Thin layer chromatography of transition metals

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of trace elements, contained in cultural liquids, could be and informative
method of diagnosis of human health. Thus, the decreasing of zinc content in blood plasma is an urgent
consequence of myocardial infarction, and the level of zinc in the semen and urine can indicate on prostate
cancer.
The aim of this study is to develop method for the analysis of transition metal ions by thin layer
(planar), chromatography (TLC). Thin-layer plates with the native protonated silica (so-called "acidic" phase)
and silica gel modified with amino groups was used in the work. The latter was specially designed to enhance
the selectivity in a moderately polar mode for separation of ions. For effective and fast separation of Zn2+,
Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Fe3+ ions on protonated silica and amino modified silica ethanol-acetone-acetic acid (4-5-2)
and 3N HCL systems were used, respectively.
It was found that the selectivity and sensitivity of separation on domestic produced TLC plates with
amino phase is better than that on non modified silica. On Zn2+ contained model urine mixtures, the
possibility of using planar chromatography for diagnostic tests prostatitis and prostate cancer was
demonstrated. Procedures of modification of silica plates for the selective quantitative analysis of transition
metal ions and chromatographic systems (sorbent, eluents, detection reagents) for the fast analysis of
transition metal ions were developed.