http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/ Molecules: You'd Better Learn to Live With Them Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:14:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-104 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 01:06:04 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-104 Thanks for trying Lauren :) I can't believe how lucky I was with the rubbing alcohol I had lying around. Thanks for trying Lauren I can’t believe how lucky I was with the rubbing alcohol I had lying around.

]]> http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-103 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:24:39 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-103 I tried it out over the weekend, and your guess was right: the spots just bunched up near the top! Oh well...it was still fun to try. I tried it out over the weekend, and your guess was right: the spots just bunched up near the top! Oh well…it was still fun to try.

]]> http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-71 Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:41:26 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-71 [...] So, if you read a bit during the week, you might have guessed that I was alluding to the purple line on our chromatograph being an optical brightener. If not, here’s the idea: [...] […] So, if you read a bit during the week, you might have guessed that I was alluding to the purple line on our chromatograph being an optical brightener. If not, here’s the idea: […]

]]> http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-61 Thu, 08 Jun 2006 21:15:35 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-61 Lauren- Hard to say, you can only try. You may end up getting a different degree of separation (maybe better). The vastly higher (2X) water content, lower alcohol content, and more polar alcohol (an isopropyl group, to a first approximation, will make any molecule more nonpolar than an ethyl group) will result in a much more polar eluent. This might be good, but I'm guessing your spots might bunch up near the top. Why bother with something as expensive as drinking alcohol, though? Rubbing alcohol is so much cheaper. Let me know how it turns out, good luck! Lauren- Hard to say, you can only try. You may end up getting a different degree of separation (maybe better). The vastly higher (2X) water content, lower alcohol content, and more polar alcohol (an isopropyl group, to a first approximation, will make any molecule more nonpolar than an ethyl group) will result in a much more polar eluent. This might be good, but I’m guessing your spots might bunch up near the top. Why bother with something as expensive as drinking alcohol, though? Rubbing alcohol is so much cheaper. Let me know how it turns out, good luck!

]]> http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-60 Thu, 08 Jun 2006 18:11:01 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-60 I want to try this at home, but do you think 40% ethanol/60% water (i.e. vodka) will work or do I need the isopropyl alcohol? I want to try this at home, but do you think 40% ethanol/60% water (i.e. vodka) will work or do I need the isopropyl alcohol?

]]> http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-54 Mon, 05 Jun 2006 20:36:09 +0000 http://www.moleculeoftheday.com/2006/06/05/not-really-a-molecule-chromatography-food-dye-and-you/#comment-54 That "the venerable principle of 'yellow and blue make green'" is a hair too long for a written work's title is one of those rare, unfortunate failures of the English language. That “the venerable principle of ‘yellow and blue make green’” is a hair too long for a written work’s title is one of those rare, unfortunate failures of the English language.

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