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Why Is Cholesterol Purification Recrystallization Ineffective?

Chemistry is a precise science that requires pure samples of compounds to conduct experiments under ideal conditions. Recrystallization is one method which can be used to purify substances, but it is not effective for all substances.

  1. Recrystallization

    • Recrystallization is a common method of purifying impure solids or a solid compound that contains multiple types of materials. For this purification method, a solid is dissolved in a solvent and allowed to crystallize as the compound cools. The other materials remain dissolved and the desired material becomes a pure solid. This method is relatively slow, but effective, and is dependent upon having a suitable solvent to work.

    Cholesterol

    • Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the human body or obtained through diet. It is used to produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids, among other important functions. The structure of the cholesterol molecule makes it so that it has one end that is fat-soluble and one end that is water-soluble. It does not dissolve very well in water.

    Solubility

    • The effectiveness of recrystallization is dependent upon having an effective solvent to dissolve the substance and keep the impurities in a dissolved state, so the desired compound crystallizes. Cholesterol, due to its chemical structure, does not dissolve well, although there are some solvents that can be used, such as ethanol and acetic acid. These can leave some impurities in the crystallized cholesterol, however. Recrystallization can be used to purify cholesterol, but it is difficult to obtain a pure sample.

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