Question

Rank the following solvents in order of increasing elution power as a mobile phase:

dichloromethane, hexane, methanol, toluene, water

Answer 1

Elution is the process of extracting a subatsnce from another material by the process of washing with a solvent which is called the Elutant. The substance that is being pulled is called the analyte.

In the given list of materials the increasing order of the eluting power is

Hexane<Toluene<dichloromethane < Methanol<Water

In general hydrocarbons<cyclohydrocarbons<aromatic hydrocarbons<halogenated hydrocarbons<ethers<ketones<esters<alcohols<acids