Analtech’s Technical Director, Ned Dugan, is featured in a
recently posted Technology Forum on Thin Layer Chromatography on LCGC’s Chromatography Online.
Here’s an excerpt:
What advantages does TLC have over other methods for pharmaceutical analysis?
Dugan: In some ways, TLC can offer obvious advantages to other methods for analysis. Usually TLC is simpler, faster, more environmentally friendly, and significantly less expensive than other forms of analysis. Minimal sample preparation is required and solvent consumption is comparatively low. In addition, TLC is a very simple and forgiving method of analysis. If a mistake is made, very little time or resources are wasted.
In other ways, TLC can be the perfect compliment to other methods of analysis. Besides the fact that TLC is used as an inexpensive pilot method for establishing separation protocols, there are many hyphenated chromatography techniques that involve TLC.