Lab.2. Thin Layer Chromatography
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Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography Key words: Separation techniques, compounds and their physicochemical properties (molecular volume/size, polarity, molecular interactions), mobile phase, stationary phase, liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, retardation factor, elution, chromatogram development, qualitative and quantitative analysis with chromatography techniques, eluotropic series, elution strength. Literature: D.A. Skoog, F.J. Holler, T.A. Nieman: Principles of Instrumental Analysis; 637 - 718 Search on www pages “Thin-layer chromatography principles” For example: MIT Digital Lab Techniques Manual you find on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e99nsCAsJrw&feature=player_detailpage Basic equipment for modern thin layer chromatography: www.camag.com/downloads/free/brochures/CAMAG-basic-equipment-08.pdf other examples: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_layer_chromatography www.chemguide.co.uk/analysis/chromatography/thinlayer.html www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/chem211lab/Orgo_Lab_Manual/Appendix/Techniques/TLC/th in_layer_chrom.html Theoretical background Chromatography is the separation technique in which separated solutes are distributed between two phases: stationary and mobile. The first phase can pose a layer of sorbent/adsorbent (0.1 to 0.25 mm in thickness) fixed to a carrier plate made of glass, plastic or aluminum (used in technique named as thin-layer chromatography, TLC) or placed inside of a steel tube as a column bed (used in a technique named as high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC, or generally in column liquid chromatography, LC). The second phase, mentioned above, constitute liquid or gas phase. Various organic (e.g. methanol, hexane, acetone) and inorganic (e.g. water) solvents or their mixtures (e.g. acetone and Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography hexane, methanol and water) can be used as the mobile phases. So each chromatographic system consists of: a) stationary phase, b) mobile phase, c) mixture of components to be separated. A solution of the component mixture is usually introduced into the chromatographic system by injection (in HPLC or classical column chromatography in entrance to the column) or by spotting/application onto start line (in TLC). In column chromatography the mobile phase is pumped through the adsorbent bed or its flow is caused by gravitation as it is demonstrated in Fig 1A. In thin layer chromatography mobile phase is driven into movement by capillary forces (solvent wets adsorbent layer on the chromatographic plate by capillary forces) as it is demonstrated in Fig 1B. Under such circumstances mixture components migrate along the stationary phase (adsorbent) according to the direction of flow of the mobile phase. Mobile phase Station A B ary phase Chromatographic plate Valve Chromatographic chamber Mobile phase Fig. 1. (A) Classical column chromatography, (B) chromatogram development in conventional chamber (in cuboid vessel) Migration velocities of mixture components are slower from that o the mobile phase. It is because of time, which separated molecules spend in the stationary phase. Arrangement of solute zones on the chromatographic plate after chromatogram development is demonstrated in Fig. 2. Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography Solvent front Start line Fig. 2. Thin layer chromatogram of dyes, 1 and 10 – dye mixture, 2 – 9 single dyes The time the separated molecules spend in the stationary phase depends on their interactions with stationary and mobile phases. It means the mixture components can be separated in the chromatographic system if they demonstrate different migration distances, i.e. if they show different energy of molecular interactions with components of the chromatographic system. Following molecular interactions of solutes with elements of stationary and mobile phases can take place in any chromatographic system: hydrogen bond, dipole – dipole, dipole – induced dipole, ion – dipole, instantaneous dipole – induced dipole (London dispersion forces), ion – ion. The stationary phase 1. Silica gel Silica gel is composed of silicon dioxide (silica). The silicon atoms are bonded via oxygen atoms in a giant covalent structure. However, at the surface of the silica gel -OH groups are attached to the silicon atoms. So, on the surface of silica gel Si-O-H groups are present instead of Si-O-Si ones. This makes silica surface very polar. Fig. 3 shows the model of a small part of the silica surface. Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography Fig.3. A simplified model of silica gel surface There are also silica based adsorbents, which are non-polar, i.e. chemically modified silica. Modified silica gel is formed by chemical reaction of its surface with e.g. trichlorooctadecylsilane or other reagents. Thus the surface polarity decreases and then its hydrophobicity increases. 2. Aluminum oxide Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is another adsorbent, which is often used as stationary phase in laboratory practice. TLC aluminum oxide plates usually comprise neutral or basic aluminum oxide. These kinds of plates provide distinct separation features with regard to a pH range of the mobile phase used. Under aqueous conditions basic compounds can be well separated with basic aluminum oxide plates, while neutral compounds can be successfully separated with neutral aluminum oxide ones. 3. Cellulose Cellulose is the next adsorbent used as a stationary phase in chromatography systems, especially in TLC. Macromolecules consisting of D-glucose units coupled -glycosidically at positions 1 and 4 by oxygen atoms stand for this adsorbent. A section of a cellulose chain is shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4. Fragment of cellulose macromolecule Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography There are two kinds of cellulose layers used in TLC, native cellulose (400 -500 units per chain) and micro-crystalline cellulose that is prepared by the partial hydrolysis of regenerated cellulose and comprises between 40 and 200 units per chain. Similarly to the silica gel, cellulose surface can be modified by esterification (e.g. acetylation). Table.1. TLC stationary phases (adsorbents), mechanism of separation and examples of compounds separated with TLC Stationary Chromatographic Typical Application Phase Mechanism steroids, amino acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, Silica Gel Adsorption lipids, aflaxtoxin, bile acids, vitamins, alkaloids fatty acids, vitamins, steroids, hormones, Silica Gel RP reversed phase carotenoids Cellulose, carbohydrates, sugars, alcohols, amino acids, partition kieselguhr carboxylic acids, fatty acids Aluminum amines, alcohols, steroids, lipids, aflatoxins, bile adsorption oxide acids, vitamins, alkaloids Solvents As it has been mentioned above, the choice of the mobile phase for chromatographic separation is dependent on interactions between mixture components in question with stationary phase. If polar interactions are involved in this process then solvents of dispersive character to molecular interaction (like hexane) in mixture with polar ones (e.g. ethyl acetate) are chosen as mobile phase solution. Analogously, if dispersive interactions predominate between adsorbent surface and solutes then solvents of polar properties (methanol or acetonitrile) in mixture with water are preferred. Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography The strength of solvent to elute solute molecules from the adsorbent surface (stationary phase) is characterized by polarity index (P’), which ranges from 0 (for non-polar solvent, e.g. pentane) to 10.2 (very polar one, water). When the mobile phase is a mixture of two solvents A and B then its polarity index, P’AB, is calculated according the following formula: ’ ’ ’ P AB = φAP A + φBP B (1) Where P’A and P’B are the polarity indexes of pure solvents A and B, respectively, and φA and φB are the molar fractions of A or B in the mobile phase, respectively. The polarity of a solvent can be evaluated by examining its dielectric constant (ε), dipole moment (δ) and ability to hydrogen bond formation. Table.2. Properties of solvents applied in liquid chromatography Solvent Dielectric Dipole Ability to Polarity Elution strength constant moment hydrogen (P’) Alumina Silica [D] bond formation hexene 1.88 0.00 not form 0.1 0.01 0.00 toluene 2.38 0.36 not form 2.4 0.29 0.22 chloroform 4.81 1.04 H-donor 4.1 0.40 0.26 dichloromethane 9.1 1.60 H-donor 3.1 0.42 0.30 tetrahydrofuran 7.5 1.75 H-acceptor 4.0 0.45 0.53 ethyl acetate 6.02 1.78 H-acceptor 4.4 0.58 0.48 acetone 21 2.88 H-acceptor 5.1 0.56 0.53 acetonitrile 37.5 3.92 H-acceptor 5.8 0.65 0.52 2-propanol 18 1.66 H-acceptor/ 3.9 0.82 0.60 H-donor ethanol 24.55 1.69 H-acceptor/ 8.8 0.88 0.69 H-donor methanol 33 1.70 H-acceptor/ 5.1 0.95 0.70 H-donor Source Wikipedia Lab.2. Thin layer chromatography Eluotropic series of solvents Solvents are arranged in a series according to increase of their elution strength in a chromatographic system with given stationary phase. Each adsorbent (stationary phase) possess its own eluotropic series of solvents. Mechanisms of chromatographic separation Several mechanisms are involved in solute separation in chromatographic system. The most often applied mechanisms of chromatographic separation are presented in Fig. 5. Fig. 5. The mechanisms of chromatographic solute separation often applied in laboratory practice Adsorption mechanism of chromatographic separation is very often used for solute separation. Migration of solute in chromatographic system in which adsorption mechanism is involved depends on: 1. molecular interactions of solute with stationary phase, 2. molecular interactions of solute with solvent (eluent,