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I'm going to be aliquoting out ethanol-stabilized chloroform into smaller containers. It's presently in a large bottle sealed with a rubber(y) sheet so I can only draw it out with a needle.
My questions are:
How do I seal them?
If I'm aliquoting to minimize exposure of the full bottle to air, can I get rid of the rubber sheet?
Are there any restrictions on the sort of cap I can use on the aliquot bottle?
A septum sealed chloroform bottle is likely to have been packed under nitrogen to increase shelf life. Unless you are doing this under a dry nitrogen atmosphere, I'm not sure that decanting into smaller containers is likely to improve shelf life.
Chloroform needs to be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, out of direct light. Your choice of storage container is likely to be influenced by how long you intend to store it for, but an amber glass bottle with a ptfe-lined cap is probably best suited for longer storage. Rigid polyethylene and polypropylene do not have the best chemical resistance for long-term storage, but if they are air-tight containers will be probably be ok only for short term storage.
Be sure to read and understand the MSDS for chloroform fully before doing this. You will find storage recommendations and incompatibilities listed. DO NOT use containers or lids made from or containing aluminium, magnesium and other metals.
