Insect pheromones are trace chemical substances released by the glands of insects, which are important substances for information transmission. The characteristics of insect pheromones can be used to effectively control agricultural and forestry pests. Taking advantages of pollution-free, low cost and good effect, this method has been widely used in the world in recent years. With the expansion of applications, the demand for insect pheromones is increasing. According to the different sources of insect pheromones, they can be divided into natural pheromones and synthetic pheromones, and a large number of insect pheromones are synthesized by chemical methods. Extraction and purification are important steps in the synthesis route, which is closely related to the purity of the products. Furthermore, the purity of pheromones will directly affect their effectiveness. Therefore, it is of great significance to select appropriate extraction and purification methods for the preparation of high purity insect pheromones.
Classification
There are many techniques used to purify insect pheromones. The followings are some commonly used methods.
- Extraction: Extraction is an operation in which the solute is extracted from a solution composed of another solvent by one solvent. Taking advantage of the difference in the solubility of the solute in mutually insoluble solvents. The choice of extractant is very important when using this purification technique. A preliminary separation of the product is usually performed by extraction, which removes most of the impurities.
- Recrystallization: Recrystallization is a process in which crystals are dissolved in a solvent or melted and then recrystallized again from a solution or melt. Recrystallization allows impure substances to be purified or mixed substances to be separated from one another. A product of higher purity is usually obtained by this method.
- Column chromatography: Column chromatography is a kind of distribution method based on distribution equilibrium. A chromatographic system consists of two phases, a stationary phase and a mobile phase. When the two phases are moving relative to each other, the differences in the distribution and equilibrium properties of each component in the mixture are repeatedly used to achieve the purpose of separation from each other. When using this method, adsorbent and eluent are two direct factors affecting the separation effect. High purity products can be obtained by selecting suitable adsorbents and eluents.
- Others: Pheromones with high purity can be obtained by selecting the appropriate method according to the characteristics of the reaction and the products. In addition to the methods described above, purification methods include filtration, salting-out, distillation and others.
Why choose Alfa Chemistry?
Alfa Chemistry is one of the largest providers of pheromones extraction and purification in the world and the quality assurance is of prime importance to Alfa Chemistry. The solvent from Alfa Chemistry in the world is synonymous with reliability and excellent quality. Because of the exacting nature of our business and the regulatory demands placed upon our industry, Alfa Chemistry continues to be at the forefront in terms of compliance, accreditations and certifications.