Investigation of a homologous series of fatty acids by TLC. Part III. Application of terms describing the separation of homologous series of saturated fatty acids in TLC

Abstract

Fatty acids from pentanoic to tricosanoic have been separated on RP-18 HPTLC plates, with and without concentrating zone, with methanol-water, ethanol-water, and n -propanol-water mobile phases. Separation factors (α), resolution ( R S ), and Δ R F values were calculated for all the chromatograms. Analysis showed that the most useful measures of the quality of the chromatographic separation of these fatty acids were the resolution, R S , and Δ R F . The best chromatographic conditions for separation of the fatty acids were RP-18 plates without concentrating zone and methanol-water, 90 + 10 ( v/v ), methanol-water, 95 + 5 ( v/v ), and ethanol-water, 90 + 10 ( v/v ), as mobile phases, and RP-18 plates with concentrating zone and methanol-water, 90 + 10 and 95 + 5 ( v/v ), 100% methanol, and ethanol-water, 90 + 10 and 95 + 5 ( v/v ), as mobile phases.