Gas Chromatography

What is gas chromatography ？

Chromatography is a technique that separates components in
a mixture by the difference in partitioning behaviour between
mobile and stationary phases.
Gas chromatography (GC) is one of the popular
chromatography techniques to separate volatile compounds or
substances. The mobile phase is a gas such as helium, and the
stationary phase is a high-boiling liquid that is adsorbed on a
solid. Because of its simplicity, high sensitivity, and the
ability to effectively separate mixtures, gas chromatography
has become one of the most important tools in chemistry.
Original Chromatography Experiment
tart: A glass
olumn is filled End: A series of
ith powdered colored bands is
imestone seen to form,
CaCO3). corresponding to
n EtOH extract Later the different
f leaf pigments pigments in the
s applied to the original plant
op of the column. extract. These
bands were later
tOH is used to determined to be
lush the pigments chlorophylls,
own the column. xanthophylls and
Chromatography: (Greek = chroma “color” and
graphein “writing” ) Tswett named this new technique
chromatography based on the fact that it separated the
components of a solution by color.
Common Types of Chromatography
Tswett’s technique is based on Liquid Chromatography.
There are now several common chromatographic
methods. These include:
Paper Chromatography
Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)
Liquid Chromatography (LC)
High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Ion Chromatography
Gas Chromatography (GC)
Paper and Thin Layer Chromatography
he solvent moves up paper by capillary actio
arrying mixture components at different rate

solvent
front

Later

solvent
 How Does Chromatography Work?
In all chromatographic separations, the sample is transported
in a mobile phase. The mobile phase can be a gas, a liquid,
or a supercritical fluid.
The mobile phase is then forced through a stationary phase
held in a column or on a solid surface. The stationary phase
needs to be something that does not react with the mobile
phase or the sample.
The sample then has the opportunity to interact with the
stationary phase as it moves past it. Samples that interact
greatly, then appear to move more slowly. Samples that
interact weakly, then appear to move more quickly. Because
of this difference in rates, the samples can then be separated
into their components.
Chromatography is
based on a physical A
equilibrium that A A
A A
results when a
solute is A A
transferred between A
K = distribution
the mobile and a A
coefficient or A
stationary phase. A
partition ratio A
C S
K  Cross Section of
CM Equilibrium in a
Where CS is the molar column.
concentration of the solute in “A” are adsorbed to the
the stationary phase and CM is stationary phase.
the molar concentration in the “A” are traveling in the
mobile phase. mobile phase.
 In a chromatography column, flowing
gas or liquid continuously replaces
saturated mobile phase and results in
movement of A through the column.
Flow

Column is packed
with particulate
stationary phase.

As a material travels through the

column, it assumes a Gaussian
concentration profile as it distributes
between the stationary packing phase and
In a mixture, each component has a different
distribution coefficient, and thus spends a
different amount of time absorbed on the solid
packing phase vs being carried along with the
Flowgas
flowing

Flow

Flow

Flow

More volatile materials are carried through

the column more rapidly than less volatile
materials, which results in a separation.
 If a detector is used to determine when
the components elute from the column, a
series of Gaussian peaks are obtained,
one for each component in the mixture
that was separated by the column.

The first two components were not completely separ

s in general tend to become shorter and wider with