How Concentrated Are Your Reactions?

Since the release of the E‑WorkBook 10.1.2 Chemistry ELN, we have been busy augmenting the core features of the stoichiometry table. One of the enhancements we have recently implemented is the calculations of solvent concentration, with the ability to determine the molarity but also the solvent volumes of a reaction. Whilst molarity is an easily understood concept, the solvent volume measure provides an easier ratio of the quantity of solvent required per gram of reagent, which is a useful factor to consider when scaling a reaction.

Concentration is an important factor in a synthetic reaction, as it not only directly affects the rate of the reaction, but also the formation of impurities and side-products. Many discovery chemists typically run more dilute reactions to achieve a cleaner end result. Conversely, a process chemist may deliberately run the reaction in a more concentrated solution because of the practical size of equipment required. This also forces the formation of impurities to determine an appropriate purification strategy.

We believe this additional data will help to improve the reproducibility of experiments and to ensure that experiments scale with the desired outcome.