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Which of the following statements is correct regarding the stationary phase in paper chromatography?

1. Water present in the mobile phase gets absorbed by the paper, which then forms the stationary phase.
2. Water present in the pores of the paper forms the stationary phase.
3. The paper sheet itself forms the stationary phase.
4. Both the paper and the water present in its pores together form the stationary phase.

Correct answer: Water present in the pores of the paper forms the stationary phase.

Solution

Paper chromatography is a type of partition chromatography. The paper (cellulose) contains a thin film of water adsorbed in its pores, which acts as the stationary phase. The mobile phase is an organic solvent (or a mixture) that travels up the paper. Compounds distribute between the mobile solvent and the stationary water layer, separating based on their partition coefficients. It is the water in the pores, not the paper itself, that constitutes the stationary phase.

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