TLC INVESTIGATION OF SOME MORPHINE DERIVATIVES

Morphine and its semisynthetic derivatives can be well separated on si lica gel TLC plates by use of various mobile phases. The major mode of separation is elution; some of these compounds are, however, displace d when chloroform - triethanolamine (95 + 5, v/v) is used as mobile ph ase. Reversed phase TLC has been used to characterize the lipophilicit y of morphine derivatives. The stationary phase was prepared by impreg nation of the silica gel plate with hexane containing 5 % paraffin oil and the compounds were chromatographed with various water methanol mi xtures. The Quattro Pro spreadsheet program was used to determine appr oximate R(M) values corresponding to 0 % methanol and the slopes of pl ots of R(M) against methanol content.