Isolation of Caffeine from Tea Leaves using Multiple Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Agbuya, Zarah Yvonne G. Alarcio, Janmaverick D.Alvarez, Adrian Joseph R.Aquino, Trisha Mae V.
Aracan, Daniel Kendrick O.Arenas, Ma. ElainJanne I.
Group 1, 2B-PH, Faculty of Pharmacy, UST
ABSTRACT
This study is about the isolation of caffeine from tea leaves in Lipton tea bags using the multiple extraction method. The
objective of this study is to differentiate simple extraction from multiple extraction method and to obtain the percentage yield
of caffeine for both extraction methods. Ten grams of tea leaves was boiled in a solution of 4.4 g of anhydrous sodium
carbonate and 100 mL of distilled water. From this solution, caffeine was extracted using 60 mL of dichloromethane which was
added in increments for about three times. The mixture of organic extract and a half a spatula of anhydrous sodium sulfatewas
decanted to collect the residue in theseparatory funnel and evaporating it to dryness in a tared evaporating dish covered by a
perforated filter paper so that everything except caffeine would evaporate under the hood. The percentage yield was computed
by getting the ratio of the weight of caffeine and the weight of tea leaves used multiplied by a 100% which resulted to 0.8%.

Introduction
Extraction is a separation technique based on
thedifferences in the solubility of substances in two
immiscible solvents (usually water and a water insoluble
organic solvent).1There are two main types of extraction
methods performed inthe laboratory namely: the liquidliquid extraction, which is also known aspartitioning or
solvent extraction, which is also subdivided into two types,
which are simple and multiple, and solid-liquid extraction.
Liquid-liquid extraction is commonly used in organic
chemistry.
The liquid-liquid extraction has two types which
are single extraction and multiple extraction. Single
extraction involves using the whole solvent in the extraction
process whilemultiple extraction involves repeated
extraction process and each extraction introduces the
solvent in increments. The method used in this study was
multiple liquid- liquid extraction method.
The objectives of this experiment were to extract
caffeine from 10 g of tea leaves, to know the amount
ofcaffeine present
in the 10 g of tea leaves, to
differentiatemultiple liquid- liquid extraction from simple
liquid-liquidextraction method and to calculate the
percentage yield of
caffeine in 10 g of tea leaves using
the assigned extractionmethod.

II. Methodology
Multiple liquid liquid extraction method was
assigned to odd-numbered groups and the simple liquidliquid extraction method was assigned to even-numbered
groups.
4.4 grams of anhydrous sodium carbonate was
weighed by student no.5 and was placed in a small
Erlenmeyer flaskand was dissolved in a pre-heated 100
mL distilled water bath. At the same time, 10 g of tea
leaves contained in a tea bag was weighed in the triple
beam balance by student no. 3. It was then dipped into
the heated mixture by student no.4. After 10 minutes of
boiling, the tea bags were emptied by student no.6 of its
contents by using a glass rod and pressing it against the
size of the flask to ensure that all of its contents will be
removed. This procedure should be done carefully so as
not to accidentally destroy the tea bags because it will
prolong the experiment performed. The mixture
wasallowed to cool for about 3 minutes before being
transferred into the separatory funnel by student no.1. 60
mL of dichloromethane was introduced for three times
and each timein increments during the extraction process
by student no.2. The separatory funnel was turned upside
down and the pressure inside the stopcock was released

by opening it as shown in Figure 1. In mixing, the stopcock

was swirled and was turned upside
down to release the pressure inside. After mixing, the
separatory funnel was placed in a steady position so that the
mixture would settle so that the separation of the two layers
would be clearly visible. An evaporating dish was measured
in a triple beam balance by student no. 5 and a half a spatula
of anhydrous sodium sulfate was introduced in the
Erlenmeyer flask by student no.2.When the two layers were
already prominent, the organic layer or the lower layer was
drained in the Erlenmeyer flask containing the anhydrous
sodium sulfate. The solution which was composed of
anhydrous sodium sulfate, dichloromethane and caffeine was
decanted onto the evaporating dish, that was weighed, by
student no.1. Under the fume hood, it was evaporated to
dryness until the residue was completely in powder form by
student no.6. The evaporating dish with the residue was
weighed once again using the triple beam balance by student
no.4. Results were properly listed and the percentage yield of
the extraction was calculated using this formula 2:

%yield=

Weight of caffeine
x 100
Weight of tea leaves used

separate two or more different compounds based on

their relative solubilities.
When applying liquid-liquid extractions,
the two phases formed mostly consist of an organic
phase andan organic solvent. Phase 2 which is usually
the organic solvent can be either lighter or heavier than
water which also means it can also be the upper phase or
the lower phase as shown in Figure 2. This is the reason
behind the preference of using solvents that have a
boiling point of lower than 100C

Figure 2 Representation of the distribution of molecules

between liquid phases (a) organic solvent lighter than
water (b) organic layer heavier than water 3
In figure 3, it further illustrates the extraction setup
wherein there are two layers which are the upper layer and
the lower layer. The upper layer is also the aqueous layer
because it is less dense while the lower layer isalso the
organic layer because it is denser. Dichloromethane and
caffeine are usually the constituents of the organic layer.

Figure 3
Extraction Setup

Figure 1 Use of separatory funnel (a) correct method for

holding a funnel and shaking (b) allowing layers to
separate3

III. Results and Discussion

The principle behind extraction is that it is a
technique used in chemical or biochemical processes to Multiple liquid-liquid extraction method was assigned to
our group. Multiple liquid-liquid extraction is almost the

same with simple liquid-liquid extraction except that the

former required a number of extractions compared to the
latter. Multiple liquid-liquid extraction is considered
muchmore efficient because it allows more caffeine to be
extractedcompared to simple liquid-liquid extraction
method.
Caffeine, even though it is soluble in water, and tannin
remain in the solution togetherbecause they are
converted into ionic salts by adding sodium carbonate,
which acts as a basein the extraction, wherein the base
converts the tannins into their sodium salts, which is a kind
of an ionic salt, which means thatit is not soluble in solvents
resulting for it toremain in the aqueous layer during
extraction and consequently, allows the purest caffeine to be
extracted.4
The role of anhydrous sodium sulfate in the
extraction is to serve as the drying agent that will remove
any water that may be present before commencing the
evaporation of the solvent.5
Data gathered:
Weight oftea
leaves used
Weight of
evaporating dish +
caffeine
Weight ofempty
evaporating dish
Weight ofcaffeine

10 grams
116.9427 grams

116.8627
grams
0.08 grams

Substituting the values in the formula for percentage yield:

%yield=

0.08 g
x 100
10 g

%yield=0.8
The percentage yield of 0.8% was obtained from the
substitution of value from the formula of percentage yield.
This means that for every ten grams of tea leaves, there is
about 0.008 grams of pure caffeine present.

IV. References
1
California State University, Department of Chemistry
(2005). Extractions. Retrieved from September 10,2014
from the California State University website:
http://chemistry.csudh.edu/faculty/noel/CHE317L/Extracti
on%20Experiment.htm.
2

Bathan, G., Bayquen, A. et al (2014). Laboratory Manual

in Organic Chemistry Revised Edition. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing,Inc.
3

Landgrebe, J.A.(1993). Theory and Practice in the

organic laboratory with microscale and standard scale
experiments(4thed).Australia: Brooks/Cole.
4

Penn State University, Department of Chemistry (2003).

Liquid-Liquid Extractions. Retrieved from September
10,2014 from the Penn State University website:
http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem36/Experiments/PDF
%27s_for_techniques/Liquid_Liquid.pdf.
5

University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry (2006).

Drying Organic Solutions. Retrieved from September
10,2014 from the University of Colorado website:
http://orgchem.colorado.edu/Technique/Procedures/Drying
/Drying.html.