TLC was performed with two different chromatographic systems. Thin layers were
prepared from microcrystalline cellulose and silica gel G. Standard solutions and samples were spotted on precoated plates of cellulose microcrystalline with fluorescent indicator and developed with mobile system of ethyl-acetate:formic acid:acetic acid:water (100:11:11:26, v/v/v/v). The other chromatographic system was silica gel GF254 as stationary and chloroform:ethyl-acetate:formic acid (5:4:1, v/v/v) as mobile phase. Substances were identified using UV detection at 254 nm. For visualization, plates were sprayed with FeCl3 (2% in ethanol).
2-We report a new solvent system for the silica thin-layer chromatography of phenols, FEAP, comprised of formic acid, ethyl ether, and acetonitrile saturated with pentane. The solvent mixture runs rapidly and cleanly separates many closely related compounds and circumvents several problems related to chemical alterations of phenols analyzed by more conventional solvent mixtures. We have obtained the Rf values for 41 different phenols.