Overview - Instructions for TLC
| Click on the links below for more detailed instructions for individual steps: | General Instructions | |
| Steps 1-3 |  |
Prepare a plate for
spotting with the origin marked in pencil (Handle by edges only.) |
| Steps 4-7 |  |
Spot plate as uniformly as possible - try
to keep spots small and roughly the same size. Allow the solvent from the
spotting solution to fully evaporate.
(Try your technique on a practice plate first.) |
| Steps 8-11 |  |
Develop the plate using
the solvent of choice (in Experiment D you will use three
solvents separately - one plate and jar for each).
YOU MAY WISH TO SET UP DEVELOPING JARS - STEP 8 -
AHEAD OF TIME.
You may experiment with other solvents or with a mixed solvent system if you wish. Remember to mark the solvent front before it evaporates! |
| Steps 12-14 |  |
Mark the plate to measure
Rf values. Tabulate the data beside or below a sketch of the plate in lab notebook. |
| Steps 15&16
(optional) |
©2001,2002 Daniel A. Straus |
If you are unsure which compound your unknown is based on the first plate, you should REDO the plate with only the candidate compounds spotted close to the unknown. |
