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When using thin layer chromatography is it possible to separate out enantiomers?
Question Date: 2004-03-22
Answer 1:

Yes, it is possible. All you need is to deposit a chiral substance on the surface of the particles that build up your thin layer. Any time a racemic mixture (the mixture of two enantiomers) interacts with a surface that is chiral, one of the enantiomers is going to be attracted more strongly to that surface than the other, and that is the basis for chromatographic separation.

If you would like a deep insight into the what has been done by this technique, you can ask your librarian for a copy of the paper: Abdoul-Enein, H. Y.; El-Awady, M. I.; Heard, C. M., Nicholls, P. J.Applications of thin-layer chromatography in enantiomeric chiral analysis - an overview Biomedical Chromatography, vol. 13, 531-537, 1999I.



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