Thin Layer chromatography was also use to separate the mixture of fluorene and fluorenone. Thin layer chromatography is a useful separation method when the components of a mixture are in question. Analyzing what the mixture consist of can be efficiently determine by TLC by calculating Rf and comparing these values. For the separation and isolation of a mixtures components, this method is extensive and not as efficient at column chromatography. This conclusion is represented in the data gathered. For TLC, a percent yield of 158.48% was acquired for fluorene and a percent yield of 37.47% was found for fluorenone. Sources of error in this experiment were the spilling of a product and silica contaminating the other product. While drying the isolated
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The presence of silica adds more weight the vial causing a percent yield grater that 100. Another source of error during this experiment could occur when the compounds are scraped of the silica plates. When scraping, particles come off in every direction. These particles contain the product, so product is lost. Scraping slow and meticulously will help reduce the amount that is lost. The TLC plate was also interesting during this experiment. As seen in the picture above, both components of the mixture created a “U” shape. This caused each compound to have a range of Rf values. Each component should only have one Rf value, because it should react the same with the plate regardless of where it is on the plate. This “U” shape could have resulted from uneven saturation. Regardless of the shape on the TLC plate, the two compounds were isolated and Rf values were calculated. The range for Fluorene was 0.77-0.98. This range contained greater values than the range for fluorenone, which was 0.55-0.86. There is an overlap in range values, but the compounds do not overlap on the plate because the lows and highs of the range are located at the same
The presence of silica adds more weight the vial causing a percent yield grater that 100. Another source of error during this experiment could occur when the compounds are scraped of the silica plates. When scraping, particles come off in every direction. These particles contain the product, so product is lost. Scraping slow and meticulously will help reduce the amount that is lost. The TLC plate was also interesting during this experiment. As seen in the picture above, both components of the mixture created a “U” shape. This caused each compound to have a range of Rf values. Each component should only have one Rf value, because it should react the same with the plate regardless of where it is on the plate. This “U” shape could have resulted from uneven saturation. Regardless of the shape on the TLC plate, the two compounds were isolated and Rf values were calculated. The range for Fluorene was 0.77-0.98. This range contained greater values than the range for fluorenone, which was 0.55-0.86. There is an overlap in range values, but the compounds do not overlap on the plate because the lows and highs of the range are located at the same