Extraction

Separates dissolved substances based on differential solubility in aqueous vs. organic solvents

Filtration

Separates solids from liquids

Chromatography

Uses a stationary phases and a mobile phase to separates compounds based on polarity and/or
size

Calculating Rf

distance of substance
Rf=
solvent l ine

Distillation

Separates liquids based on boiling point, which depends on intermolecular forces. Types are
simple, fractional, and vacuum.

Simple Distillation

Can be used to separate two liquids with boiling points below 150 ºC and at least 25 ºC apart

Vacuum Distillation

Should be used when a liquid to be distilled has a boiling point above 150 ºC. To prevent
degradation of the product, the incident pressure is lowered, thereby lowering the boiling point

Fractional Distillation

Should be used when two liquids have boiling points less than 25 ºC apart. By introducing a
fraction column, the samples boils and refluxes back down over a larger surface area, improving
the purity of the distillate

Recrystallization

Separates solids based on differential solubility in varying temperatures

Electrophersis

Is used to separate biological marcomolecules based on size and/or charge

Thin-layer or Paper Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, polar card, identify a sample

Reverse phase Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Polar solvent, nonpolar card, identify a sample

Column Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, polar gel or powder, separate a sample into components

Ion-exchange Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, charged beads in column, separates components by charge

Size-exclusion Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, polar, porous beads in column, separates components by size

Affinity Chromatography Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, beads coated with antibody or receptor for a target molecule, purify a
molecule (usually a protein) of interest

Gas Chromatography (GC) Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and Common Use

Inert gas, crushed metal or polymer, separate vaporizable components

High-performance-liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Mobile Phase, Stationary Phase and

Common Use

Nonpolar solvent, small column with concentration gradient, similar to column chromatography
(eparate a sample into components) but more percise