Explain the order of elution of ferrocene, acetylferrocene, and why diacetylferrocene is retained...

Question:

Column Chromatography:

Scientists have at their disposal a varied array of analytical tools to analyze and separate mixtures. One of these tools is chromatography which also has many subtypes depending on the compounds being studied. One of these types is column chromatography where a column is packed with a stationary phase to which molecules will have an absorption affinity depending on the type of packing material and the nature of the compounds in the mixture. A mobile phase (typically a liquid but can be a gas) is passed through the column carrying with it the compound(s) that have less affinity to absorb to the column packing material. The mobile phase can be varied to separate certain types of molecules while leaving others behind or to better separate (more space between them coming off the column) the components of the mixture being studied.

Answer and Explanation: 1