Reaction chromatography. II. Gas-liquid/thin-layer chromatographic derivatization technique for the identification of alcohols

The technique for the identification of reactive compounds by derivative formation on thin-layer plates at the exhaust of a gas chromatograph (gas-liquid/thin-layer chromatography) was applied to alcohols. Advantages, limitations, and reaction conditions for 3,5-dinitrobenzoates (DNBs) and o-nitrophenylurethans (ONPUs) as derivatives of representative alcohols used in this study are discussed and thin-layer chromatographic behavior in several systems is tabulated. DNBs are readily formed from 0.5 mg and ONPUs from 0.05 mg of the same primary and secondary alcohols. Some tertiary alcohols failed to give either derivative from 10 mg of reactant, while 0.5-5 mg of other reacted discernibly.