Separation of given mixture of cations using Circular Paper

Chromatography
What Is radial Chromatography?
Chromatography technique that uses paper sheets or strips as the adsorbent being the
stationary phase through which a solution is made to pass is called paper chromatography. It
is an inexpensive method of separating dissolved chemical substances by their different
migration rates across the sheets of paper. It is a powerful analytical tool that uses very small
quantities of material. Paper chromatography was discovered by Synge and Martin in the year
1943.

Paper Chromatography Principle

The principle involved can be partition chromatography or adsorption chromatography.
Partition chromatography because the substances are partitioned or distributed between liquid
phases. The two phases are water held in pores of the filter paper and the other phase is a
mobile phase which passes through the paper. When the mobile phase moves, the separation
of mixture takes place. The compounds in the mixture separate themselves based on the
differences in their affinity towards stationary and mobile phase solvents under the capillary
action of pores in the paper. Adsorption chromatography between solid and liquid phases,
wherein the solid surface of the Paper is the stationary phase and the liquid phase is the
mobile phase.

Materials
 The Support for stationary phase will be paper,
 Solvent will be special acetone/HCl solution,
 Standard solutions of the metal cations: (a) Fe3+, (b)Cu2+
(c) Co2+, (d) solution of all three (Fe3+, Cu2+, and Co2+).
 Visualizing agent; 0.1 M ammonium hexacyano ferrate (II), (NH4)4[Fe(CN)6].

Procedure
 16 mL of the previously prepared solvent mixture was measured out and placed in a large
beaker (to be used as the mobile phase).
 Before leaving the fume hood, the beaker was tightly covered with plastic wrap. This
allowed the atmosphere within the beaker to become saturated with solvent vapour and
resulted in a more reliable chromatographic separation.
 A piece of circular chromatography paper that measured 24-25cm in length and 12-14 cm
in width was obtained.
 A spot made at centre.
 Pass a thread thread through this spot.
 A drop of each solution listed was transferred to the spot.The spots were applied evenly
over the Spot.
 Each spot was identified with a pencil directly beneath the spot.
 The solutions used were: (a) Fe3+, (b) Cu2+, (c) Co2+, (d) solution of all three (Fe3+,
Cu2+, and Co2+), (e) unknown.
 Then, the circular paper was dried in the fume hood. The paper was formed into a
cylinder without overlapping the edges and fastened with staples to hold the shape.
 The beaker was then placed on the desk in a location where it remained undisturbed
throughout this step. Taking care to make sure the origin line remained above the solvent
level, the paper cylinder was carefully placed into the beaker and the plastic wrap cover
was replaced.
 When the solvent had risen above the short line, the cylinder was removed from the
beaker and the solvent front position was marked.
 The staples were removed, and the paper was dried in the hood.
 Finally, the paper was sprayed with a solution of ammonium hex cyanoferrate(II),
(NH4)4[Fe(CN)6].
 The presence of Fe3+ was shown by the spot turning a dark blue steel colour. Cu2+turned
rust brown, while Co2+ turned a grayish purple colour.
 Measure the distance of the centre of each spot from its origin, as well as the distance
from each origin to the solvent front.
 Calculate the Rf values of the standard reference samples and the unknown components.

Calculations:-
Solution Ions Colour Distance Rf
s after from
spray origin(cm)
A Fe+3 Light 6.0cm 0.99
brown
B Cu+2 Aqua 4.4cm 0.60
blue
C Co+2 Dull red 3.5cm 0.35
D Fe+3,Cu+2 Blue 4.0cm 0.75
,
Co+2