High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography: A Review of Principles, Practice, and Potential

INTRODUCTION

Chromatography is the separation of a mixture by differential migration resulting from the different distributions of its components between immiscible stationary and mobile phases. The most fundamental classification of chromatographic methods¹ depends on whether the mobile phase is in a gas or a liquid state. Further distinctions can be made on the basis of the state of the stationary phase and the mechanism of distribution. For the purposes of this discussion, however, the most convenient classification is based on the experimental technique used (Figure 1).