Making a f254 indicator

[Creachemist]

Dear chemists,

I want to make my own f254 indicator so i can make TLC plates. After some help and some digging i found that zinc silicate is probably the best option but they say silicic acid:zinc salt 1:2 manganese doped.

So what i want to know is, can a chemist or someone with the knowledge give me a bit more than just these vieuw words i scowerd over the internet but because of all the variations of zinc silicate is it pretty hard the find some good information.

Thank you VERY much if you can help me!

 

[downwardsfromzero]

I'd make a solution of zinc nitrate and add a drop or two of manganese nitrate (or make it in situ by a suitable reduction of potassium permanganate) per mol of zinc. (Without specific data on the amount of manganese required you might have to experiment a bit to optimise things. There must be some old publication somewhere with a paper on this exact matter.) Then you just drop in sodium silicate solution according to the appropriate stoichiometry, allow to settle overnight, filter, wash, and dry in the oven. A small amount should go quite a long way.