During the developing of a TLC plate, it is common to place a cover on the chromatography chamber and have a piece of moist filter paper line the walls of the TLC chamber. Why is the moist filter paper in the TLC chamber of importance during thin-layer chromatography?

Question

Physics

Arely Figueroa

22 November, 05:09

During the developing of a TLC plate, it is common to place a cover on the chromatography chamber and have a piece of moist filter paper line the walls of the TLC chamber. Why is the moist filter paper in the TLC chamber of importance during thin-layer chromatography?

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Answers (1)

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Gwendolyn Wolf · Answer 1

The moist filter paper is in charge of preventing evaporation and ensuring the proper saturation of the air of the chromatography chamber.

Explanation:

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a chromatography technique used to separate non-volatile mixtures.

A strip of moist filter paper is put into the chromatography chamber so that its bottom touches the solvent and the paper lies on the chamber wall and reaches almost to the top of the container.

The container is closed and left for a few minutes to let the solvent vapors ascend the moist filter paper and saturate the air in the chamber.

The moist filter paper is in charge of preventing evaporation and ensuring the proper saturation of the air of the chamber.