Separation of Plant Pigments by Paper Chromatography

Anyone who has ever played on grass or had an unplanned encounter with a bush knows that plants contain pigments which adhere to varying degrees to fabric (and skin!). The fact that a small industry has risen up in aid of attempts to remove stains like these and many others shows that not all of the molecules can be treated in the same way if their removal is desired. Part of the reason behind that is different fabrics and the varying polarity of their molecules. The constituent fibers of cotton, for example, are very different from those of silk or synthetics like rayon. The plant pigments themselves also have varying polarities and so there are a number of possible combinations to address in stain removal.