Faster Sample Evaporation and Reclamation—No Monitoring Required, Unlike Conventional Vacuum Systems
Testimonial Interview with Dr. Lilia Baldauf, Postdoctoral Scholar, Cohen Lab,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego
Q1. What is your research activity?
A： Our research involves medicinal chemistry and drug design. We are often characterizing small amounts of precious samples. With the use of the Smart Evaporator, we can quickly and effectively concentrate our samples to dryness. It makes it easier to reclaim NMR samples from many solvents, including DMSO. The low temperature evaporation process ensures that sensitive compounds will still dry without degrading. We can now also dry samples that retain water or other higher boiling solvents in a shorter time frame.
Q2. What is a significant improvement or what is a change compared with before and using the Smart Evaporator?
A： Overall, faster evaporations and reclamation of samples, without having to monitor the process like a conventional vacuum setup. It’s easy to adjust and secure the samples.
Q3. How did you make your sample concentrated (evaporate your sample) before using the Biochromato product?
A： Generally, we used a stream of nitrogen with gentle heating or a rotary evaporator under high vacuum. It took longer as well.
Q4. How did you know BioChromato Smart Evaporator?
A： Another lab on campus had a Smart Evaporator and allowed us to try it.
Q5. What kind of process do you have before and after using the Smart Evaporator?
A： It depends, but often in the later portion of synthesis when concentrating isolated product(s) or reclaiming NMR. If concentrating isolated product(s), the sample is usually concentrated to less than 3 mL in a 20 mL scintillation vial or round-bottomed flask. After concentrating the sample, the sample is either left for longer to dry completely or triturated and dried again.
Q6. What is the experiment condition of concentration on the above process?
A： Low temperature evaporation to remove volatile and non-volatile solvents from products and reclaim samples from DMSO. Generally using glass scintillation vials or round-bottomed flasks. Solvents generally range from non-polar organics to polar solvents like water or DMSO. We set up a small cold trap and use a dry ice/ acetone freezing mixture to trap solvents as to not cause issues with the pump. Temperature varies depending on the boiling point of the evaporating solvents. We generally work with 3-5 mL of solution at a time, but can go up to 20 mL of solution when working with a 50 mL round-bottomed flask.
Q7. What is the advantage point (valid/practical point) of the Smart evaporator?
A： The low temperature evaporation of high boiling point solvents to prevent decomposition of sensitive products. Additionally, knowing that the sample is secure and steadily concentrating or drying while working on other tasks.
Q8. Do you have any improvement requests for the Smart Evaporator after you have used it?
A： I would include a small apparatus to clean the Smart Evaporator in case of bumping, so that the innards can be cleaned along with the plugs and tubing.
■Interested in what Smart Evaporator is? You can learn from here!
■Product details of Smart Evaporator C1 (Single Channel Evaporator)