Chromatography of Plant Pigments

Objective

Separate and analyze plant pigments using paper chromatography.

Materials

• Fresh spinach or other green leaves
• Mortal and pestle
• Chromatography paper
• Solvent (e.g., rubbing alcohol or acetone)
• Beaker
• Micropipette or dropper
• Notebook for observations

Instructions

1. Grind fresh spinach leaves with a small amount of solvent to extract the pigments.
2. Cut a strip of chromatography paper and mark a line near the bottom.
3. Apply a small drop of the pigment extract to the marked line using a micropipette or dropper.
4. Place the chromatography paper vertically in a beaker containing a small amount of solvent, making sure the solvent does not touch the pigment spot.
5. Allow the solvent to travel up the paper, carrying the pigments with it.
6. Remove the paper once the solvent front reaches near the top and mark the solvent front.
7. Observe and record the different colors and positions of the separated pigments in the notebook.
8. Analyze the results to identify the different pigments present in the leaves.