Alcohol-water as a novel medium for beta-hematin preparation.

It is shown that alcohol-water mixtures (e.g., 43 wt% ethanol) provide a suitable medium for the efficient production in high yield of beta-hematin from ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP), as measured by infrared spectroscopy. Previous and present light-absorption data of FP, obtained under specific acid conditions in an ethanol-water medium, suggest the presence of FP monomers, which are considered to promote the reaction leading to beta-hematin. Other aspects of the mechanism of reaction are discussed.