Thin-layer chromatographic behavior of rare earths on silica gel with aqueous alkaline earth metal nitrate solutions as mobile phases

The TLC behavior of all the rare earths except Pm has been surveyed on silica gel (pH 7.0) pretreated with 0.1 mol L^–1 tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and 0.1 mol L^–1 HCl with aqueous nitrate solutions of alkaline earth metals as mobile phases. The R_F values of the lanthanides varied in a regular and characteristic way accompanied by the tetrad effect with increasing atomic number, and when the mobile phases were changed the R_F values of each metal decreased in the order Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Sr²⁺ > Ba²⁺, as the crystal ionic radii of the alkaline earth metals increased. This adsorption sequence was not observed with alkali metal nitrate and alkali metal chloride mobile phases. A brief discussion concerning the effect on R_F values of the solvent cations and the adsorption mechanism is included; also presented are typical chromatograms for the separation of multi-component mixtures containing adjacent lanthanides. Received: 9 October 2000 / Revised: 20 February 2001 / Accepted: 26 February 2001