Question

Why would you use methanol rather than ethanol as a recrystalizing solvent for methyl m-nitrobenzoate? (not because of boiling point)

Answer 1

For recrystalization, compound must be soluble in solvent.

methanol have one Carbon in main chain and ethanol(CH3CHOH) contains two carbon in main chain.

number of Carbon increases, the polarity of compound decreases as carbon chain are nopolar in nature.

more over methanol have small size than ethanol.

for these above reason , methyl m-nitrobenzoate is more soluble in methanol than ethanol as methyl m-nitrobenzoate contains polar -NO2 and -CO2ME (ester) groups. Due to smaller size of methanol, methanol come in between compounds. so that compound is more soluble.

so use methanol rather than ethanol as a recrystalizing solvent for methyl m-nitrobenzoate.