Rf (Retention Factor)
Definition
Distance travelled by the analyte divided by the distance travelled by the solvent front, on a TLC or HPTLC plate. A unit-less number between 0 and 1, characteristic of an analyte in a defined solvent system. Used to compare an unknown spot with a reference standard.
Related terms
- Limit of Detection (LOD)
- The lowest concentration of analyte that produces a signal reliably distinguishable from the instrument noise, conventionally three times the standard deviation of...
- Mobile Phase
- The solvent or mixture that flows over the stationary phase and carries analytes along. Polarity, viscosity and volatility set the separation; switching...
- Resolution (Rs)
- Rs = 2(tR2 − tR1) / (W1 + W2). Above 1.5 means baseline separation; below 1.0 means peaks overlap and quantitation is...
- Retention Time (tR)
- Time from sample injection to peak maximum at the detector in HPLC or GC. Characteristic of an analyte under a defined column...
- Stationary Phase
- The immobile material the mixture flows past. In paper it is water inside cellulose fibres; in classical column work and TLC it...
Explained in
- Chromatographic Techniques: TLC, HPLC, HPTLC and GLCDistance travelled by the analyte divided by the distance travelled by the solvent front, on a TLC or HPTLC plate. A unit-less number between 0 and 1, characte...