A novel experiment for the extraction of lycopene from tomato paste without the use of an organic solvent is described. The experiment employs polymer, green, and analytical chemistry. This environmentally friendly extraction is more efficient and requires less time than the traditional approach using an organic solvent. The extraction is accomplished using an aqueous emulsion. The emulsifying agent CPS, which is a co-polymerization product from acrylic acid, n-butyl acrylate, and styrene monomers, is generated as a part of the experiment. The emulsion can be reused by simple basification. This experiment acquaints students with a polymerization reaction, the extraction of a natural product, and provides experience with thin-layer chromatography and UV–vis spectroscopy, which are used for purity determination and identification, respectively. During the experiment, students gain an understanding of the overlap among the different fields of chemistry and the concept of green chemistry. The experiment is suitable for upper-level chemistry laboratories.
Student procedures and instructor's notes including the purpose of this experiment, background information of lycopene, chemicals with hazardous information, and laboratory supplies are available.
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