Experiment 17
Uririnoghene Ishaka, Feny Desai, Doreen Uwase
Trinity Western University
CHEM 199 L5
Miriam Aldom
Theory
A dye is a natural or artificial chemical that adds pigment to food and drinks. There are
several types of food coloring: natural dyes, which come in a variety of forms (liquids, powders,
gels, and pastes), and synthetic (artificial) dyes, which are produced by chemical experiments.
Spectrophotometry, chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry are some of the
analytical procedures used to analyze synthetic food coloring in certain food samples.
In this experiment, paper chromatography is used to detect artificial food coloring in
specific food samples. Paper chromatography is an example of adsorption chromatography,
which is a broader term. Chromatography has two phases: the mobile phase (which moves) and
the stationary phase (which is not moving). The mobile phase will transport the mixture's various
components through the stationary phase, with the components having varying affinities for the
two phases. Chemicals with a greater affinity for the stationary phase travel the least amount of
distance, whereas those with a lower affinity travel the most distance.
The paper acts as an absorbent, a solid which is capable of attracting and binding the
components in a mixture. The mixture to be separated is placed onto the surface of the paper and
a solvent is allowed to seep or flow through the paper by capillary action (see figure 1).
If one of the elements in the mixture is more strongly absorbed onto the paper than
another, it will travel up the paper more slowly than the solvent. Components that are not heavily
absorbed onto the paper are going to move up the paper at a much faster rate. This separation of
the components of a mixture between the paper and the solvent separates the components and
gives rise to different spots. If the components of the mixture are colored, like food dyes or
pigments in an ink, the colored bands are easily distinguished.
Chromatography paper is composed of cellulose molecules, which contain polar water
molecules trapped between the strands of fiber and serve as the stationary phase. The polar and
ionic 0.1% Nacl solution will be used as the mobile phase. The dye samples are splattered onto
the permeable chromatography paper, and the solution travels up the paper by surface capillary
action. As the dissolved pigments go along the paper, they will interact with both the mobile and
stationary phases. The samples that spend more time interacting with the water in the cellulose
fibers tend to move less, whereas those that interact more with the solvent will travel higher up
the chromatography paper. The retention factor, or Rf value (see figure 2), is the ratio of the
lengths travelled from the beginning line to the compound and the solvent front.
Figure 2
The Rf of a chemical is a characteristic value that cannot be theoretically calculated. This
value is highly dependent on various chromatographic conditions, including the nature of the
solvent, temperature, sample quantity, presence of other compounds, and thickness of the
chromatographic coating. In general, food dye molecules that are more highly charged, that is,
have more ionic binding sites and are more polar, will be attracted to the paper more strongly and
will have lower Rf values. The Rf value must be determined experimentally and is dependent on
the conditions used for the chromatograph.
By altering factors like solvent polarity and pH, chromatographers may improve
resolution and accuracy, allowing for exact quantitative and qualitative study of food coloring
components. The ability to control chromatographic settings allows for greater flexibility in
improving the separation and identification of specific food coloring components. Overall, paper
chromatography remains a useful analytical method for detecting and quantifying food coloring
chemicals in food samples. The simplicity, cost, and effectiveness make it an essential tool for
quality control, compliance with regulations, and food industry research.
References:
Bachalla N. Identification of synthetic food colors adulteration by paper chromatography and
spectrophotometric methods. International Archives of Integrated Medicine. 2016; 3(6): 182-
191.
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Kratz, D. (2000). The extraction and identification of artificial food colors.
https://www.chymist.com/Chromatography%20food%20colors%202009.pdf
Reith, J. F. (1957). Paper chromatography of synthetic food colours; results and conclusions.
Acta - Unio Internationalis Contra Cancrum, 13(2), 312–320.
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