An Improved Copper Reagent for Quantitative Densitometric Thin-Layer Chromatography of Lipids

Abstract

Eleven cupric compounds were screened to determine whether a different cupric anion might give greater and more uniform charring responses with lipid classes on TLC plates than cupric acetate. A procedure was developed which used 10% CuSO₄ in 8% H₃PO₄ as a charring reagent. Improved reproducibility of charring was obtained by temperature-programmed heating of the thin layer plates from 30 to 180°C at 10 degrees per minute in the oven of a commercial gas-liquid chromatograph.