Organic acid solutions in the chromatography of inorganic ions. V. Thin-layer chromatography in tartrate-water-ethanol media

Summary We present a study of the chromatographic behaviour of sixty inorganic ions on cellulose thin layers, employing acidic solutions of tartaric acid-water-ethanol at its own pH and basic solutions of tartaric acid-water-ethanol-NH₄OH at about pH 9 as eluents. Generally the ions show a decreasing migration rate with increasing percentage of ethanol, at constant tartrate molarity, in acidic and basic solutions. For some ions the decrease in migration rate is the same in acidic and basic media, for others with a complexing capacity it is greater in basic than in acidic media. Some interesting separations are shown.This work has been in part supported by C.N.R. of Italy.