The use of 1,6-diphenylhexatriene to detect lipids on thin-layer chromatograms

1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluoresces violet under long-wave uv light in the presence of lipid on silica gel thin-layer chromatograms. The DPH, sprayed as a solution in a volatile nonpolar solvent, detects submicrogram quantities of all lipid classes. It is a nondestructive marker and can be removed subsequently by elution with a petroleum ether (40–60°C).