Cellulose plates are used to analyze polar substances. An organic sorbent, cellulose is perfect for separating hydrophilic substances by partition chromatography. Typical applications include the analysis of amino acids, carbohydrates, and phosphates as well as nucleic acid and nucleic acid derivatives. EMD Millipore offers cellulose plates in two grades: TLC for conventional and HPTLC for demanding, high-performance separations.