Bottom Phases Research Articles

Design and Development of Novel Continuous Flow Stirred Multiphase Reactor: Liquid–Liquid–Liquid Phase Transfer Catalysed Synthesis of Guaiacol Glycidyl Ether

Phase transfer catalysed (PTC) reactions are used in several pharmaceutical and fine chemical industrial processes. We have developed a novel stirred tank reactor (Yadav reactor) to conduct batch and continuous liquid–liquid–liquid (L-L-L) PTC reactions. The reactor had a provision of using three independent stirrers for each phase, thereby having complete control over the rate of mass transfer across the two interfaces. In the continuous mode of operation, the top and bottom phases were continuously fed into the reactor while the middle phase was used as a batch. All three stirrers were used independently, thereby having independent control of mass transfer resistances. The reactor in a batch mode showed higher conversion and selectivity compared to a conventional batch reactor. L-L-L PTC reaction in the continuous mode was successfully performed without loss of the middle catalyst phase and with steady conversion and selectivity. The reaction of guaiacol with epichlorohydrin was conducted as a model reaction, with a 76% conversion of epichlorohydrin, 85% selectivity of guaiacol glycidyl ether, and the middle catalyst phase was stable throughout the process.

Light-Triggered Switchable Ionic Liquid Aqueous Two-Phase Systems

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) consist of two immiscible aqueous phases where the mole fraction of water in both upper and bottom phases is higher than 0.8. ATPS has been widely used in many dif...

Multivariate optimization of an aqueous two-phase extraction for determination of cadmium and manganese in food sample

This study proposes a methodology of determination of cadmium and manganese in food samples using an aqueous two-phase system without extracting agent with F AAS detection. In order to choose the best system for preconcentration, an experimental design with Doehlert matrix was employed, allowing the determination of the system composed by PEO400 + K2HPO4 + H2O with the best extraction efficiency. This same study verified that pH does not influence the extraction percentage. Still in the optimization stage, the best conditions were tie-line length = 53.3%w; mass ratio between bottom and top phases = 0.029; and extraction time = 18hs. The method reached values of LOD (0.45 µg.Kg−1 for Cd(II) and 6.4 µg.Kg−1 for Mn(II)), LOQ (1.5 µg.Kg−1 for Cd(II) and 21 µg.Kg−1 for Mn(II)) and enrichment factor (16 for Cd(II) and 45 for Mn(II)) suitable to determine both analytes in food samples. The intra and inter-day relative standard deviation ranged from 3.28 to 4.37%, and from 5.05 to 6.60% for Cd(II) and Mn(II), respectively. The analysis of the NIST 1575a certified sample had a recovery of 98.2% for cadmium, and NIST 1515 presented recovery of 99.2% for manganese, showing high accuracy. The method was applied to samples of green tea and soluble coffee, and the recovery tests obtained results ranging from 94.0 to 110%. Therefore, the proposed methodology is efficient and without using an extractor, being a highly accurate and environmentally safe alternative for the determination of trace levels of metal in food samples.

Salting out in ACN/water systems: Hofmeister effects and partition of quercetin

In order to obtain a better understanding of the interaction between acetonitrile and secondary plant metabolites, partition behavior of quercetin as a biomolecule model was investigated in systems composed of acetonitrile, salt [NaCl/KCl/NaBr/KBr], and water at different temperatures. The salting-out ability of the constituent anions and cations of these salts followed the well-known Hofmeister series and the effect of anion was more pronounced than the effect of cation. The Setschenow-type equation is applied to study the slating-out effects on the selected systems. The effect of temperature on the cloud-points as a function of acetonitrile mole fraction was studied in the temperature range of 293.15–328.15 K at 5 K intervals in aqueous solution of acetonitrile. The results showed that the concentration of acetonitrile in equilibrium with a certain concentration of salts significantly increased by the increasing of temperature. The free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes of clouding point (CP) was estimated by using a simple method and the driving force of formation of two phases may be the decrease of enthalpy. Investigation of the distribution behavior of quercetin showed that with increasing the salting-out ability of salt, IC50 values (the concentration necessary for 50% reduction of DPPH) of bottom phases, partition coefficient and recovery of quercetin significantly increased. The effect of temperature on the recovery of quercetin showed that the recovery decreased with the increasing of temperature in total systems under investigation and the decrease more significantly for bromide salts. The change in Gibbs energy (ΔGt), enthalpy (ΔHt) and entropy (ΔSt) of quercetin transfer process was calculated from the partition data. The results confirmed that under the same conditions with increasing the salting-out ability of salt, the calculated ΔGt values were more negative.

Noble metal nanoparticle superstructures via liquid/liquid interfacial mass transfer-assisted self-assembly

Organized assemblies of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit unique optical, electronic and catalytic properties and potential applications in various areas. Many kinds of methods have been developed to fabricate such functional systems. In this work, we report a facile and novel method to fabricate the organized aggregates of Au and Ag NPs. Their freshly prepared hydrosols were used as upper phase, and the DMF/chloroform solutions of different fatty amines were used as bottom phases to form a planar liquid/liquid interface. The mass transfer across the interface occurred immediately, where the DMF droplets containing fatty amines entered into the hydrosols, leading to the formation of organized aggregates of NPs through a self-assembly process of amine molecules. It was found that several kinds of assemblies were generated, including ellipsoidal and spherical superstructures of spherical NPs, networks of spherical NPs and nanorods, and hierarchical structure of nanorods. In addition, networks composed of Au NPs/Ag skeleton satellite-core type nanorods were further constructed, which exhibited good catalytic performance and SERS property.

Extraction of yttrium from fluorescent lamps employing multivariate optimization in aqueous two-phase systems

This paper presents for the first time the application of aqueous two-phase systems for yttrium recovery from fluorescent lamp residues, a rare earth element with high added value and widely used in the technology industry. A multivariate study was carried out, using experimental design, for yttrium extraction employing ATPS using alizarin red as extracting agent, in order to expand the possibilities of the ATPS application in industrial scales. The optimized variables, employing 26–1 fractional design, were pH (3.00–9.00), extracting agent concentration (2.3–23.0 mmol kg−1), tie-line length (TLL), ATPS-forming copolymers (L35 and L64) and electrolytes (Na2SO4 and C6H5Na3O7·2H2O), and mass ratio between top and bottom phases (mTP/mBP = 0.5–2.0). It was observed for the first time, that the metal ions partition in ATPS is mainly influenced by the salt-forming anion species distribution as a function of pH at high TLL values. The extraction of yttrium was optimized in a 23 factorial design with no lack of adjustment and it was able to predict the extraction response with accuracy close to 96%. The optimized conditions of yttrium extraction were applied using a leach liquor from real sample of fluorescent powder. After five extraction steps, 90% of yttrium was selectively recovered.

A Novel Approach in Sorting Chirality Species of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Based on an Aqueous Two-Phase System of Polymer-Salt

Sorting of distinct (n, m) chirality species of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is essential for progress in technical applications in the field of electronic and optic devices. The purpose of this study is to investigate the isolation of single-wall carbon nanotubes based on diameters/chirality in a polymer-salt (polyethylene glycol and sodium citrate) aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) a substitute for common polymer-polymer (polyethylene glycol and dextran) system. The ATPS based on polymer-salt used instead of the common polymer-polymer system due to low viscosity, reduced surface tension, and lower cost of sodium citrate compared to the dextran. For this purpose, the ratio of concentrations of polyethylene glycol to sodium citrate as well as the effect of temperature on the isolation are both investigated and the selectivity and the recovery estimated approximately. The absorbance spectra from both top and bottom phases at different polymer and salt contents and at different temperatures show that by using this system in optimal conditions of polymer to salt ratio of 2:1 at temperature of 20 °C, a suitable separation of nanotubes with 85% yield of the chiral groups of 9 and 10 can be obtained.

Application of aqueous two-phase systems for the extraction of pharmaceutical compounds from water samples

In this study, the proposal was to use aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) as a sample preparation technique for the determination of five pharmaceuticals, classified as emerging contaminants (EC): ibuprofen, paracetamol, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and amoxicillin. The evaluation of this study was performed through the partition coefficient (K) of each pharmaceutical by varying some parameters of the system, such as the pH value of the medium, the nature of the ATPS-forming electrolyte and polymer, the tie-line length (TLL), the system temperature and the mass ratio between the top and bottom phases of the ATPS. Values of K between 9.30 and 1150 were obtained for the five pharmaceuticals during the system optimization. The ATPS also proved to be efficient as a sample preparation technique in the partition of the studied pharmaceuticals when applied to water samples, including drinking water, surface water and filtered water from a water treatment plant. The values of the partition coefficients found in these complex samples ranged from 2.49 to 74.2.

The temperature influence on the phase behavior of ionic liquid based aqueous two-phase systems and its extraction efficiency of 2-chlorophenol

With the increasing research on the aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS), the ATPS containing ionic liquid (IL) and salt have been widely used in the extraction and purification process. In this work, the partitioning of 2-chlorophenol in novel ATPS composed of n-butylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate and salts (ammonium sulfate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate) is evaluated. Firstly, the cloud point titration method was used to determine the binodal curves data experimentally at four temperatures and atmospheric pressure. And Merchuk equation was used to fit the binodal curves. Then, the gravimetric method was used to initially determine the tie-lines data and the concentration of all the ions in the top and bottom phases were determined by ion chromatography method to study the ion exchange in the ATPS. The reliability of tie-lines was evaluated by Othmer-Tobias and Bancroft equations. Finally, the influence of types of salts and temperature on the phase diagrams were studied carefully. Besides, in order to analyze the application of ATPS in the extraction, the partition coefficient of 2-chlorophenol was calculated at the same total composition while at different temperature. The ATPS formed by n-butylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate, ammonium sulfate, and water at 298.15 K was found to have the maximum amount of partition coefficient and extraction efficiency.

Cholinium chloride effect on ethanol-based aqueous biphasic systems: Liquid-liquid equilibrium and biomolecules partition behavior

Alcohols-based aqueous biphasic systems (ABS), such as ethanol-based ABS, are of great interest to the industry due to its low viscosity and suitability in separation and purification of biomolecules. Ethanol-based ABS using several salts were well described in the literature. In this work, the cholinium chloride ([N111(2OH)]Cl) was combined with the salts (NaH2PO4, K2HPO4, K3PO4, K2CO3, and K3C6H5O7) to obtain ions at equivalent concentrations. The cholinium chloride influence was evaluated on the ABS formation and biomolecules partition. For all systems, the [N111(2OH)]Cl affects the liquid-liquid equilibrium, and a decrease of the biphasic region was observed due to the reduction of the salt ionic strength when part of this was replaced by the cholinium chloride. Moreover, the top and bottom phases properties were properly described using analytical techniques to quantify all the phases’ components. Concerning the [N111(2OH)]Cl effect on biomolecules separation and purification process, several biomolecules namely alkaloids (caffeine and nicotine), amino acids (l-tryptophan, l-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine) and phenolic compounds (gallic acid and vanillic acid) were used as molecular probes. The partition coefficient (K) showed a strong influence of the [N111(2OH)]Cl presence on the partition behavior. Besides, in some cases, specific interaction between the [N111(2OH)]Cl and the biomolecules overcome the electrostatic interactions as the main driving force to the partition behavior. The obtained results suggest that [N111(2OH)]Cl can act in ABS to modulate the phases properties and partition behavior.

Syncytiotrophoblast basal membrane-derived exosomes increase NO generation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Rhenium and molybdenum are valuable metals present in the earth's crust in very low concentration and are increasingly used in industry thanks to their multiple properties, but due to the harmful aspects of the production process, there is a need to develop systems of concentration or purification of salts of these elements. For this work a PEG/Na2MoO4 aqueous two phase system (ATPS) was used for the partition of ReO4- anion. By using a central composite design, the effects of PEG concentration, sodium molybdate concentration, temperature, pH and their possible interaction on the partition coefficient were studied, also to estimate the optimal configuration of the factors that influence the process. At the same time, experimental density, sound velocity and isentropic compressibility were also obtained for top and bottom phases. The results showed that the optimal conditions for the partition of ReO4− anion using the ATPS formed by PEG and Na2MoO4 were 14.7 wt% PEG 4000, 16.3 wt% Na2MoO4, 35 °C and pH 6. For these conditions, the partition coefficient (K) obtained was up to 17.8 ± 0.78. The order of factors with high significance on the partition coefficient was: Na2MoO4 concentration > PEG concentration > temperature > pH > interaction between Na2MoO4 and PEG concentrations; the effect of these parameters mainly is related with the speciation, salting-out effect and hydrophobicity. The influence of these factors on the density, and sound velocity of the top phase was minimal, unlike its influence on the properties of the bottom phase, not isentropic compressibility and effect of PEG and Na2MoO4 concentrations on sound velocity. The evaluation of the partitioning behavior was made by experimental design, applying statistical regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical models for partition coefficient and for phase densities (and the other properties) as function of parameters with significant effects were obtained, and also a good correlation between experimental and correlated data was observed (R-Squared = 0.9379, ReO4− partition coefficient; 0.9882, bottom phase; and 0.9836 upper phase). This work is oriented to the possible application in stripping of a top phase provided for a co-extraction of rhenium and molybdenum by ATPS in acidic media or in solutions with high contend of Mo such as those provided by pressure oxidative leaching of molybdenite in basic media.

Characterization of Ionic Liquid Aqueous Two-Phase Systems: Phase Separation Behaviors and the Hydrophobicity Index between the Two Phases.

1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Amim][Cl] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Bmim][Cl] are water-soluble ionic liquids (ILs) that can from an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) when mixed with specific salts. Herein, we prepared [Amim][Cl]- and [Bmim][Cl]-ATPSs by adding the salts (K2CO3, K2HPO4). To investigate the phase separation behavior of the IL-ATPSs, binodal curves were drawn at different temperatures and the length and slope of the tie lines were analyzed. The [Bmim][Cl]/K2HPO4 system underwent two-phase separation at lower temperature conditions, suggesting that the phase separation might depend on the salting-out effect in the bottom phase. Using the IL-ATPS, the distribution coefficients, Kaa, of amino acids were determined and used to characterize the hydrophobicity index (HF) between the top and bottom phases, which is a good indicator to understand the molecular partitioning behaviors in conventional ATPSs. The HF values of the IL-ATPSs were in the range 0.13-0.41 mol/kJ; these values were almost the same as the HF values reported for an ATPS composed of poly(ethylene glycol) and salt.

Salt-containing aqueous two-phase system shows predictable partition of proteins with surface amino acids residues

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) containing salts has been used for protein purification and enrichment. However, it is unclear how proteins are partitioned in the top or bottom phases of the system. In this study, we demonstrate that the partition of proteins in salt-containing ATPS (SATPS) depends only on the relation between the protein-surface amino acids and the type of salt using SATPS. The partition coefficients of four proteins changed depending on the kind of salt, according to the Hofmeister series. Interestingly, the partition coefficients of the proteins correlated to those of the combination of the amino acids in the surface of the protein with the correlation coefficients of >0.9. The results suggest that the interaction between the protein surface and aqueous ions plays an indispensable role for the partition of proteins in SATPS that can help in the design of protein partition in ATPS for purification and enrichment.

Selective separation method of aggregates from IgG solution by aqueous two-phase system

Aggregation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a serious concern that results in immunogenicity in pharmaceutical applications. Removal of the small and soluble aggregates in protein solutions through a simple method remains challenging. Here we show that an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) can be used for the elimination of soluble aggregates from IgG solution. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (DEX) were selected as components of the ATPS. As expected, IgG monomers were partitioned into the top or bottom phases of ATPS. Interestingly, almost all the small and soluble aggregates of IgG were extracted to the interface between top and bottom phases, rather than in the liquid phases. The partitioning of monomers and aggregates of IgG can be attributed to the solubility of these protein states in PEG and DEX. Thus, ATPS using PEG and DEX can be employed for the simple removal method of soluble aggregates from IgG solution.

Extraction of arsenic(III) in aqueous two-phase systems: A new methodology for determination and speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic

This work utilizes the liquid–liquid extraction technique of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) formed by a polymer and electrolyte to develop a novel methodology for the extraction, determination, and speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic. To optimize the methodology, the following parameters were studied: pH of the system, nature of the ATPS-forming electrolyte and the polymer, tie-line length (TLL) of the system, type and concentration of extractants, and the mass ratio of the top and bottom phases. The highest extraction (%E = 98%) was obtained for an ATPS composed of L64 + Na2SO4 + H2O, at pH = 6.00, TLL = 33.55% w/w using the ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) extractant in a molar ratio (APDC/As(III)) of 960, and with a mass ratio of 1/4. In these same conditions, As(V) was not extracted satisfactorily (%E = 18%) to ATPS top phase, with a separation factor equal to 530 after three extractions, showing the great potential of the system for the speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic. Moreover, the method was validated employing HG-ICP OES with a coefficient of determination of 0.9957 and limits of detection and quantification equal to 0.20 μg kg−1 and 0.66 μg kg−1, respectively, proving that the method is capable of detecting the low concentrations required by legislation. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values varied between 4.88 and 9.45%, and the RSD in inter-day precision was 11.07%, which are in accordance with the limits of the validation guide used by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology, COD-CGCRE-008. Furthermore, relative error rates ranged from −7.44 to 9.90% and recovery percentages were between 92.6 and 110% for the accuracy studies. This method was also applied in a spiked tap water sample, presenting a recovery value equal to 87.10%.

Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium Data and Thermodynamic Modeling for Aqueous Two-Phase System Peg 1500 + Sodium Sulfate + Water at Different Temperatures

Liquid–liquid equilibrium data of aqueous two phase systems (ATPS) composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1500 g·mol–1 + sodium sulfate + water at T = (293.15, 303.15 and 313.15) K and p = 0.1 MPa were determined. The density of the top and bottom phases of tie-lines (TL) was determined. The universal functional activity coefficient (UNIFAC) model was correlated to the experimental tie-line data, and the root-mean-square deviations (RMSD) between experimental and calculated data were considered in the calculation. The salting-out effect was evaluated using the model of the effective volume (EEV). The temperature had no influence on the binodal curves and TL, this effect can be attributed to a small enthalpic contribution in the phase separation process. Increases in the ATPS constituents concentrations resulting in an increase in the density of the phases. The increase in temperature resulted in an increase in the salting-out effect. The highest estimated value of EEV was obtained for a system at 293.15 K....

Application of central composite design to the partition of perrhenate anion in aqueous two phase system Na2MoO4 + PEG 4000 + H2O

Rhenium and molybdenum are valuable metals present in the earth's crust in very low concentration and are increasingly used in industry thanks to their multiple properties, but due to the harmful aspects of the production process, there is a need to develop systems of concentration or purification of salts of these elements. For this work a PEG/Na2MoO4 aqueous two phase system (ATPS) was used for the partition of ReO4- anion. By using a central composite design, the effects of PEG concentration, sodium molybdate concentration, temperature, pH and their possible interaction on the partition coefficient were studied, also to estimate the optimal configuration of the factors that influence the process. At the same time, experimental density, sound velocity and isentropic compressibility were also obtained for top and bottom phases. The results showed that the optimal conditions for the partition of ReO4− anion using the ATPS formed by PEG and Na2MoO4 were 14.7 wt% PEG 4000, 16.3 wt% Na2MoO4, 35 °C and pH 6. For these conditions, the partition coefficient (K) obtained was up to 17.8 ± 0.78. The order of factors with high significance on the partition coefficient was: Na2MoO4 concentration > PEG concentration > temperature > pH > interaction between Na2MoO4 and PEG concentrations; the effect of these parameters mainly is related with the speciation, salting-out effect and hydrophobicity. The influence of these factors on the density, and sound velocity of the top phase was minimal, unlike its influence on the properties of the bottom phase, not isentropic compressibility and effect of PEG and Na2MoO4 concentrations on sound velocity. The evaluation of the partitioning behavior was made by experimental design, applying statistical regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical models for partition coefficient and for phase densities (and the other properties) as function of parameters with significant effects were obtained, and also a good correlation between experimental and correlated data was observed (R-Squared = 0.9379, ReO4− partition coefficient; 0.9882, bottom phase; and 0.9836 upper phase). This work is oriented to the possible application in stripping of a top phase provided for a co-extraction of rhenium and molybdenum by ATPS in acidic media or in solutions with high contend of Mo such as those provided by pressure oxidative leaching of molybdenite in basic media.

Thermo-separating polymer-based aqueous two-phase systems for the recovery of PEGylated lysozyme species

Fractionation of native, mono and di-PEGylated lysozyme was performed in 36 different polymer-polymer aqueous two-phase systems using UCON as a phase-forming component. After a discrete partition analysis, dextran 75 kDa-UCON, volume ratio 3, tie-line length 35% w/w; ficoll 70 kDa-UCON, volume ratio 1, tie-line length 45% w/w and a PEG 8 kDa-UCON volume ratio 3, tie-line length 65% w/w systems were selected for optimization via salt addition and to observe the behavior of the lysozyme species in mixtures. The dextran-UCON and the PEG-UCON systems with 75 mM NaCl showed effectiveness in separating 75% and 87% of mono-PEGylated lysozyme from the rest of the lysozyme species in the top and bottom phases, respectively. These results are an advancement in incorporating these extractions in different processes since the use of UCON simplifies the removal of the polymers, providing the opportunity of recycling it to the operation.

Separation of cobalt and nickel in leach solutions of spent nickel-metal hydride batteries using aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS)

This paper presents the use of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) as an alternative to liquid–liquid solvent extraction for the selective removal of cobalt and nickel from nickel metal hydride batteries (NiMH). The optimized extraction conditions were determined with a leach liquor obtained from the NiMH battery residue as a matrix. The effect of several key variables on the metal extraction was evaluated: (i) extractant nature, (ii) pH, (iii) the ATPS-forming electrolyte, (iv) the ATPS-forming copolymer, (v) the ratio between the top and bottom phases, and (vi) liquor dilution. Process efficiency was measured by the percentage of cobalt (%ECo) and nickel (%ENi) extraction and the separation factor between these metallic ions (βCo/Ni). The highest cobalt extraction percentages were obtained for ATPS formed by L64 + Na2SO4 + H2O at pH 5.00, using 1-nitroso 2-naphtol (1N2N) extractant and a liquor dilution factor of 35. At these conditions, %ECo and %ENi were 99.18% and 1.29%, respectively, and βCo/Ni reached 9339 after three successive extraction steps.

Biphasic extraction of different polysaccharides from Radix Sophorae Tonkinensis by microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction: Process optimization, structural characterization and mechanism exploration

Abstract A novel method for biphasic extraction and separation of different polysaccharides from Radix Sophorae Tonkinensis (RST) was developed by microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (MAATPE) in a one-step procedure. Using ethanol/Na2HPO4 system as a green extractant, the effects of the composition of the aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), extraction temperature and extraction time were investigated by single-factor experiments coupled to response surface methodology (RSM) through UV–vis analysis. Under the optimum conditions, extraction yields of two polysaccharides from top and bottom phases were 8.52 ± 0.21% (w/w) and 2.18 ± 0.08% (w/w), respectively. Compared with heating solvent extraction (HSE) and ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE), MAATPE exhibited higher extraction efficiency. By means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), two polysaccharides obtained from both phases had the characteristics of homogenous heteropolysaccharides, but there were some differences in chemical structures and the molecular weight from each other. Both polysaccharides could be extracted respectively from RST to the top ethanol-rich phase and the bottom salt-rich phase due to their polarity difference. Furthermore, the chemical compositions of two polysaccharides were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis after hydrolysis and derivatization, the molar ratios of monosaccharides were glucose: arabinose: galactose: rhamnose: mannose: glucuronic acid: aminogalactose = 63.70: 18.21: 7.00: 5.10: 3.13: 1.78: 1.07 for the polysaccharide in the top phase and 75.24: 3.79: 3.71: 3.37: 2.51: 1.43: 9.95 for those in the bottom phase, respectively. By means of extraction process analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the exportation of MAATPE mechanism revealed that combining microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) with aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) not only improved the extraction yields, but also obtained at least two different polysaccharides. Under microwave field, the ATPS could make the herb cell ruptured, and multiphase mass-transfer was accelerated. The proposed method is a rapid, simple and efficient alternative to biphasic extraction of diverse polysaccharides from natural plants.