Rotary Evaporator

We ended up with 10 fractions of the combined compounds. We needed to use the rotovap machine to remove the solvent that is inside of each fraction from the MPLC. Once we finished removing the initial solvent that was in the tubes from the MPLC , we used methanol to help wash the sample out of the flask. So the methanol helped to clean the dried sample out of the flask so we could place it into the small vials. Once the sample that now also contained methanol was in the small pre-weighed vials, we needed to re-dry the sample in order to collect some to take back to Taipei. We re-dried the samples in the vials, using a different connection piece on the rotovap machine. Once done we were able to see how many compounds could be collected in each vial, and decide if we would be taking the entire vial with us, or just some small samples in some eppendorf tubes. 

We weighed each vial before and after we got our samples. 

Drying the samples again now that they aren't in the flask, but in the vials

This is when we first placed them in the vials after using methanol and the ultrasonic cleaner to clean out the flasks. Our samples for 8 and 9 were a little more complicated. As I mentioned before our compounds were sticky, and due to this, it made it a little difficult dissolving and cleaning out the flask for 8 and 9. Toward the end of our fractions, meaning fractions 8 to 10, we should have mostly if not majority of non polar compounds since 100 percent methanol is what was ran through those tubes in the MPLC. However some of our polar compounds were also in these tubes, so we had to use a combination of water, methanol, and DCM to dissolve the fractions in flask 8 and 9. Then we had to remove the solvent again, so we put them back onto the rotovap machine. 

Some of these liquids were too high to be placed on the rotovap machine. Since this machine uses pressure , temperature, and other elements, it was unsafe to do so, and the product would just boil, and we would lose our sample. So, we placed it underneath this thing that looked like a fan, I forgot the name. It did help evaporate the liquid, and once it was low enough we just used the rotovap machine since it would dry the sample faster. 

The gang and Vicky and her son. Vicky was in charge of the lab we were working in while in Taichung. So I am very thankful for her, and grateful to her for allowing us to be apart of her lab space. She always brought snacks, and she even followed us on facebook.

We finished the night off with a dinner with everyone in the group, Vicky, and Some of the Taiwanese students we had been working with. They are super smart, and super sweet. There were a lot of new foods on the table, including jelly fish and wine chicken.