In this experiment, chromatography was used to analyse amino acids in solution. Standards were used to identify unknown amino acids in a mixture.
Ascending layer chromatography with an isopropanol-based solvent was used to separate the amino acids, which were then detected with ninhydrin.
The unknown mixture analysed was found to contain aspartate and histidine. It was observed that hydrophobic amino acids were most mobile.
This technique was shown to be an effective way of analysing unknown mixtures of amino acids.
A mechanism for ninhydrin binding to amino acids is proposed, based on observations from this experiment.