To simplify the conventional thin-layer chromatography, four TLC exercises are described which are easy to perform in a high school or college laboratory. In the first exercise, in place of a conventional TLC plate, an ordinary glass test tube, coated with the adsorbent, was used. In the second, the solvent was fed through a glass capillary, fused in the center of a horizontal TLC plate. Third exercise involved a burette to apply the solvent in the center of a TLC plate. In fourth exercise, which resolved the mixture most rapidly, the TLC plate was rotated with the help of an electric motor and solvent was applied by a burette in the center. In order to compare the results a single set of adsorbent, samples and mobile phase was used throughout the work. The described TLC exercises are generally more simple, inexpensive, faster and reproducible than conventional ascending TLC. The purpose of this work was to simplify conventional TLC exercises so that this important analytical technique could be introduced at the undergraduate level in relatively less developed countries.
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