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Paper chromatography












Paper chromatography

Grade:12

1 Answers

Sachin Tyagi
31 Points
14 years ago

It is the simplest technique of chromatography. The process is similar to thin layer chromatography, except that a strip of paper acts as the adsorbent. Paper chromatography is based on a mechanism which is partly partition and partly adsorption. The paper consists of cellulose fibers having molecules of water strongly absorbed on them. This serves as the stationary phase while a suitable organic solvent is used as a mobile phase. A drop of the solution of a mixture to be separated is placed on a strip of chromatographic paper and the solven is allowed to travel along the strip. When the eluting solvent is allowed to travel along the strip. When the eluting solvent moves upward, it is termed ascending paper chromatography and when the eluting solven moves downwards, it is termed descending paper chromatography.

Whether the solven moves upwards or downwards, the mixture is subjected to partitionbetween the stationary phase and the moving phase. As a result of continuous and repeated prtitioning the rate of migration of each component of the mixture is different, which is responsible for their separation on the paper. Finally, the paper strip is taken out and dried in air. The position of various components, on the paper, is determined by spraying some suitable reagent which makes the spots visible. In the separation and identification of amino acids, ninhydrin is used for developing the colored spots.

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