A setup for two-dimensional paper chromatography

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

A SETUP FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY

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E. C. MATHEW and B. M. DAS Central Leather Research Institute, Madras, India

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raphy as an analytical tool have done it in a suitable cabinet. In spite of the advantages gained by the use of a cabinet, one may not be readily available in an ordinary laboratory. The procedure is rendered still more difficult by the nonavailability of suitable troughs for two-dimensional work. The setup given in the figure surmounts all these difficulties and can be easily prepared. A bell jar (9-in. height), the lower portion of a desiccator (8-in. diameter), and a Petri dish (6-in. diameter) will be enough for filter ~ a u e r of sizk 12 in. X 12' in. The filter paper is stitched in the form of a cylinder, the edges not being allowed to touch each other. For thick filter papers like Whatman KO. 1 no support is required, while Whatman No. 11 and similar Dauers need to be sumorted bv a frame made of glass rod, as shown in the figure. This arrangement was used to study vegetable tannins and was found to work well.