Chromatography Forum

Hi Guys,

I have been set the task of developing a TLC for the identification of Ponceau 4R within tablets. Now, i have years of experience with HPLC etc but none with tLC (all be-it so simple and similar). Could anyone give me the basics steps?! Maybe a guide, as i have no experience with plate typs etc. Is it common to try different plates?! Any help is greatly appreicated..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponceau_4R Link to 4R

Regards LC

If this were my problem, I'd do a thorough literature search. These dyes have been analyzed by TLC since the late Pleistocene. Example:
http://tinyurl.com/764af4m

Be careful though, the apparent simplicity of TLC is a bit misleading. In many respects, it's more complex than HPLC. In HPLC, you start with a system that's close to equilbrium. In TLC that's not true, and the changes in the stationary and mobile phase that occur as the plate "wets" can have a profound effect on the results.