Separation of Long-chain Bases by Thin-layer Chromatography; Instability of Sphingosine.

Purified sphingosine was resolved into dihydrosphingosine, sphingosine, and a fast-moving component by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel G. The fast-moving component was generated by the adsorbent, and consisted of a mixture of the cationic forms of dihydrosphingosine and sphingosine. Other sphingosine derivatives gave rise to similar artifacts. Sphingosine formed two degradation products when stored in solution or on thin-layer plates; related long-chain bases with some of their reactive sites blocked did not deteriorate when stored in solution.