Thin layer chromatography nomenclature

On a practical level, the sphingolipid field is caught somewhat awkwardly between old and new nomenclatures due to differences in the information that one gets from traditional analytical methods such as radiolabeling followed by thin-layer chromatography versus more structure-specific methods such as mass spectrometry (MS). 

The term thin-layer chromatography was coined by Egon Stahl in Germany in the late 1950s. Stahl s greatest contribution to the field was the standardization of materials, procedures, and nomenclature and the description of selective solvent systems for the resolution of many important compound classes. His first TLC laboratory manual (Stahl, 1962) popularized TLC, and he elicited the aid of various chemical manufacturers in offering standard materials for TLC. Stahl (1979, 1983) has provided an introspective view of his contributions to the field over a period of 25 years. 

---