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Sunday, April 12, 2020

What is the stationary phase in thin-layer chromatography?

Thin Layer Chromatography is a type of chromatography that is used to separate the non-volatile molecules. The separation process of TLC is executed on the sheet of aluminum, plastic, or glass. This sheet is usually formed by a thin layer of silica gel, aluminum oxide, or cellulose and acts as a stationary phase. The analytes are move by the mobile phase in the capillary action and they separate based on their affinity towards the stationary phase.
The uncoated silica gel is one of the most commonly used stationary phases in thin layer chromatography (TLC). Silica gel is a kind of silicon dioxide. The silica gel remains the significant adsorbent for different types of chromatography, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), column chromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The significant benefit of silica is its incredible affinity for adsorption. Silica gel is a slightly acidic and polar adsorbent in nature that has a high ability to adsorb basic compounds. The alumina also used as a stationary phase in TLC since it has a high ability to retain acidic components because it is slightly acidic. This is ideal to isolate the weak or moderately polar components.


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