Abstract
OWING to the frequency with which caffeine is used for the illicit medication of racehorses, the positive identification of µg quantities of this compound is a matter of some importance. Although a caffeine spot on a paper chromatogram exhibits a deep blue fluorescence under ultra-violet light, and may be eluted for subsequent identification by spectrophotometry1 or by crystal tests2, in common with most other xanthine derivatives caffeine does not react with the usual spray reagents, and there is need of a colour reaction which can be carried out directly on the paper.
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References
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Clarke, E. G. C., and Hawkins, A. E., J. Forensic Sci. Soc., 1, 120 (1961).
Chanda, N. B., and Chakraborty, S., Nature, 181, 836 (1958).
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CLARKE, E., KALAYCI, S. Identification of Purines on Paper Chromatograms. Nature 198, 783 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/198783a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/198783a0
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