Thin-Layer Chromatography Capability of Natural Nevşehir Volcanic Tuff

Summary Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a frequently used technique for the separation of polar and non-polar compounds, with a rich literature in this field. The aim of this paper is to show the TLC adsorbent quality of the Nevşehir volcanic tuff from Turkey that is compared with the Mirșid volcanic tuff from Romania. Our experimental investigations have shown that it is possible to achieve TLC plates coated with Nevşehir volcanic tuff, in natural occurrence, excepting grinding and sieving processes, which can be used for the separation of polar compounds, such as amino acids or food dyes. In the present article, modern techniques for characterizing the volcanic tuff powders, namely, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area and porosity measurements, and infrared spectroscopy, were used in addition to the chromatographic testing. TLC plates coated with Nevşehir tuff were prepared and tested at the separation of some amino acids, obtaining good results. Also, the impregnation of Nevşehir tuff with NaOH and NaCl, respectively, allowed the separation of some hydrophilic dyes. The obtained results have contributed to understand the chromatographic properties of the Nevşehir volcanic tuff. The TLC capability of the Nevşehir tuff can enlarge the pallete of inexpensive adsorbents with possible applications in the field of layer chromatographic separations.