Introduction to Preparative Chromatography: Description of a Setup with Continuous Detection

Preparative chromatography is one of the most common and important purification techniques in organic chemistry and is employed in laboratories across the globe. In order to facilitate student proficiency with the method, a unique approach for the separation of estragole, ethyl cinnamate, and cinnamyl alcohol using microscale preparative flash column chromatography and gradient elution has been developed. During the chromatographic purification, a chemically impregnated TLC plate is used to provide as close to real-time elution information as possible, in this manner mimicking the effect of a UV detector. This straightforward yet powerful technique greatly aids in the visualization process, gives valuable information regarding the ongoing elution process, and minimizes confusion and errors.