Overview

• Post By :


• Source: Microbioz India


• Date: 02 Feb,2024

Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) is just only one out of numerous chromatography techniques employed in analytical chemistry for the purpose of separating and analyzing mixtures.

Here, we have a concise comparison between TLC and some other common chromatographic methods:

Column Chromatography:

Principle:

Component separation takes place on the basis of differential adsorption onto a stationary phase (solid support) within a vertical column.

Medium:

Normally, the stationary phase is a silica gel or alumina packed into a column.

Application:

Applicable for purification of compounds and complex mixture separations.

Also read:

Uncovering the Science Behind Thin-Layer Chromatography: How Does it Work?

Troubleshooting Common Issues in Thin Layer Chromatography: Practical Solutions

Gas Chromatography (GC):

Principle:

Separation of volatile compounds depends on their distribution between a stationary liquid phase and a mobile gas phase.

Medium:

The stationery phase is liquid coating on solid support inside capillary columns

Application:

This method best suits volatile and semi-volatile compounds and is commonly used to analyze organic gases like organic gases

Liquid Chromatography (LC):

Principle:

Compounds are separated by LC according to their interaction with liquid mobile phase and sold stationary phase.

Medium:

A solid support (solid-phase extraction) or liquid-coated solid support(normal phase or reverse phase chromatography)

Application:

It has been widely used in variety of different kinds from small organic molecules to large biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acid’s etc.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC):

Variant of Liquid Chromatography :

It uses high-pressure pumps that increase the efficiency of separation making it better than ordinary liquid chromatography .

Application :

It can be utilized for wide range of compounds; often applied for quantitative analysis in pharmaceuticals, environmental analysis, biochemistry among others .

Paper Chromatography:

Similarity to TLC :

Paper chromatography bears similarities with TLC as both of them use paper as a stationary phase.

Differences :

On the other hand, different solvents and even nature of stationary phase may make them differ in application from paper chromatography .

Application :

Used for the qualitative analysis and separation of pigments, amino acids, and small molecules.

Ion-Exchange Chromatography:

Principle:

This method involves separation on the basis of charge of analyte molecules. The stationary phase contains charged groups that attract or repel ions.

Application:

It is used for separating and purifying proteins and other charged biomolecules.

Affinity Chromatography:

Principle:

It is based on the specific interaction between an analyte and a ligand immobilized in a solid support.

Application:

Commonly employed to purify biomolecules such as proteins through specific binding interactions

Every kind of chromatography has its own uniqueness but it also has disadvantages which depend upon what kind of sample one is working with as well as the analytical aim. Hence preliminary analysis can be done quickly using TLC because this method provides simple results that are usually used in conjunction with other chromatographic techniques.