Paper chromatography lab

1. What criteria were used to identify the ions found in the unknown?

The retention factor Rf and the color was used to identify the ions in the unknown solution.

In the paper chromatography experiment, the retention factor Rf for each individual ion was found.
The Rf of the unknown is then compared to the Rf for each individual ion.

The color of the unknown spot is also compared with the color of each individual ion. The color for
each ion is due to the reaction of the ion with the visualization solution (an aqueous solution
containing potassium iodide and potassium ferrocyanide)

There may be difficulty in observing the colors of the various spots as the colors might fade as the
paper dried. Due to this, it is recommended to record the colors while the paper is still wet with the
visualizing solution.

2. Problems when the experiment is run only for 30 minutes

There are two parts in this experiment. The first one is developing the chromatography paper. Here
the paper is developed with the eluting solution (aqueous HCl with ethyl and butyl alcohol). This
step takes about 75-90 minutes. Ions have different solubility in this solution and each ion needs
enough time to move up the paper when the paper is dipped in this solution.

If less time (30 minutes) is provides, not all the ions would have the time required to completely
move up this solution which means that we would not be able to differentiate between the different
ions. Therefore we would have problems for the identification of the unknown solution.

3. If Co2+and Cu2+ spots are the same color would the identification of the unknown be more
difficult?

No, the identification of the unknown is determined not only from the color, but also from the
retention factor. As cobalt ion and copper ion have different solubility in the elution solution, the
distance these ions move up the paper is different. This way, the measured Rf value for these ions
would be different. We can then easily identify the ions by comparing the Rf values.

Rf = distance moves by an ion/ distance moved by solvent.