Separation of Na salt of p- Cresol with p- cresol

[praveenpaliwal]

Hellow every body,

I want to separate Sodium salt of p cresol & P cresol. Is it possible with derivatization by chloroacetyl chloride??? If no then what is the suitable derivatization agent.

Best regards

Praveen

[Don_Hilton]

My thought would be to partition the analytical mixture between mild, aqueous acid and an organic solvent (like toluene) and then derivatize to ensure the presence of salts does not cause a problem. I tend to like MSTFA as a reagent for phenols, catechols, and such, but chloroacetyl chloride will probably work - I would add some dry pyridine remove the acid from the reaction.

[HW Mueller]

One will shift equilibrium with the partition, in the other chain on this the answer was given , I think by Vlad.

[Don_Hilton]

Reading this question first in the GC questions, I read the question as sepration of both compunds from matrix rather than from each other. The sodium salt will not be seen in the GC - at least as the sodium salt. I gave an answer that wouild separate the cresol and cresol salt from other things in the matrix...