Effect of functional groups on the solubilities of coumarin derivatives in supercritical carbon dioxide

Summary Solubilities in supercritical CO₂ of coumarin, four monosubstituted coumarin derivatives (4-hydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin, 7-methoxycoumarin, and 7-methylcoumarin) and four disubstituted derivatives, (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin-4-acetic acid, 7-methoxycoumarin-4-acetic acid, and 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin) were measured in the temperature range 35–50 °C and the pressure range 8.5–25 MPa. In general, the substituted coumarin derivatives were less soluble than simple coumarin. It was also found that substitution at the C-4 position of coumarin tended to reduce the solubility more than substitution at the C-7 position. These solubility data are essential for the systematic application of SFE and SFC of coumarin derivatives from plant sources.