Common Mode Analysis scope

The quantitation of substances separated by TLC may be carried out in several ways. The most common method is to remove the spot from the plate, elute the compound from the adsorbent and measure the concentration of the compound in solution by spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, etc. The elution process has been significantly improved and facilitated with the Eluchrom instrument developed by Sandoz and marketed by Camag (see Fig.3.6). This instrument permits direct elution from the plates via small PTFE cups in a continuous flow-through mode without the necessity of removal of the adsorbent and with the minimum requirement of solvent (usually less than 1 ml). The measuring instruments used are those available for classical solution analysis. A discussion of these instruments is beyond the scope of this book. 

The closely allied topics of secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS), fast atom bombardment (FAB), and laser ablation SIMS are important, but are beyond the scope of this chapter. SNMS is a technique in which neutral atoms or molecules, sputtered by an ion beam, are ionized in an effort to improve sensitivity and to decouple ion formation from matrix chemical properties, making quantification easier. This ionization is commonly effected by electron beams or lasers. FAB uses a neutral atom beam to create ions on the surface. It is often useful for insulator analysis. Laser ablation creates ions in either resonant or nonresonant modes and can be quite sensitive and complex. 

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