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Thin-layer Chromatography of Some Food Colours on Silica Gel

Abstract

THIN-LAYER chromatography, first devised by Stahl1, is a very useful technique for the separation and identification of organic compounds on a micro-scale. Among its many advantages is its speed, requiring at the most about 90 min to complete one chromatogram. As yet, we are aware of only one report in the literature describing its use for water-soluble dyestuffs. Wollen-weber2 has described chromatographic systems for dyestuffs on the West German permitted list of food colours using cellulose powder as the thin layer. Here we describe the use of silica gel as an adsorbent for the thin layer chromatography of sulphonated dyestuffs.

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References

  1. Stahl, E., Angew. Chem., 73, 646 (1961).

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  2. Wollenweber, P., J. Chromat., 181, 303 (1961).

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  3. Separation and Identification of Food Colours Permitted by the Colouring Matter in Food Regulations, 1957 (Association of Public Analysts, 1960).

  4. Data Sheets on Food Colours. (W.H.O., 1957).

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BARRETT, J., RYAN, A. Thin-layer Chromatography of Some Food Colours on Silica Gel. Nature 199, 372–373 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/199372a0

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