Question

What is the recommended procedure for cleaning a TLC spotting capillary?

Answer 1

To clean a TLC spotter, you will need:

• A vial or small beaker with suitable solvent.
  Dichloromethane is often a good choice as are ethyl acetate or whichever solvent you are using for your column.
• A tissue or absorbent paper.

Method:

1. Touch the TLC spotter to the tissue to remove any of the previous sample that remains in the spotter.
2. Hold spotter in vial or beaker with solvent. Allow solvent to be drawn up by capillary action.
3. Touch spotter to tissue until empty.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 three to five times.

TLC Spotting capillary may be cleaned by dipping the ends into acetone and blotting the ends with a paper towel. The acetone will move by capillary action (pardon the pun), carrying the residue of solute(s) with it. Gently blow a stream of nitrogen through the capillary to ensure complete drying. Store them safely in the test tube labeled for spotting capillary storage in your drawer for use in other experiments.