We have developed a new, low-cost apparatus for performing flash chromatography using pre-packed silica cartridges.  The key advantage of this system, when compared to traditional flash chromatography, is its use of commercially available silica cartridges, which obviates the need for students to handle carcinogenic silica gel. The apparatus has been tested for its ability to perform separations that are commonly found in organic chemistry teaching laboratories such as catechol/resorcinol, fluorene/fluorenone and ferrocene/acetylferrocene, as well as difficult separations that are commonly encountered in an organic research laboratory.  The performance we observed was comparable, if not superior to, traditional flash column chromatography.

Flash chromatography:  A safer method for teaching this important and ubiquitous technique

244th National Meeting (2012)

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