Study of the Performances of Thin Layer Chromatography III. Flow Velocity of the Mobile Phase

Abstract

The theory of solvent development in thin layer chromatography is discussed. It is shown that adsorption of solvent vapor from the gas phase on the dry layer has a marked effect on the solvent front velocity and that it is possible to take it into account. Discussion of three independent series of data shows an excellent agreement between them and with theoretical prediction. The layers prepared by the conventional technique have very similar porosities, permeabilities and velocity constants. The effect of adsorption from the vapor phase is important and may markedly reduce the analysis time, by a factor which depends on the solvent and the experimental conditions and which can be in the range of 1 to 2.