Abstract: For the organic chemistry extraction experiments in some universities, the aqueous phenol solution (5 wt%) is normally extracted by ethyl acetate. However, phenol has moderate toxicity and corrosiveness, and it volatilizes easily during experimental operations such as extraction, organic phase drying and distillation solvent recovery. To promote greener laboratory practices and reduce the exposure to toxic compounds for both students and experimental mentors, as well as the environmental impact of phenol, the p-hydroxyacetophenone is selected to replace phenol for the lab course in the present work. The p-hydroxyacetophenone is a natural compound, which is widely used as additive in skincare cosmetics. The saturated aqueous solution of p-hydroxyacetophenone is prepared and extracted by the ethyl acetate or dichloromethane. The process of demulsify during the extraction process has been introduced and showed. Furthermore, the extraction efficiencies of these two solvents are compared.

Key words: p-Hydroxyacetophenone, Extraction, Organic chemistry experiments