Saint Louis University

School of Engineering & Architecture

Department of Chemical Engineering

Code: 2476 Reporter: VALDEZ, Claudine C.

Course No.: CH E 512 Members: ALIBUYOG, Norween Vince P.
Schedule: 7:30-10:30 TTH CHELAB 1 RIMANDO, Jeremy E.
Group No.: 5 ROXAS, Samuel Jade T.
VIERNES, Kimberly G.

Date Performed: October 3 and 5, 2017

Date Submitted: October 10, 2017

Experiment No.: 4
Experiment Title: Paper Chromatography

CRITERIA POINTS SCORE

1. Report Format and Neatness
2. Objectives
3. Theoretical Background
4. Equipment and Apparatus
a. List of Equipment and apparatus and its uses
b. Experimental Set-up
5. Procedure
6. Data and Results
7. Interpretation of Results
8. Recommendations and Conclusions
9. Sample Computations
10. Answers to Study Questions
11. Appendices
a. Graphs Accompanying Data and Results
b. References
TOTAL

Instructor: Engr. Jonalyn A. Kimpay

 I. OBJECTIVES

II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

III. EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS

A. LIST OF EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS

Name of equipment
Uses
or apparatus

It is used to contain the

Beaker leaves and the alcohol

solution.

It is used as the solvent in

40% and 70% isopropyl
the paper chromatography
alcohol
experiment.

2
 It is the leaves used in the

experiment for the

Poinsettia
extraction of plant

pigments.

It is used to cut the leaves

Scissors
into tiny bits.

It is used to cover the

beaker when the alcohol

Watch Glass
solution and the leaves are

mixed together.

It is used to contain the

Water Trough beaker and the hot tap

water.

2
3
4
 IV. PROCEDURE

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table V.1 Data obtained using 70% alcohol as solvent

DISTANCE DISTANCE
DESCRIPTION
NAME OF PIGMENTS IN TRAVELED TRAVELED
OF LEAF TRIAL Rf
PLANT SAMPLE BY SOLUTE, BY ALCOHOL,
SAMPLE
cm cm

GREEN 3.3 0.3204

1 10.3
A red-colored PURPLE 8.8 0.8544

leaf/ foliage GREEN 3.0 0.2830

POINSETTIA 2 10.6
in medium PURPLE 9.9 0.9340

size. GREEN 3.6 0.2927

3 12.3
PURPLE 9.8 0.7967

From the Table V.1, two pigments were observed in each trial, green and purple pigments. This can lead

to a conclusion that when the sample contains more than one color, this means that it have more than

one kind of molecule. It was observed also that the first pigment in the paper was green and is followed

by the purple pigment. This concludes that molecules tend to migrate higher in the paper when it is more

soluble. The computed Rf s were all less than unity.

Table V.2 Data obtained using 40% alcohol as solvent

DISTANCE DISTANCE
DESCRIPTION
NAME OF PIGMENTS IN TRAVELED TRAVELED
OF LEAF TRIAL Rf
PLANT SAMPLE BY SOLUTE, BY ALCOHOL,
SAMPLE
cm cm
 1 PURPLE
A red-colored 11.3 14.6 0.7740

leaf/ foliage
POINSETTIA 2 PURPLE
in medium 11.5 15.8 0.7278

size.
3 PURPLE
13.7 16.4 0.8354

From the Table V.2, only one pigment was observed in each trial, the purple pigment. There can be an

error here where the sample did not treat correctly or there could be another pigment but it is not quite

visible to eyes. So, we could say that the dye travelled through stationary place at the same rate as the

eluting solvent. The computed Rf s were all less than unity.

VI. RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the experiment was able to present the process and results of

paper chromatography. Furthermore, the researchers were able to observe the different

pigments of poinsettia leaves using 70% and 40% isopropyl alcohol. The researchers

were able to measure the retardation factor of every pigment present in the filter

paper. The researchers were also able to conclude that the cutting of leaves in small

sizes can affect the results and measurement of the pigments in the filter papers.

The following are recommendations formed by the group:

1. The researchers recommend that the leaves will be cut in small pieces to

extract the pigments.

 2. The researchers also recommend to observe the proper set up of the filter

paper in the beaker. The stick at the back of filter paper should be place outside

the beaker.

VIII. SAMPLE COMPUTATION

, 1
, =
, 2

For 70% isopropyl alcohol:

Purple Trial 3

Trial 1 4.8
= = 0.536313
8.95
8.2
= = 0.987952
8.3

Trial 2

9.1
= = 0.978495
9.3

Trial 3

8.4
= = 0.938547
8.95

Green

Trial 1

3.6
= = 0.433735
8.3

Trial 2

3.9
= = 0.419355
9.3
For 40% isopropyl alcohol:

Purple

Trial 1

10.3
= = 1.000
10.3

Trial 2

9.5
= = 1.000
9.5

Trial 3

10.3
= = 1.000
10.3

Green

Trial 1

4.9
= = 0.475728
10.3

Trial 2

4.2
= = 0.442105
9.5

Trial 3

3.6
= = 0.349515
10.3

X. ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Does the season in which the leaves are picked affect their colors?
 Yes, the season in which the leaves are picked after their color. There are three factors that

influence leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night and weather. During, spring and summer

(growing season), chlorophyll is being produced letting the leaf stay green. During the autumn (

as night gets longer), the plant has harder time to produce chlorophyll, therefore causing a

change in leaf color.

2. Explain further the principle behind chromatography.

Chromatography is used to separate mixture of substances into their components. In

chromatography, a fluid is pumped through a bed of particles. The liquid starts to move past the

solid and some of its molecules are sucked toward the surface of the solid before being pulled

back again into the liquid they came from. Each component of the fluid undergoes adsorption in

a different way and spends more or less time in either the solid or the liquid phase.

3. What are the other chromatography techniques aside from paper chromatography

Other chromatography techniques aside from paper chromatography include the following types:

Gas chromatography

Column chromatography

Thin layer chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography

Fast protein liquid chromatography

Superficial fluid chromatography

Affining chromatography

Reversed phase chromatography

Two-dimensional chromatography

Counter-current chromatography

Ion exchange chromatography

Size exclusion chromatography

Chiral chromatography

4. What are the essential components of paper chromatography?

 The essential components of paper chromatography include the stationary phase and a

mobile phase. The stationary phase is the solid or the liquid supported on a solid. The mobile

phase is the liquid or the gas. The mobile phase flows through the stationary phase and carries

the components of the mixture with it.

5. Explain the significance of paper chromatography

Paper chromatography is essential for a variety of applications:

Unknown substances left at a crime scene can be identified by separating the molecules that

make them up

The ink used in a note left on a crime scene can e identified through paper chromatography

Paper chromatography is used in sequencing of DNA and RNA

Paper chromatography is used as a qualitative analytical technique for identifying and

separating colored mixture like pigments.

XI. APPENDICES

a. Reference
b. Filter strips used in the experiment