:39AM

Product Manager, Synthesis Division

Registered Member #10

Joined: Thu Dec 11 2008, 10:38AM
Posts: 9

Glycol ethers have been extensively used as reducing agents in the synthesis of various types of nanomaterials, such as metal oxides and silver. These are a couple of references that might assist you, but basically they work well at high temperatures. They are moderate microwave absorbers, so the reagents used will have to be microwave absorbing-meaning they will have to be polar or ionic if you want to get to high temperatures. I've used DEG and PEG up to 300 C for synthesizing bimetallic iron species and EG at 180 C for synthesizing silver nanoparticles. Glycol ethers are easy to work with, but do put off a small odor after being heated to high temperatures.
J. Phys. Chem. C 2007, 111, 3920 –3926
Cryst. Growth Des. 2008, 8, 291 – 295.
Adv. Mater. 2008, 20, 4848 – 4850

[ Edited Fri Sep 17 2010, 04:43AM ]