Lab 4_TLC Report

.docx

School

Pennsylvania State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

203

Subject

Chemistry

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

5

Uploaded by CountComputer15136

Report
Thin Layer Chromatography of Analgesics – Final Report Report (70 points) Commercial tablet used: You: unknown #1 Partner: unknown #2 1. Draw a representative TLC plate showing each standard compound (caffeine, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)). Calculate the R f value for each compound. (Show calculations). (10 pts) All of the above Rf values are reported under 60 ethyl acetate: 40 hexane mixed solvent ratio conditions. Rf = distance traveled by the compound / distance traveled by the solvent. 2. Also draw a representative plate of your unknown tablet. Calculate the R f value for each component. (Show calculations). (5 pts) All of the above Rf values are reported under 60 ethyl acetate: 40 hexane mixed solvent ratio conditions.
3. What compound(s) were in each of the two tablets in your group? (5 pts) unknown #1 has acetaminophen (after conducting an experimental plate that limits the drug selection down to acetaminophen/ibuprofen/and unknown 1; upon seeing the similarities between acetaminophen and unknown 1 in Rf, conducting another co-spotting test, to see whether acetaminophen would map on to the spot of unknown 1 exactly will give us a more definitive answer) unknown #2 has ibuprofen (both share similar Rf values when compared across trials, similar Rf means both compounds have similar polarity in the given solvent, suggesting that these two may have been similar compounds) 4. Describe what happened with the different solvent combinations: 60:40 ethyl acetate:hexane, hexane, and ethyl acetate. Explain qualitatively why you got these results with the different solvents. (What properties of the solvents led to this behavior?) (15 pts) If 60:40 ethyl acetate:hexane mixed solvent served as the baseline (where ibuprofen had an Rf value of 0.80). Then in ethyl acetate solvent alone, compounds like aspirin, ibuprofen, and caffeine traveled the furthest (for instance, ibuprofen had an Rf of 0.87). On the other hand, these compounds traveled the smallest distance in pure hexane (i.e. ibuprofen only had an Rf value of 0.17). We got these results due to the intermolecular forces between the compounds and the solvents. The 60:40 mixture provides a balance between polar and nonpolar characteristics as it combines ethyl acetate (polar) with hexane (nonpolar). The mixture's moderate polarity allows compounds like ibuprofen, aspirin, and caffeine to travel intermediate distances, creating the optimal separation between spots. Since ethyl acetate is a polar solvent, it has a strong affinity (dipole-dipole) for polar compounds like ibuprofen, aspirin, and caffeine, enabling them to travel easily along the plate. However, this ease of movement may lead to poor separation and thus it would be hard to differentiate between different compounds by their polarity if many spots overlap. Hexane, on the other spectrum, is too nonpolar and leads to little to no movement of the compound samples because it fails to break the dipole-dipole interactions between the relatively polar compound of the silica gel. Thus, it would also be cumbersome to differentiate between the slightest separation. As such, the optimal solvent to use in this experiment is 60:40 ethyl acetate:hexane mixture to allow for optimal separation, visualization, and collection of the Rf values. 5. A TLC was run in 70:30 ethyl acetate:hexane for compounds C and D. Compound C has an R f of 0.5 and compound D has an R f of 0.3 in this solvent system. (10 pts) a.) Draw the TLC plate. Which compound is more polar? Why?
A higher Rf value represents that the compound is less polar because of its increased interactions with the mobile phase (ethyl acetate and hexane) than the silica gel (stationary phase). Thus, the compound that is the more polar will interact with the stationary phase more and thus move a shorter distance, which, in this case, is compound D because (0.3 < 0.5). b.) You decide to run another TLC on compounds C and D in 30:70 ethyl acetate:hexanes on a silica gel plate. Would the R f values for the compounds increase or decrease? Why? The Rf values for the compounds would decrease. Since ethyl acetate is more polar than hexane, by increasing the ratio of hexane to ethyl acetate, you are decreasing the polarity of the solvent. With more nonpolar hexanes, it’s less likely to interfere with the polar silica gel (stationary phase); thus, making it unlikely to displace any of the compounds that are bonded to the silica gel. As such, by increasing the level of hexanes in the solvent, the compounds will travel significantly less, lowering the Rf value, because they are interacting more with the stationary phase (silica gel) than the mobile phase (30:70 mix solvent), especially for the polar compounds that have a higher affinity for other polar molecules. 6. In a TLC experiment, why should the spot not be immersed in the solvent in the developing chamber? (5 points) The spot should not be immersed in the solvent in the beginning because there is a higher chance of the compound being dissolved into the solution at the bottom of the beaker rather than traveling upwards in the plate (controlled by the IMFs between the compound and the mobile and stationary phase). This creates contamination and produces inaccurate results. 7. Explain why the diameter of the initial spot should be as small as possible. (5 points) The diameter of the initial spot should be as small as possible because, with a smaller dot, it’s more clear (with a more defined shape) when you see spot separation as the smaller dots only have to travel a little to see the distinction. If the spots were larger, their movement upwards may interfere with one another and potentially cause mixing or streaking due to the high concentration of compounds. With a smaller spot, you will also have higher accuracy and precision in determining the center of the spot and thus produce a more accurate Rf value than if the spots were large. 8. Why is it important to not let the solvent run off the top of the plate? (5 points) If you let the solvent run off from the top of the plate, then you can’t measure the total distance the solvent has traveled since there is no final measurable position (solvent line).
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help