PreLab Exercise: When preparing a mixture to be added to a column for chromatographic separation, it is important to add the mixture as a very concentrated solution. Why? (Be sure your answer includes a discussion of what will happen if the solution is too dilute when it is added to the column.)
Predict the order in which the following compounds will elute from a chromatography column: acetophenone, 3-dichlorobenzene, aminobenzoic acid, and benzoic acid.
In looking through some references to experimental procedures, a student finds two references for purifying a compound from a reaction mixture. In one procedure, the pure product is obtained by carrying out column chromatography using a solvent mixture of hexane and ethyl acetate. In the second procedure, methylene chloride is used as the mobile phase. Assuming the time required and the volumes of solvents are equal, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these solvent systems?