[Momer]

Actually this happened by chance while I were preparing the TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) separation samples ( mixture of these dyes) as the best demonstration to the student to understand the technique of TLC separation, you know it's very nice to see many colors arise from the same spot.

Mixture of two dye, red and blue, in different solvent, when I use methanol for the blue one and mix them you will get a double color violent and green, but when I use ethanol instead of methanol you will get just the color of the mixture ( Blue + red = Violent).

Once I add Methanol to the mixture I surprised because of instant change of the mixture color to green, It was unbelievable moment for me....

I don't know what cause that, but we notice that this color is the complementery color of the original one.

There is others details you can watch it...

Maybe it's a known phenomenon I hope some body could help to understand it..

To see this movie here
http://www.ionsclub.com/col/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:magic-dye&catid=10:general

[bromidewind]

What supplier did you use for the dyes? I'm not sure if there's any difference between the chemical compositions of red and blue dyes in the States and those in Syria (that is where this was done, right?). I'll have to try this out once I get back up to my college's lab after the holidays and see if I can replicate these results.

(By the way, it's spelled violet, not violent )

[Momer]

Thanks you... I don't know why know it as violent not violet.... I didn't notice that... thank you...


I will try to know the name of the company, maybe we could get something....

Happy new year....

Thank u

[KritikalMass]

Perhaps since you are mixing two different solvents together (chloroform and methanol) some component of the red or blue dyes is dissolving into the other solvent. In other words, maybe some component of the red dye is dissolving in the methanol or some component of the blue dye is dissolving in the chloroform.

Have you tried putting the blue dye in the chloroform and the red dye in methanol?

What would happen if you ran a TLC as follows:
1) Red and Blue dye in methanol
2) Red and Blue dye in chloroform
3) Red and Blue dye in chloroform + methanol
4) Red mixed with Blue dye in methanol
5) Red mixed with Blue dye in chloroform
6) Red mixed with Blue dye in chloroform + methanol

You have made a very interesting observation. I am looking forward to seeing the results of your research into this discovery!

[Momer]

Ok... I will do the analysis this week.... thank u for your observation...

Maybe we could discover something new.. 

[Momer]

I'm sorry because I couldn't did your suggested procedure because I'm doing my Final Exams... in the next month I will do it- not only on TLC- but on UV/Visible device.

[KritikalMass]

Ok, sounds like a plan. Good luck on your exams and keep me updated! Talk to you later

[scratfin]

Perhaps since you are mixing two different solvents together (chloroform and methanol) some component of the red or blue dyes is dissolving into the other solvent. In other words, maybe some component of the red dye is dissolving in the methanol or some component of the blue dye is dissolving in the chloroform.

Have you tried putting the blue dye in the chloroform and the red dye in methanol?

What would happen if you ran a TLC as follows:
1) Red and Blue dye in methanol
2) Red and Blue dye in chloroform
3) Red and Blue dye in chloroform + methanol
4) Red mixed with Blue dye in methanol
5) Red mixed with Blue dye in chloroform
6) Red mixed with Blue dye in chloroform + methanol

You have made a very interesting observation. I am looking forward to seeing the results of your research into this discovery!

As far as I understand, he added methanol to one color (blue) and mixed them (at least that's what I understood from the typed description). In the video I had some trouble understanding 

[cpncoop]

Many dyes are charge separated species (zwitterions, etc..) with the color arising from a charge transfer absorption in the UV-Visible spectrum.  These types of transitions are highly sensitive to polarity, and can shift hugely (red to green, etc...) depending on the solvent they are in.  I think that's probably what you are seeing.  To test this theory, I'd dissolve the dye in methanol, and slowly add in a non-polar antisolvent to see if the shift in color happens.  Alternatively, you could dissolve the materials in a series of alcohols of decreasing polarity (trifluoromethanol, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, t-butanol, etc..) and see if you get a color shift.  Nice video - pretty cool.

[scratfin]

Something that would be great is if you post a full step-by-step procedure and numbered list of material used. That's always helpful especially when you don't know what has occurred (and I am wishing to look into this as well).