Chromatography of inorganic ions on cellulose phosphate layer in hydrochlorid acid and in acid ammonium thiocyanate media

Summary Thin-layers of an intermediately acidic cation exchanger, cellulose phosphate (P-cellulose), have systematically been used to study the chromatographic behavior of 58 inorganic ions in both hydrochloric acid and acid ammonium thiocyanate media (0.01–2.0 mol dm⁻³). In both solvent systems, the R _f values of many bivalent cations increase with increasing concentration of the acid and thiocyanate. Polyvalent metal ions including beryllium (II) and the others are strongly retained on the P-cellulose in the acid and thiocyanate systems tested. Palladium(II), mercury(II), ruthenium(III), rhenium(VII), arsenic(III), selenium(IV) and tellurium(IV) are not adsorbed on P-cellulose to any great extent. For silver(I), indium(III), gold(III), and platinum(IV), there are marked differences in the chromatographic behavior between hydrochloric acid and acid ammonium thiocyanate systems. Multicomponent separations conducted on P-cellulose plates with these eluents are presented.