3.3.16 - Chromatography Flashcards
What is the mobile phase?
Where molecules can move
What is the mobile phase always?
Always liquid or gas
What is the stationary phase?
Where molecules can’t move
What is the stationary phase always?
Solid, or a liquid on solid support
What does the distance that each substance moves up the plate by depend on?
Substance’s solubility in mobile phase and its retention by stationary phase
State 3 types of chromatography
- Thin-Layer Chromatography
- Column Chromatography
- Gas Chromatography
State what the stationary phase in thin-layer chromatography is
thin layer of silica (silicon dioxide) or alumina (aluminium oxide) fixed to glass or metal plate
When handling the plate in TLC, what should you do and why?
Wear gloves to avoid contamination by substances on your hand
Describe a method for thin-layer chromatography (TLC)
- Draw line in pencil near bottom of TLC plate (the baseline) & put small drop of each mixture on line
- Allow spots to dry
- Place plate in beaker with small volume of solvent (mobile phase)
- Solvent level must below baseline
- As solvent moves up plate, it carrier substances in mixture with it
- Some chemicals will be carried faster than other and and travel further up plate
- Remove plate from beaker when solvent has nearly reached top of plate
- Before it evaporates, use a pencil to make how far solvent travelled up plate (solvent front)
- Place plate in fume cupboard to dry
Why must the solvent level be below the baseline?
So solvent doesn’t dissolve samples away
Why should you place a TLC plate in fume cupboard to dry?
Fume cupboard will prevent any toxic or flammable fumes from escaping into room
What is the result produced from TLC called?
Chromatograph
Name 2 substances you can use to reveal colourless chemicals
- UV Light
- Iodine
Describe how you can use UV light to reveal colourless chemicals
- Many TLC plates have special fluorescent dye added to silica or alumina layer that glows when UV light shines on it
- Can put plate under UV lamp and draw around dark patches to show where spots of chemical are
Describe how you can use iodine to reveal colourless chemicals
- Expose chromatogram to iodine vapour
- i.e. leave plate in sealed jar with some iodine crystals
- Iodine vapour is a location agent - sticks to chemicals on plate and they’ll show up as brown/purple spots