NH₂-modified Silica Plates

Extraordinary Selectivity for Charged Compounds

Merck’s amino-modified NH₂ silica plates for thin-layer chromatography (TLC) provide weakly basic ion-exchange characteristics with extraordinary selectivity for charged compounds. Furthermore, they are less polar than conventional silica phases. These unique features enable the separation of charged compounds, such as nucleotides, purins, pyrimidines, phenols and sulfonic acids, using simple eluent mixtures.

For many applications, NH₂-modified silica plates offer an alternative to PEI cellulose. In addition, they allow reagent-free detection of certain compounds, such as carbohydrates, by thermochemical fluorescence activation. Since most substances separated on modified silica plates are colorless, the majority of our plates contain the blue fluorescent, acid-stable UV indicator F₂₅₄s. Samples that absorb shortwave UV at 254 nm are detected due to fluorescence quenching.

Features and Benefits

• Excellent separation of charged compounds
• Results are less dependent on atmospheric humidity
• No catalytic activity towards non-stable compounds (e.g. oxidative degradation)