> chemistry > solvants-extractions > how-to-extract-cinnamaldehyde-from-cinnamon-nilered

How to extract Cinnamaldehyde from Cinnamon

NileRed - 2015-02-09

In this video I will be extracting cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon bark by steam distillation. The yield was about 0.5g cinnamaldehyde from 25.5g of cinnamon bark.

Nile talks about lab safety:  https://youtu.be/ftACSEJ6DZA

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The Democratic People's Republic of Nikita - 2016-11-06

Government: "What do you need this lab equipment for?"
"Extracting Cinnamaldehyde from Cinnamon"
DEA:" Sounds like meth to me"
"Wat"
FBI: "Sounds like explosives to me"

James Parslow - 2019-11-25

Pietro Tettamanti I might

James Parslow - 2019-11-25

Pietro Tettamanti would like to talk with you

GingerBee77 - 2019-12-27

😅

Beeblaine - 2020-01-21

The Democratic People's Republic of Nikita to be fair if you replace cinnamon with weed you extract cbd and thc

B. H. - 2020-04-16

Argenteus it is not the alpha position you would be giving an addition to. The end ketone can be lopped off with a wolfkischner reaction if you have access to nitrohydrazine

Charles Snyder - 2015-02-09

I bet your shop smelled pretty good for a while.

NileRed - 2015-02-09

It sure did!

Paula Bean - 2015-12-26

+Charles Snyder It smells like Xmas! ;-)

Random Stuff - 2021-03-30

It's smells like smell.

Dumi - 2020-05-30

5 years later still the best content around here! Keep going!

Q Dog - 2016-11-14

I thought you were doing this all at home?.How the hell did you have access to an NMR machine?

Declan Mercer - 2017-10-07

He has said in the past that one of his friends have access to an NMR machine

Cynthia Brogan - 2018-02-08

Q Dog he pulled it out of his ass.

Austin Noel - 2018-05-12

def. would do it at home !! dyi project for the weekend
=

ThePieFlava - 2019-03-21

My uni has an NMR machine. It's pretty cool!

Joe Allen - 2019-11-17

He clearly distilled one from the Sri around him...

Paula Bean - 2015-12-26

Nice video, I especially like the videos which are on the border of chemistry and cooking/food science. Maybe you could also do a peppermint oil extraction from peppermint plants? And vanillin from vanilla pods? And rose oil from roses (like they do in the perfume industry)?

NileRed - 2015-12-26

+Paula Bean I do like extractions from natural things. The only issue with it is that it is generally not super clean. Meaning i cant really do chemistry with the product i get. Real vanilla extract has like 1000 chemicals in it, or something crazy.

richard nineteenfortyone - 2017-02-27

You have 100% chemicals in YOU.  Starting with dihydrogen monoxide.  Remove too much of it it, and you will become very ill.  But you can be cured by massive doses of homeopathic remedy.

mortem [steam] - 2020-04-03

richard nineteenfortyone what

Gizmo 856 - 2020-07-13

@mortem [steam] that dude is out there😂 thinking he can cure corona with essential oils😂

Industrial adhesive - 2020-10-01

Yes vanillin for "flavoring" he should also make safrole for "rootbeer"

NileRed - 2015-02-09

I am not sure why, but it didn't separate out. I also did limonene which quickly separated out. I guess I could have left it out for a while and waited for it to separate.

Gentili Giuliano - 2020-01-27

@Simon Vercoe Normal soap will foam. Washing machine soap should not.

Hutt'n Kloas - 2020-07-02

@Tom Haflinger Adding NaCl to water increases its polarity hence a better separation from the organic layer

Tom Haflinger - 2020-07-02

@Hutt'n Kloas ah, I see. Is it that the oil and water become less attracted to each other (decreased adhesion), or does the water simply become more attracted to itself (increased cohesion)?

Hutt'n Kloas - 2020-07-03

@Tom Haflinger Basically when you dissolve salt in water the salt falls apart in its ions which have a charge[+/-]. As water has a dipole moment[d+/d-] it readily surrounds the ions, hence creating a stronger connection. Most organic compounds have a much lower or no dipole moment, therefore it separates out. Going back to your remark, bluntly said it's a bit of both ;-)

Tom Haflinger - 2020-07-03

@Hutt'n Kloas Thanks for your explanation!

Jayjay - 2015-07-13

it would be great if you make a tour showing your hole laboratory equipment and where you bought it :)

Anthony Vance - 2015-02-10

Oh my, man you are a revolution in the youtube chem. Nice job. I love your videos and methods. Don't give up! :)

Ocean Junkie - 2015-02-13

His channel really is the best chemistry channel around. He doesn't pander, his commentary is A+ and not annoying, great filming, great explaining, he lists reactants, quantities, and chemical equations. His experiments also look very neat and not half-assed in someone's back yard like some more popular chemistry channels. One of the most admirable things is that he doesn't only do flashy, explosive, or crazy experiments, he has a lot of variety.

NileRed - 2015-02-13

@Ocean Junkie Thanks!

Ocean Junkie - 2015-02-13

@Nile Red Your welcome!

Loki Scarlet - 2018-03-06

This may be an old video that Google had recommended I watch, but dammit, this video alone is worth a sub.

Geo M - 2018-05-29

0:07
“Damn that’s one awesome bong”

al il - 2020-05-27

bong jokes are pretty common in orgo labs in my experience, people work with "awesome bong" devices there every day. I've known someone who had such a great connection to the glassblower at their university that the glassblower made them custom bongs in their free time.

JNT250 - 2016-05-10

Great video, this is really going to help for my chemistry research project!
Thanks!

pablo picasso - 2015-02-10

You are a breath of (cinnamon) fresh air if the world of chemistry.
Great work as usual ;-)

Joshua Barnhart - 2018-04-03

Eat it! Haha do one on Myristicin from Nutmeg

Elvis Sanchez - 2019-12-08

you always have such amazing set up.

centrifuge destroyer - 2018-03-19

We made cinnamaldehyde the aldol condensation way at university. The only trouble was that I nearly dropped the flask and spilled quite a lot of it all over myself. (Luckly I didnt need it anymore at this stage) Although my labcoat did its job, I smelled like cinnamon for the whole day. I know there are worse things, but it kind of sucks when eating something savoury. Best part of it was when a little kid on the train yelled: "Mommy, why does that woman smell so tasty?"

Ce Qui Est Bon - 2020-07-10

Your videos are so complex I research everything you’re speaking about afterwards to understand it completely and I am glad To day I understood it as well as I did when you spoke of it

arjuna - 2015-11-04

if i add NaHSO3 to the water/oil emylsion (your distillat) will it help me to extract only aldehyde ?

David Rank - 2018-12-13

I like that HMRI you did at the end reminds me of that organic chemistry class I took in college. Look could you do a video on sulfuric acid production from elemental sulfur. Actually I’m not sure you may actually already know of such a video.

The Earth Is a Donut - 2019-11-01

ooooh I need this as a perfume mmm

Furious Jean - 2018-01-11

Impressive! Very good work!

mh cbon - 2019-05-26

@NileREd ever thought about showing how to extract artemisinine ? Might be of interest for a bunch of people. hope you ll take a look.

Mclovin Erryday popshuvin - 2018-07-22

Awesome stuff 👍

dimethylhydantoin - 2016-12-01

Do you have your own analytical instruments, or do you send them off or know people who can test them for you?

ZivaTronicsLab - 2015-08-25

Can you post a video on how to make cinnamaldehyde via an aldol condensation of benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde?

predjee - 2017-05-11

Hi Nile!

Thanks! Do you know any good lecture on short path distillation for a n00b?

Eimantas a - 2015-02-10

Great video! I will try this, thanks!

OJeyjunior - 2017-03-08

Hey, first congrats for the channel :D, you often talk about the efficiency when you're making extractions, and I don't remember you ever using the Steam Distillation before... and I didn't find anything about it's efficiency, so I have to ask, how much (%) of it's essential oils you'd say was "lost" in this process (pretend nothing was lost for lack of surface area)

Beatebrain - 2016-12-01

If you used Ether instead of DCM could you use it as a flavouring?

Methylchloroisothiazolinone - 2019-10-22

I am very jealous of aroma chemicals!

Ocean Junkie - 2015-02-23

When are you planning on posting your next video?

I check every day and find nothing :(

NileRed - 2015-02-25

I am going to try to get something out in the next week. I am pretty busy with school at the moment.

Petar Ugrina - 2015-03-04

I like your videos. Keep on posting and dont give up. Btw, where you buy all equipment (glass stuff and chemicals)???

NileRed - 2015-03-09

The chemicals are either made or purchased from ebay or other internet sources. The glassware is also from Ebay or other online sources. 

K1naku5ana3R1ka - 2018-10-02

Perhaps you could retry this with a Soxhlet extractor.

Pedro Faria - 2015-03-07

Hey Nile! I made this extraction today; from 28g of cinnamon sticks the yield was half a ml of the aldehyde. It smells nice! It is a bit cloudy but I believe it is water suspension from the separation process (as I don't have a desiccant at hand).

NileRed - 2015-03-09

Yeah ,it is very likely water that is present. Also, good job! I find it smells like very strong cinnamon gum :)

The Bio Major - 2019-07-05

I'm looking for the pin/clamp thing you've got around your glass valve on the sep funnel. Where did you get that, and what is it called, please? Love your videos btw. : )

bulbinking - 2016-03-14

For some reason artificial cinnimon flavoring has an after odor similar to saliva.

Same thing with guava fruits.

Do you know why this is?

Camroc37 - 2015-02-13

What was the liquid you used? (DCM)

Ocean Junkie - 2015-02-13

Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2). He has a video where he extracts it from varnish stripper.

Simon Jacobs - 2016-04-28

Cool! Gut this is nog steam destillation right?

NileRed - 2016-05-11

+Simon Jacobs It is and it isn't. True steam distillation involves shooting steam through the solution. This is just making the steam "in situ" which probably isn't as efficient, but still works well. We are still distilling off our product in the steam, but it isn't the true and classic technique.

Nachos - 2017-10-31

How do you know which extraction method to use? Water destillation vs Soxhlet, etc. Great video!

o 44 - 2019-04-26

If the compounds are polar water can be used, non polar requires a different solvent

nitrous dude - 2020-09-16

one of my undergrad Organic Labs was to make nicotine dipicrate. A really gross steam distillation of a big can of tobacco.. brings back found if not stinking memories :)

OvalWingNut - 2018-01-21

Wow! I'm not sure what I just watched but I am sure..... I'm IMPRESSED :) Thank you for the video

Kacper's Lab - 2021-04-05

Yeah Man you’re an artist

Melissa Chambers - 2018-09-27

Wouldn't this be a good application for a sohxlet extractor?

abby karim - 2017-08-01

cool work guy. can this method be used to extract oils from plants leaves etc, that do not ordinarily yield their oils on steam distillation?

Shaun Keith - 2018-09-19

funjishide bahahah

tubesurfer23 - 2015-02-10

Wow that was a lot of work and glass to have to clean up later. Is that the same way people make hot pepper essences and create ever more dangerous "new worlds hottest hot sauce's"? And thanks for the vid, I still need to decide between physics or chemistry and I'm thinking more about chemistry lately since watching your videos :) 

NileRed - 2015-02-10

I actually made a video about extracting the essence of hot peppers. The distillation doesn't work for that because the major spiciness component (capsaicin at least) is a crystal and not an oil.

centrifuge destroyer - 2018-03-19

tubesurfer23 "A lot of glass to clean up" I really like that you're interested in chemistry but its pretty obvious that you havent been in a lab already. I'm only a student (at university) but I had to clean five or six times as much glassware as you saw in the video on a day most of the times I've been in a (chemistry) lab. But dont let that discourage you, most of the time during extractions, destillations etc. you will have enough time to kill to clean everything.

no one - 2018-09-21

Jutta Beckmann I'm a chemistry student as well and in my lab we did this exact experiment and it was a real PAIN to get all of the cinnamon leftovers out of the 3-necked-flask, the only thing worse was cleaning this after a (failed) destillation of PET :/

Nexstra - 2018-01-23

Would this work with ethyl acetate in place of the DCM?

Logan - 2016-11-02

When you get the cinnamaldehyde in solution, could you ad anhydrous magnesium sulfate to dry the solution and then vacuum filter the magnesium sulfate off? Just wondering if it would work

Random Experiments Int. - Experiments and syntheses - 2015-05-09

I had to do this distillation a few years ago, but I powdered the cinnamon and bubbled steam through the solution instead of heating the solution directly. The yield is always quite low. Nice Video :)

Eric b - 2020-12-28

hi. where did you obtain you distillation apparatus from? thanks in advanced

J H - 2020-06-14

I was going to do this so I would have enough oil for the benzaldehyde synth in your other video... But you used 50g of cinnamon oil, and this yield was only 0.5g... So maybe I should just buy it online, lol.