Type of

chromatogra
phy
Paper

Mobile Phase

Stationar
y Phase

Solvent (Usually Paper

Water)

Limitation

High
Performance
Liquid
Chromatogra
phy

Liquid Solvent

Silica

Gas

Unreactive
Gas Helium,
Nitrogen, Argon

Viscous
Liquid

Slow
Limit to what
can be
separated
Slow, useful
for limited
substances
Cannot
compare size
of peaks as
these depend
on UV
absorption and
not
concentration
Pressure,
Solvents,
Temperature
and TSA of
Silica all affect
readings.
(must be kept
constant to
compare with
known data)
Cannot
compare size
of peaks
Variable
stationary and
mobile phases
used
Similar
compounds
have similar
retention times
(difficult to be
accurate)
Similar
substances
may provide
one combined
peak.
Need info to
reference with

Detection

Naked Eye
UV Light

Refractive
Index
Retention
Times
UV
Absorption
UV light
gives
retention
times

Retention
Times

Similar
retention
times. Need
reference.

Mobile Phase: This is the phase that is a carrier for the components
as they travel through the stationary phase.
Stationary Phase: The phase that is stationary.
Gas chromatography: The substance is precisely injected into the
column. Different substances stick to the column and pass through
at different speeds, depending of the force of attraction between the
substance and the liquid in the column. The solubility of each
component determines how long it spends dissolved in the
stationary phase and how long it spends in the mobile phase. The
solute equilibriates between the mobile phase and the
stationary liquid.

The time taken from the injection of a sample to the detection

of a substance is called the retention time. These must be
measured to the CENTRE of each peak. The arrow shows the
retention time for isopropanol.
The area under the graph tells is the relative amounts of the
substance.
Gas chromatography is often used with mass spectrometry.

Gas Chromatography Apparatus