Thin-layer chromatographic behavior of a number of metals on carboxymethyl-cellulose in sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate media

Abstract

The thin-layer chromatographic behavior of 57 metals on a weakly acidic cation exchanger, carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose, has investigated systematically in sulfuric acid (0.01–1.0 M) and the acidic ammonium sulfate media. Thin-layer plates of a microcrystalline cellulose, Avicel SF, were also used to compare with the chromatographic behavior of the metals in the acidic sulfate system. The Rf values obtained for many metals tested on CM-cellulose plates increase with increasing concentration of sulfuric acid. Most of metals tested are distributed chromatographically on the CM-cellulose in the low acid concentration. The characteristic retention of many metals, including sulfato-complexes forming metals, on the CM-cellulose can be observed in ammonium sulfate solutions of a low concentration of the acid. Useful multicomponent separations of analytical interest on CM-cellulose layers are presented to demonstrate the use of Rf measurements for predicting separations in the acid and the acidic ammonium sulfate systems.