Separations in paper chromatography involve the same principles as those in thin layer chromatography.

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Separations in paper chromatography involve the same principles as those in thin layer chromatography. In paper chromatography, like thin layer chromatography, substances are distributed between a stationary phase and a mobile phase. The stationary phase is usually a piece of high quality filter paper. The mobile phase is a developing solution that travels up the stationary phase, carrying the samples with it. Components of the sample will separate on the stationary phase according to how strongly they adsorb to the stationary phase versus how much they dissolve in the mobile phase.

In all types of chromatography, the sample is placed on one end of a tube or plate which contains an inert material called a stationary phase, and a solvent, called the mobile phase, flows over it. The fundamental principle of chromatography is the equilibrium that forms when a compound is either dissolved in a mobile phase or absorbed on a stationary phase.

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The chamber should be saturated with the developing solvent to achieve high resolution.

Discussion: When the leaves of green plants are extracted, a complex mixture of components is obtained. The components that are obtained include anthocyanin, chlorophyll a and b, carotenes, and xanthophylls. If you try to extract these components from the green leaves by using water, the extraction is rather ineffective. This is because water is a polar compound and these components are nonpolar compounds. Therefore, water can’t effective dissolve them out of the leaves (remember: like dissolves like). A less polar solvent will be used for ...

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