A student prepared a column of alumina and was able to purify a compound by passing the compound dissolved in diethyl ether through the column.
In this example, diethyl ether is the ??? phase and the alumina is the ???? phase
Diethyl ether is the mobile phase; alumina is the stationary phase.
In this example, diethyl ether is the mobile phase, and the alumina is the stationary phase.
To understand this concept, let's first talk about column chromatography. Column chromatography is a common technique used for separating and purifying mixtures of compounds based on their different properties, such as polarity or size.
The column consists of a long, narrow tube filled with a solid material called the stationary phase. In this case, alumina is used as the stationary phase. The stationary phase can be polar or non-polar, depending on the compounds you want to separate.
The mixture to be separated, dissolved in a suitable solvent, is added to the top of the column. This solvent is known as the mobile phase because it is the phase that moves through the column and carries the mixture of compounds with it. In this example, diethyl ether is used as the mobile phase.
As the mobile phase passes through the column, the different compounds in the mixture interact differently with the stationary phase based on their chemical properties. Compounds that have a stronger affinity for the stationary phase will move slower and will be retained for a longer time in the column. On the other hand, compounds with weaker interactions with the stationary phase will move faster through the column.
This difference in interaction leads to the separation of the mixture into its individual components. The compounds in the mixture become separated into different bands or zones along the column, each representing a different compound. Once the desired compound has been isolated, it can be collected by eluting it from the column with an appropriate eluent.
So, in this example, diethyl ether acts as the mobile phase, moving through the column, while alumina acts as the stationary phase, providing separation and purification of the compound dissolved in diethyl ether.