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Solubilise medium chain fatty acid powder :(

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  • 22-10-2010 9:55am
    #1
    me12345
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Hey... im trying to solubilise a hydrophobic powder and not having much luck :( Ive tried mixing it with Ethanol or isopropanol but i dont think it is dissolving as the liquid is cloudy and one i dilute it in water...... it comes back out of solution mad.gif I also tried mixing a bit of 1M HCl with the water and that worked a wee bit but not as much as id hoped ......

    I need to use the mixture to do in vitro bacterial inactivation tests so the medium used to dissolve it cannot be lethal to my bugs :). Would really appreciate any suggestions........ confused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gif


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    #2
    FarmerGreen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭FarmerGreen


    Tween 80 ?


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    #3
    SOL
    Registered Users Posts: 1,155 ✭✭✭SOL


    What exactly is the hydrophobic material?
    If it doesn't dissolve in ethanol or isopropanol then you'll just have to try less polar things, like ethyl acetate... though that might just kill your bugs. Alternatively if it has acidic protons in it, you could dissolve it in a basic solution, have you tried NaOH or NaHCO3?


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    #4
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Long chain molecules, even in ideal solvent, often have a hard time going into solution. I regularly dissolve DNA in phosphate buffer and to do that I need to sonicate the sample for 30 minutes in a high power sonicator. Try that, it might work for a variety of solvents.


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    #5
    invaderjim
    Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭invaderjim


    You could try DMSO, should be safe to use on bacteria.


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    #6
    Gaspode
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional Midlands Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators, Regional North Mods, Regional West Moderators, Regional South East Moderators, Regional North East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 8,027 CMod ✭✭✭✭Gaspode


    If your chemical is expected to have antimicrobial properties (in vitro), but wont dissolve in water, how do you plan to use it effectively on a larger scale? Is such a highly hydrophobic antimicrobial really a viable proposition?


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    #7
    FarmerGreen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,134 ✭✭✭FarmerGreen


    If you had a lot of the hydrophobic stuff and mixed the bugs with it they would die of dehydration.
    So, its not that crazy.
    On the other hand, maybe they just gave him a daft job to see how he would solve the problem.

    1) Go on the Boards.
    2) Google.
    3) Ask a colleague.
    4) ..............


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