Separation of Spinach Pigments by TLC

Purpose To identify solvent mixtures that will separate the colored components in spinach leaves using thin-layer chromatography. 

Petroleum ether, ethanol, and acetone are highly volatile and flammable solvents. Be certain there are no flames in the vicinity during this experiment. 

Preparation Sign in at www.cengage.com/login to answer Pre-Lab Exercises, access videos, and read the MSDSs for the chemicais used or produced in this procedure. Read or review Section 2.21. 

Apparatus A wide-mouth bottle with a screw-top cap, small mortar and pestle, 2-cm X 10-cm silica gel TLC plates, and capillary pipets. 

Analysis A good separation will reveal as many as eight colored spots. These are the carotenes (orange), chlorophyll a (blue-green), the xanthophylls (yellow), and chlorophyll b (green). Calculate the // -values of all spots on the plate(s) you developed. Compile these data, together with those of others if you worked as a team, and determine which solvent mixture provided the best and which the 

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