Leaf Chromatography

We separate the different pigments in a beech leaf using chromatography. The leaf is broken up and ground with sand and propanone before being transferred to some chromatography paper. This is then lowered into pigment solvent and we can see the different pigments spread up the paper. Biology - Plants - Learning Points. Leaves contain a number of different photosynthetic pigments, which include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotene. Chromatography is a technique used to separate pigments. Different pigments have different colours. Different plant species contain different combinations of pigments. A Twig Experiment Film. Let students experience real experiments in lab conditions anywhere, from setup, method all the way through to analysis and real-world application.