Lipids are soluble in which class of solvents according to the material?

• A. Organic solvents
• B. Water
• C. Polar solvents
• D. Gases

Answer: (A)

Lipids are nonpolar, hydrophobic molecules, so they dissolve best in solvents that are also nonpolar or only weakly polar. This matching of similar intermolecular forces—often summarized as “like dissolves like”—lets the solvent surround and stabilize the lipid’s long hydrocarbon chains. Organic solvents such as hexane, chloroform, diethyl ether, and other nonpolar or low-polarity solvents are effective at dissolving lipids. Water and other polar solvents don’t interact well with those nonpolar regions, so lipids remain insoluble in them. Gases aren’t used as a solvent class for dissolving lipids, so they’re not suitable.