Abstract
We report on a laboratory experiment that was designed to introduce graduate students to High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). This is the first report to use an HPTLC instrument in an organic chemistry laboratory course. This instrument consists of 3 modules: a computer with dedicated software, an automated deposition system to ensure precise, consistent, and repeatable sample application, and a scanner to capture images of the plates under ultraviolet light. The purpose of the activity was to identify and determine the concentration of two phenolic compounds, i.e., vanillin and ethyl vanillin, in flavored sugars. The samples were sprayed onto a HPTLC plate, and then the plate was developed in a vertical chamber and finally analyzed using a scanner controlled by the HPTLC software, which generated densitometric data. The pedagogical objectives of this experiment were evaluated on the basis of the students' work in the laboratory and their final reports. The experiment integrates practical skills and advanced instrumentation with soft skills.