Partition Behavior of Penicillin in Three-liquid-phase Extraction System

Partition behavior of penicillins G and V was studied in a novel three-liquid-phase extraction system, which is composed of butyl acetate (BA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), ammonia sulfate (NH4)2SO4] and water (H2O). The main components in the top, middle and bottom phases are butyl acetate, polyethylene glycol aqueous solution and ammonia sulfate aqueous solution, respectively. Some parameters such as partition coefficients Di/j and mass fractions Ei ofpenicillins G and V were determined at the room temperature, respectively. Experimental efforts have been made to investigate the partition behavior of penicillin in the three-liquid-phase extraction system, including initial concentrations of phase-forming components PEG and (NH4)2SO4], PEG molecular weight, pH, initial concentration of penicillin. The results indicated that penicillins G and V have the similar partition behavior. They preferentially distribute into the middle phase with the increase of initial concentration of phase-forming components and into the top phase with the decrease of pH, while partition coefficient Dm/b is hardly affected by pH value. The variation of PEG molecular weight has little effect on mass fractions of penicillin. The increase of initial concentration of penicillins G and V could lead to the increase of Dt/b, Dm/b and the decrease of Dt/m, while their mass fractions in all phases were almost independent on their initial concentrations.