Enhancement of Mobile Phase Velocity in TLC by Means of an External Alternating Electric Field

In normal TLC practice, migration of the mobile phase through the layer is controlled by capillary forces. Under these conditions the velocity at which the solvent front moves is a function of the distance of the front from the solvent entry position, and this velocity declines as the distance increases. In this work we have proved that the velocity and migration distance of the mobile-phase front in porous media can be increased by application of an external electric field. We have called this displacement effect on liquids ‘dielectroosmotic flow’ (DEOF), because of its similarity with electrokinetic phenomena. Capillary tubes were used to enable understanding of the flow phenomena which occur in porous media.