TLC (thin-layer chromatography)

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a technique used to separate and identify different components within a mixture. A small amount of the mixture is spotted onto a thin, flat plate coated with a special absorbent material, usually silica gel. The plate is then placed in a solvent, which travels up the plate by capillary action. As the solvent moves, it carries the mixture’s components at different rates depending on their chemical properties, causing them to separate. By analyzing the pattern of separated spots, chemists can determine the composition of the mixture or compare substances.