Keepers are substances (typically

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

s, but sometimes

adsorbent Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the ''adsorbate'' on the surface of the ''adsorbent''. This process differs from absorption, in which a ...

solids) added in relatively small quantities during an evaporative procedure in analytical chemistry, such as concentration of an analyte-solvent mixture by

rotary evaporation A rotary evaporator (rotovap) is a device used in chemical laboratories for the efficient and gentle removal of solvents from samples by evaporation. When referenced in the chemistry research literature, description of the use of this technique and ...

. The purpose of a keeper is to reduce losses of a target analyte during the procedure. Keepers typically have reduced volatility and are added to a more volatile solvent. In the case of volatile target analytes, it is difficult to totally avoid loss of the analyte in an evaporative procedure, but the presence of a keeper solvent or solid is intended to preferentially solvate or adsorb the analyte, so that the volatility of the analyte is reduced as the evaporative procedure continues. In the case of non-volatile target analytes, the presence of the keeper solvent or solid is intended to prevent all the solvent from being evaporated off, thereby preventing the loss of analytes which might irreversibly adsorb to the container walls when completely dried, or if it is totally dried (in the case of a solid keeper), provide a surface where the analyte can be reversibly rather than irreversibly adsorbed A solid keeper of sodium sulfate was effective for reducing losses of

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is a class of organic compounds that is composed of multiple aromatic rings. The simplest representative is naphthalene, having two aromatic rings and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene. ...

s (PAHs) in an evaporative procedure.

Solvents commonly used as keepers

References

Analytical chemistry {{analytical-chem-stub