Mobile phase and stationary phase respectively in paper chromatography

Paper chromatography is based on a mechanism which is partly partition and partly adsorption. The paper consists of cellulose fibers having molecules of water strongly adsorbed on them. This serves as the stationary phase while a suitable organic solvent is used as a mobile phase. A drop of the solution of a mixture to be separated is placed on a strip of chromatographic paper and the solvent is allowed to travel along the strip.