Thin-Layer Chromatography

Vlll Preface
nating the laboratory, because the coating of the chromatogram with the reagent
takes place with less environmental pollution and lower health risks; furthermore,
it is more homogeneous, which results in higher precision in quantitative analyses.
It is possible that the solvents suggested will not be compatible with all the
substances detectable with a particular reagent, for instance, because the chromatographically
separated substances or their reaction products are too soluble.
Therefore, it should be checked in each case whether it is possible to employ the
conditions suggested without modification. We have done this in each report for
one chosen class of substance by working through an example for ourselves and
have documented the results in the "Procedure Tested"; this includes not only the
exact chromatographic conditions but also details concerning quantitation and
the detection limits actually found. Other observations are included as "Notes".
Various types of adsorbent have been included in these investigations and their
applicability is also reported. If an adsorbent is not mentioned it only means that
we did not check the application of the reagent to that type of layer and not that
the reagent cannot be employed on that layer.
Since, in general, the reagent report includes at least one reference covering each
substance or class of substances, it is possible to use Part II of this book with its
ca. 750 references as a source for TLC applications. Only rarely are earlier references
(prior to 1960), which were of importance for the development of the reagent,
cited here.
There is no need to emphasize that many helpful hands are required in the
compilation of such a review. Our particular thanks are due to Mrs. E. Kany, Mrs.
I. Klein and Mrs. S. Netz together with Dipl.-Ing. M. Heiligenthal for their
conscientious execution of the practical work.
We would also like to thank the graduate and postgraduate students who helped
to check the derivatization reactions and Mrs. U. Enderlein, Mrs. E. Otto, and
Mrs. H. Roth, whose capable hands took care of the technical preparations for
the book and the production of the manuscript. We would particularly like to
thank Dr. Kalinowski (Univ. Giessen) for his magnificent help in the formulation
of the reaction paths for the reagent reports. Our thanks are also due to Dr. F.
Hampson and Mrs. J. A. Hampson for translating the German edition of the book
into English.
We thank the Baron, J. T. Baker, Camag, Desaga, Macherey-Nagel and E.
Merck companies for their generous support of the experimental work.
Our particular thanks are also due to Dr. H. F. Ebel and his colleagues at VCH
Verlagsgesellschaft for the realization of our concepts and for the design and
presentation of the book and for the fact that this work has appeared in such a
short time.
frejace
In spite of all our care and efforts we are bound to have made mistakes. For
this reason we would like to ask TLC specialists to communicate to us any errors
and any suggestions they may have for improving later volumes.
Saarbriicken, Giessen and Darmstadt,
October 1989
Hellmut Jork
Werner Funk
Walter Fischer
Hans Wimmer