Liquid CO^sub 2^ in Centrifuge Tubes: Separation of Chamazulene from Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum) Oil via Extraction and Thin-Layer Chromatography

The separation of chamazulene from hydrophilic contaminants present in blue tansy oil provides a visually engaging example of two common techniques: extraction and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). This application uses liquid CO2 as a lipophilic solvent to pull a brilliant blue hydrocarbon molecule, chamazulene, out of or through a common hydrophilic material, cellulose. Yellow-green, hydrophilic components remain in a cotton ball or at the lower end of a paper strip. In dramatic fashion, the separation of colored components of blue tansy oil is accomplished with an environmentally sustainable solvent, CO2, and an innocuous support material, cellulose. We believe this is the first reported use of liquid CO2 in centrifuge tubes to conduct TLC.