Question

Can hexane be used as a solvent to separate naphthalene and biphenyl by column chromatography with silica gel as the stationary phase? why or why not?

Answer 1

Hexane is non-polar solvent. so according to universal rule of like dissolves like, non-polar compounds will get dissolved in hexane.

napthalene and biphenyl both are non-polar compounds so hexane can be used to separate both naphthalene and biphenyl, as hexane is used as solvent than all non-polar component will come out with hexane.

use of hexane with different concentration of polar solvent (increasing concentration from 1%-99%) will give the separted products of naphthalene and biphenyl.