CHEM 230L_TLC and column chromatography

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Jan 9, 2024

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CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 1 Experiment 6: Separation of Organic Compounds by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Column Chromatography Intended Learning Outcomes By completing this lab, students will: Understand how Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) can be used to analyze a mixture of compounds. Understand how column chromatography can be used to separate and purify a mixture of organic compounds. Be able to use the concept of polarity to determine how compounds in a mixture will separate from one another using TLC and column chromatography. Learn how to choose a suitable solvent system for TLC plate development the separation of compounds in column chromatography. Be able to use TLC and column chromatography to analyze and purify a mixture of organic compounds. Introduction In general, chromatography is a technique that can be used to separate and then aid in the analysis of mixtures of compounds. There are many different types of chromatography such as gas chromatography, ion chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and many more. In organic chemistry, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and column chromatography are chromatography techniques used often to analyze and then purify organic compounds and mixture they come from. TLC is a technique that can be used to quickly track the progress of a reaction or roughly quantify the number of different compounds present in a mixture and is frequently used in organic synthesis labs for these purposes. In this lab, you will learn how to set up and develop TLC plates using various solvent systems and extract valuable information from TLC plate analysis. Column chromatography is a chemical separation method often used by organic chemists to separate mixtures of organic compounds. In the second part of the lab, you will learn how to use column chromatography to purify a mixture of organic compounds. Column chromatography is one of the most popular and useful methods for purification of organic compounds and is a valuable technique for any synthetic organic chemist. Both TLC and column chromatography as we will be using them in this lab will separate compounds based on polarity. Silica gel will be used and the stationary phase for both the TLC and column chromatography portions of the lab, setting up what is called a normal phase (Polar stationary phase, nonpolar mobile phase) system.
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 2 Pre-Lab Reading The reading below needs to be completed before the start of lab. 1. Lab textbook (Pavia, 6 th edition): Technique 20 Thin-Layer Chromatography (except 20.3), pages 828 841 Lab textbook (Pavia, 6 th edition): Technique 19- Column Chromatography, pages 808 827 2. Carefully read the procedure for the lab experiment below to ensure that you understand the purpose of each step. Pre-Lab Assignment (15 points) Answer the following questions: 1. The structures for benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde are shown below. Answer the following questions based on these structures.(A) Why is Benzaldehyde less polar than benzyl alcohol? (B) Which would travel farther (produce a higher R f value) on a normal phase (Polar stationary phase, nonpolar mobile phase) TLC plate? (C) Which would travel farther on a reverse phase TLC plate (Nonpolar stationary phase, polar mobile phase)? (3 pts) A) Benzaldehyde is less polar than benzyl alcohol because the hydroxyl group on the benzyl alcohol experiences a greater net dipole moment than the O atom in benzaldehyde. In benzyl alcohol, since there is a dipole moment going towards the O both from the cyclic portion and the H (bonded to the O), there will be a larger overall dipole moment making it a more polar molecule. Benzyl alcohol can also H-bond, making it more polar. B) Benzaldehyde will travel farther and produce a higher Rf value because it is incapable of H-bonding in the normal phase while benzyl alcohol can H-bond with its hydroxyl group. As a result, benzaldehyde will be in the mobile phase longer while the benzyl alcohol will spend more time in the stationary phase as it forms strong IMF’s with the silica gel . C) Benzyl alcohol will travel farther on a reverse phase because given that the silica gel now has constituents that can H-bond, the benzaldehyde will spend more time in the stationary phase as the hydrogen bonding of the silica gel will bond with the benzaldehyde’s O atom. 2. Suppose a student develops a normal phase TLC plate containing two different compounds (A & B) and obtains the data below. Answer the following questions based on this data. Compound Start to spot Start to solvent front
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 3 A 9.5 cm 10 cm B 7.5 cm 10 cm (A) Calculate the R f values for both compounds. (B) Based on the data, which compound is more polar? (C) What is problematic with the developing solvent system that is being used? (6 pts.) A) Rf(A) = 9.5cm/10.0cm = 0.95 Rf(B) = 7.5cm/10.0cm 0.75 B) Compound B is more polar since it didn’t move as far as Compound A. C) The problem is that since both compounds were very close to 1, it might indicate that the polarity of the solvent system is not ideal for the separation of these two compounds. 3. A student develops two compounds (A & B) in three separate developing chambers containing three different solvent systems (1, 2, & 3) using normal phase TLC plates. The R f values below are produced. Answer the following questions based on this data. (6 pts.) Solvent System # Compound A R f Value Compound B R f Value 1 0.35 0.58 2 0.40 0.60 3 0.80 0.90 (A) Which solvent system worked the best for the separation of compounds A and B and explain your answer Since the greatest difference in Rf values is 0.23 in system 1, it worked the best in separating compounds A and B. (B) Which solvent system is the most polar and explain your answer? System 3 is the most polar because in a polar solvent, the compounds will travel farther. Since compound A and compound B traveled the furthest, they will be more polar than the compounds in the other systems. Procedure Instructors will show students how to prepare capillary tubes for spotting. Students will then prepare capillary tubes for themselves. Organize your data into tables that contain all measurements and R f values A. Preparing TLC Plates
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CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 4 1. Obtain samples of fluorene, fluorenone, fluorenol, and unknown mixture (the unknown may contain one, two, or all these compounds). Record the unknown sample number. Unk A 2. Use a soft pencil (not pen) to draw lines (as lightly as possible to avoid scratching the TLC plates) about 1 cm above the bottom edge of a normal phase TLC plate. Do this for a few TLC plates. 3. Draw 4 tick marks with equal spacing between them on one of the TLC plates as shown below. NOTE: keep the tick marks at least 3 mm away from the edge of the TLC plates. 4. Spot two times, (as small as possible. < 2 mm dia.) on each tick mark with each of your solutions (Fluorene, Fluorenone, Fluorenol and all 3 mixture. Let the solvent evaporate between each re-spotting step to prevent diffusion. Make sure to use the same capillary tube for re- spotting each tick mark. Don’t re -spot more than a total of three times. B. Developing TLC plates: 1. Add a few mL of methylene chloride into a beaker with a cover (This is your developing chamber). Cut a piece of filter paper tall enough to reach the top edge of the chamber. Dip it into the solvent standing vertically and leaning against the glass wall. Cover the chamber with a watch glass, aluminum foil, or polyethylene (PE) film. 2. Wait for five minutes to let the solvent vapor saturate the developing chamber. 3. Put the TLC plate into the developing chamber carefully so that the solvent front on the plate remains horizontal and marked origin line is above it. Make sure that the plate does not come in contact with the filter paper liner. 4. Once the TLC plate is in the developing chamber, don’t touch it so the developing solvent solution will rise evenly up the plate. Wait until the solvent front reaches about 1 cm short of the top edge of the plate and don’t let the solvent front go all the way to the top of the TLC plate.
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 5 5. Take out the TLC plate and mark the solvent front immediately with a soft pencil. The organic solvents evaporate quickly and you will not be able to see the solvent front clearly once this occurs. Leave the plate horizontally on your bench on a clean surface (paper towel) to dry well. 6. Check the TLC plates by placing them under a UV (short wavelength) lamp. Circle all the spots that show up under UV and use a ruler to mark the center of each spot. Use a ruler to measure the distance from the solvent front to the origin line and the center of each spot to the origin line. 7. Repeat steps 3-6 using another TLC plate to prove that Rf values are reproducible if TLC plates are properly developed. 8. Calculate the R f values for all the observed spots and take pictures of or draw the TLC plates. 9. Repeat the procedure using two other solvent systems (methylene chloride: hexane = 4:1 and methylene chloride: hexane = 1:1). Prepare new TLC chambers for the two additional solvent systems to find out which solvent system is the best. C. Column Chromatography A mixture of Fluorene and Fluorenone (300 mg each in 9 mL 5% CH 2 Cl 2 : 95% Hexane) will be separated by column chromatography using silica gel as the adsorbent. 1. Prepare a chromatography column by placing a small piece of cotton into a Pasteur glass pipette, pushing it down close to the narrow neck of the pipette using copper wire or an applicator stick. Make sure the cotton ball tightly covers and seals the opening around the neck to prevent silica gel from leaking out but not too tight so the solvent can flow through easily. 2. Add silica gel powder to the glass pipette and stop about 2 cm from the top edge of the Pasteur pipette. Lightly tap the pipette using a spatula to help the silica gel powder pack tightly. Put another small piece of cotton on top of silica gel column. 3. Load the silica gel with the best solvent system determined from The TLC portion of the lab and make sure all air bubbles are driven out by supplying the glass pipette with the solvent continuously until no air bubbles can be observed in the column. Note: Never let the solvent level to drop below the top of silica gel. 4. Let the solvent in the column drip out until the solvent level reaches the top of the cotton, then gently add your mixture solution dropwise to the column. While waiting, prepare 10 labelled test tubes (1-10). Let all the mixture solution travel down and absorb onto the silica gel. 5. Elute the compounds by adding the same solvent from step 3 continually to the column. Collect 1 mL of the eluent into each of the sequentially numbered test tubes. 6. Spot each test tube on one large TLC or three smaller TLC plates an label the spots 1- 10 to match the test tube for each spot. Develop the TLC plate(s) and observe them under the UV lamp. Mark each spot on the plate(s) take or draw pictures of your TLC plate(s).
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 6
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CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 7 Post-Lab Assignment (40 points) Data Analysis 1. Insert an image of the TLC plates from part B of the experiment for the three different solvent systems. Clearly label which TLC plate is for which solvent system and include the Rf values for each spot. (9 pts.) Total distance: 5.0 mm Rf values Fluorene: 4.7 mm 4.7mm/5.0mm = 0.94 Fluorenone: 4.0 mm 4.0mm/5.0mm = 0.80 Fluorenol: 2.8 mm 2.8mm/5.0mm = 0.56 Unknown A: 4.7 mm 0.94
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 8 Total distance: 5.0 mm Rf values Fluorene: 4.2 mm 4.2mm/5.0mm = 0.84 Fluorenone: 2.8 mm 2.8mm/5.0mm = 0.56 Fluorenol: 1.4 mm 1.4mm/5.0mm = 0.28 Unknown A: 4.2 mm 0.84 Total distance: 5.6 mm Rf values Fluorene: 3.7 mm 3.7mm/5.6mm = 0.66 Fluorenone: 1.7 mm 1.7mm/5.6mm = 0.30 Fluorenol: 1.7 mm 1.4mm/5.6mm = 0.25 Unknown A: 3.7 mm 0.66 2. Which was the best solvent system in Part B and Explain your answer (3 pts.)? The best solvent system was the methylene chloride: hexane 1:1 because it yielded the best separation between the samples. The Rf values are spaced nicely, 0.28 apart from each other while the other solvent systems resulted in closer Rf values. 3. Explain the order that you observed for each compound (fluorene, fluorenone, fluorenol) with respect to how far they travelled up the TLC plate (and corresponding Rf values) relative to eachother. Refer to the structure of each compound in your answer. (6 pts.) Fluorene traveled the farthest (Rf = 0.84), fluorenone traveled the second farthest (Rf = 0.56), and fluorenol traveled the least distance (Rf = 0.28). Fluorene traveled the farthest because of its nonpolar characteristics; since the solvent is non-polar, there will be minimal chemical interaction between fluorene and methylene chloride; hexane 1:1. Fluorenone traveled the second farthest because it is more polar than fluorene but can’t H-bond like fluorenol can. Fluorenol traveled the least distance because since it can H- bond, it will interact with the solvent more, making it in the stationary phase more than the mobile phase.
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 9 4. What was the number of your unknown solution and what compounds were present in your unknown solution? (3 pts.) Unknown A; the compound that was present in our unknown solution was fluorene. The Rf values of the unknown were consistent with the Rf values of the fluorene in all three solvent systems. 5. Insert an image of your TLC plate(s) from the column chromatography potion of the experiment (part C). (2 pts.)
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CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 10 6. Which test tubes in Part C contained only fluorene (if any), which test tubes contained only fluorenone, and which contained only Fluorenol? Which test tubes contained multiple compounds (if any)? How do you know? (5 pts.) *Test tubes 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 didn’t yield any compounds. This was likely a result of not enough solute being dotted on the TLC plates. Test tube 4 contained multiple compounds because the dotted solute traveled two different distances. It is most likely that the two compounds are fluorenone and fluorenol since they traveled less than the compound seen in test tubes 8-15. Test tubes 1 and 8-15 contained only fluorene because the compounds traveled the same distances and relatively far (indicating that the compound is likely non-polar). 7. Overall, comment on how well column chromatography was able to separate the compounds in the mixture for part C (2 pts.) Column chromatography was not very effective in this experiment because a third of our test tubes didn’t yield any compound. In terms of relative distances and Rf values of each compound seen, there was good separation between fluorene and the other compounds, but the separation between fluorenone and fluorenol was not quite as prevalent. Conceptual Questions: 1. Why do we use R f values instead of distance measurements (e.g. the spot traveled 5 cm from the starting line) when comparing compound spots in TLC? What would happen if we compared solvent systems using distances rather than R f values? (4 pts.) We use Rf values instead of distance measurements because it standardizes the separation of compounds. Distance measurements can vary based on the size of the plates and length of the solvent front. Rf values are also independent of each solvent system, and with standardization, it enables us to compare values across different TLC experiments. Comparing distance measurements would result in values that are not relative across different plates or experiments. 2. If the developing chamber was not saturated with solvent vapor, would the R f values of the compounds increase or decrease, explain why? (2 pts.) The Rf values of the compounds will increase because with slower elution, compounds will need to travel larger distances in order to reach the same amount of separation that they would achieve in a more saturated chamber. They will also travel larger distances because the compounds will have more time to migrate. 3. Describe two ways TLC and column chromatography are the same and two ways they are different (4 pts.) TLC and column chromatography are similar because they both separate compounds based on their characteristics of being non-polar/polar and how long they are in a mobile or stationary phase. They are also similar because they can separate compounds based on their physical or chemical characteristics of atomic size, charge, or polarity. They differ because TLC uses a planar technique with just the dotting of the plates while column chromatography involves a column filling technique. They also differ because TLC chromatography is usually a quicker method, where we can spontaneously see the compounds migrate up the solvent front. Column chromatography separates the compounds in the vertical column and they elute at different times. TLC is usually used for smaller samples while column chromatography is supposed to separate and purify compounds better with larger samples.
CHEM 230L: Organic Chemistry I Lab Chapman University Page 11