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Which types of compounds can paper chromatography separate?
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chromatography
Overview of the chemical technique of chromatography.
Paper chromatography is a versatile analytical technique used to separate complex mixtures of various chemical substances based on their different rates of migration across a sheet of filter paper.1
The types of compounds that can be separated using this method include:
- Amino acids12
- Peptides12
- Carbohydrates12
- Steroids12
- Purines12
- Simple organic compounds12
- Inorganic ions12
The separation occurs because the components of a mixture possess varying degrees of solubility in the stationary liquid phase (often water bonded to the paper's cellulose) and the flowing mobile solvent. As the solvent moves via capillary action, the components travel at different velocities, allowing them to be identified as individual spots.13