Paper Chromatography
Paper Chromatography Experiment
The paper chromatography experiment was introduced In 1944 by Consden, Gorden, and Martin. In the paper chromatography technique, a sheet of filter paper is used as a stationary phase and mobile liquid phase which percolates within the porous structure of the paper. A drop of solution mixture is placed near one end of the filter paper by a capillary tube or syringe. The spotted filter paper is suspended vertically in the solvent chamber given in the picture,
When the solvent front moves upwards and passes the spot, it carries the different components upwards at different rates depending upon the nature of the substances.
The most useful solvent which we used in the paper chromatography experiment is phenol, butanol, benzyl alcohol, propanol, furfuryl alcohol, acetone, pyridine, and THF. The paper photography experiment is very useful for quantitative and qualitative analysis of samples where recovery is not necessary.
The packing of fiber paper constitutes a porous medium for the retention of the stationary phase. The space between fibers provides a passage for the mobile phase. The varieties of Whatman paper are commercially available in the market. We also used acetyl acid paper, kieselguhr papers, silicon papers, and ion exchange paper in the paper chromatography technique. For the selection of paper, we must see the clarity of separation or purification.
The separation in paper chromatography is possible because of the continuous partitioning of substances between the aqueous phase and organic mobile phase running down the paper. Solute migration is initiated from a small compact spot or narrow streak. Differential migration of solute molecules begins when the initial zone is covered by the solvent front by the capillary nature of the driving force.
Surface tension is the driving force for capillary movement. Therefore liquid-liquid partition is predominant in the mechanism of the paper chromatography technique.
Paper chromatography experiment used for the identification of individual amino acids, dye, or sugar molecules from a mixture of amino acids, dyes or sugar molecules.
