Advantages, Disadvantages and applications of Paper chromatography

Advantages:

1. Simplicity:

• Paper chromatography requires minimal equipment and is easy to set up.

2. Low Cost:

• Relatively inexpensive compared to techniques like HPLC or GC.

3. Versatility:

• Can be used to separate a variety of polar and non-polar compounds.

4. Qualitative and Semi-quantitative Analysis:

• Useful for identification and comparative analysis.

Here's the diagram illustrating the "Advantages of Paper Chromatography

Disadvantages:

1. Resolution:

• Limited resolution compared to more advanced chromatographic techniques.

2. Sensitivity:

• Not as sensitive as techniques like HPLC or GC; might miss trace components.

3. Quantification:

• Quantitative analysis is less precise compared to other methods.

4. One-time Use:

• Each paper can only be used once.

Disadvantages of Paper Chromatography

Applications:

1. Education:

• Commonly used in teaching labs because of its simplicity and visualization capabilities.

2. Food Industry:

• Used to detect and separate food additives, colors, and flavors.

3. Pharmaceuticals:

• Identification and separation of drug components.

4. Biochemistry:

• Separation of amino acids, nucleotides, and other biomolecules.

5. Forensics:

• Used for certain types of forensic analysis, such as ink analysis in questioned document examinations.

Flowchart of "Applications of Paper Chromatography"