hromatography is a method used in separating mixtures which depends on

the rate of the substance to move in the stationary material through a medium. It is
one of the best methods in separation of liquids considering the different solubility
of the compounds contained in the sample. Particularly, paper chromatography was
the process used because the separation was only a small scale. In the laboratory,
the group plant used leaves in preparing the ink. With a mobile phase liquid solvent,
the ink was mixed making the reaction possible. The group prepared 2 types of
mobile solvent in order to have comparison with the effect. One solvent was
composed of 9:1:1 (v/v/v) hexane: ethanol: acetone, and another one with 9:1 (v/v)
hexane: acetone. The reaction followed as soon as the paper was dipped in the
solvent and the solvent rose up through capillary action.
Paper is a composition of cellulose fibers in which cellulose is a polymer of
glucose. (draw structure) This chain of polymer has OH groups attached to it. The
mechanism is similar to TLC, only that this one is a bot complicated because
cellulose fibers attract outside components like water vapor in the atmosphere and
also the water in the paper itself contained when it was manufactured. The
interaction with this water is the most important factor in paper chromatography.
The draw of the pigments present in the ink mixture is determined by the
relative strengths of the mobile solvent and the solvent that rise up in the paper.
Considering the compositions of the solvent, one of which is a 9:1 (v/v) hexane:
acetone. Hexane is a non-polar compound and is in the large amount. Acetone, on
the other hand, is polar having a double bond O attached to the molecule but it
cannot form hydrogen bond. Thus, this solvent cannot be strongly attracted to the
cellulose fiber (paper) and only a few are traced along the rise of the solvent leaving
more of the pigments attracted to the solvent. In the other solvent which is the
9:1:1 (v/v/v) hexane: ethanol: acetone, there is now the presence of ethanol.
Ethanol, (draw structure), is a polar molecule with OH bond and can have Hbonding between molecules. This means that this solvent will be more attracted to
the paper compared to the other one. There is like a competition between the
adhesion forces trying to hold the ink in place and the solvent trying to drag the ink
up the paper with it. In this case, the solvent is strongly attracted to paper because
of H-bonding compared to that of the solvent itself. In result, more of the pigments
will be carried by the solvent as it rises along the paper and because of this,
partition of pigments happens. (state the descriprion of the colors absorbed)

https://www.academia.edu/7346700/Paper_Chromatography
http://www.laney.edu/wp/cheli-fossum/files/2011/08/Exp-3-paper-chrom30A376.pdf
http://www.writemypapers.org/examples-and-samples/paperchromatography-experiment-report.html