Excited-state proton transfer from pyranine to acetate in methanol

Excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of pyranine (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulphonate, HPTS) to acetate in methanol has been studied by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The rate constant of direct proton transfer from pyranine to acetate (k ₁) is calculated to be ∼1 × 10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. This is slower by about two orders of magnitude than that in bulk water (8 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) at 4 M acetate.     

Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as a stationary phase in microbore high-performance liquid chromatography columns

Microbore columns utilizing polypropylene capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as the stationary phase in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been investigated. The polypropylene C-CP fiber diameter is ∼50 μm, with eight channels along the periphery of the fiber ranging in diameter from ∼12 to 35 μm. The polypropylene C-CP fibers were packed into fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tubing, 1.3 mm inner diameter, with lengths of 500, 750, and 1,000 mm, to examine the effects of increased column length with regards to plate height, resolution and analysis time. The low backpressures characteristic of the C-CP fiber stationary phases allow the length of the column to be increased without significantly decreasing the specific permeability. The high specific permeability (∼5×10⁻⁸ cm²) of the C-CP packed microbore columns yields a relatively low backpressure of 2.35 MPa at the highest flow rate of 17 μL/s (54 mm/s) for a 1,000 mm column. Radial compression of the soft-walled FEP tubing is accomplished by pulling the 1.7 mm o.d. column through a 1.4 mm diameter orifice. Reducing the inner diameter of the column from 1.3 to 1.0 mm lowered the interstitial fraction from 47% to 42%, decreased the A-term contributions to band broadening, resulted in a significant decrease in average plate height (∼30%), and increased resolution (∼36%) at identical linear velocities. Although the lower void volume of the radially compressed column increased the backpressure from 0.57 to 2.11 MPa at a linear velocity of ∼20 mm/s, the specific permeability only decreased from ∼7×10⁻⁸ to 4×10⁻⁸ cm².      

Lead-selective poly(vinyl choride) membrane electrodes based on heterocyclic thiocarboxylic acid

Heterocyclic thiocarboxylic acids have been designed to prepare polymeric membrane ion-selective electrode (ISE) for Pb²⁺. Construction, response characteristic and application of the lead ISEs are investigated. Better results have been obtained with membranes containing ligands L1∼L3 with bis(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate (DOS) as a plasticizer. Ionophores L1∼L3 are [(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl) thio] acetic acid (L1), (1,3,4-thiadiazole-2,5-diyldithio) diacetic acid (L2) and (1,3,4-thiadiazole-2,5-diyldithio) dipropionic acid (L3). The optimum electrodes have the composition of L1 (1.6): PVC (32.7): DOS (65.3): KT _p ClPB (0.4) (w/w), L2 (1.0): PVC (32.8): DOS (66.0): KT _p ClPB (0.2) (w/w), and L3 (1.0): PVC (32.7): DOS (65.4): KT _p ClPB (0.9) (w/w). The optimized membrane electrodes work well over a wide range of concentrations (1.0 × 10⁻⁵ ∼1.0 × 10⁻² M, 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ ∼1.0 × 10⁻² M, and 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ ∼1.0 × 10⁻² M) with the response slope of 27.4, 30.1 and 29.2 mV/decade, respectively. Potentiometric selectivities of the ISEs based on L1 ∼ L3 for Pb²⁺ over other interfering ions are determined with the fix interference method. The electrodes display good selectivity over a number of alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The lifetime of the electrodes is about 2 months and their response time is 20 s. Applications of these electrodes for the determination of lead in real samples and as indicator electrodes for potentiometric titration of Na₂SO₄ using Pb²⁺ solution are reported.     

Organosilica composite for preconcentration of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions

A new adsorbent is proposed for the solid-phase extraction of phenol and 1-naphthol from polluted water. The adsorbent (TX-SiO₂) is an organosilica composite made from a bifunctional immobilized layer comprising a major fraction (91%) of hydrophilic diol groups and minor fraction (9%) of the amphiphilic long-chain nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (polyoxyethylated isooctylphenol) (TX). Under static conditions phenol was quantitatively extracted onto TX-SiO₂ in the form of a 4-nitrophenylazophenolate ion associate with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The capacity of TX-SiO₂ for phenol is 2.4 mg g⁻¹ with distribution coefficients up to 3.4 × 10⁴ mL g⁻¹; corresponding data for 1-naphthol are 1.5 mg g⁻¹ and 3 × 10³ mL g⁻¹. The distribution coefficient does not change significantly for solution volumes of 0.025–0.5 L and adsorbent mass less than 0.03 g; 1–90 μg analyte can be easily eluted by 1–3 mL acetonitrile with an overall recovery of 98.2% and 78.3% for phenol and 1-naphthol, respectively. Linear correlation between acetonitrile solution absorbance (A ₅₄₀) and phenol concentration (C) in water was found according to the equation A ₅₄₀ = (6 ± 1) × 10⁻² + (0.9 ± 0.1)C (μmol L⁻¹) with a detection range from 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (0.9 μL g⁻¹) to 2 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (19 μL g⁻¹), a limit of quantification of 1 μL g⁻¹ (preconcentration factor 125), correlation coefficient of 0.936, and relative standard deviation of 2.5%. A solid-phase colorimetric method was developed for quantitative determination of 1-naphthol on adsorbent phase using scanner technology and RGB numerical analysis. The detection limit of 1-naphthol with this method is 6 μL g⁻¹ while the quantification limit is 20 μL g⁻¹. A test system was developed for naked eye monitoring of 1-naphthol impurities in water. The proposed test kit allows one to observe changes in the adsorbent color when 1-naphthol concentration in water is 0.08–3.2 mL g⁻¹.     

Fluorimetric determination of fluorescein at the femtomole level with a self-ordered ring of a sessile droplet on glass slide support

A method for fluorimetric microscopic determination of trace amounts of fluorescein at the femtomole level has been developed. Since the solvent evaporates from the droplet on a hydrophobic-treated glass slide, an outward capillary flow of the solvent from the interior of the droplet occurs. The resulting outward capillary flow then carries the solute to the perimeter of the droplet spot, where the solute accumulates to form a fluorescent self-ordered ring (SOR). Depending on the volume of the droplet of fluorescein solution, SORs of different sizes with an outer diameter less than 1.2 mm and a ring belt width less than 24 μm can be obtained. Data analysis for a digitally imaged SOR using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera showed that the fluorescein molecules across the fluorescent SOR belt section follow a Gaussian distribution; the maximum fluorescent intensity at central ring belt (I _max) was found to be proportional to fluorescein content. When a 0.1-μL droplet was spotted on the solid support, fluorescein in a range of 0.6–120 femtomol (or 6.2–1200.0 nM) can be detected, and the limit of detection can reach 62 attomol (or 0.6 nM). With the present method, the contents of fluorescein in fluorescein sodium injections were satisfactorily detected with recoveries of 95–105% and RSD of 3.5 and 4.2%, respectively. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Electrochemical behaviors of metol on ionic-liquid-modified carbon paste electrode and its analytical application

The electrochemical behaviors of metol on an ionic liquid N-butylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate modified carbon paste electrode (IL-CPE) were studied in this paper. The results indicated that a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks of metol appeared with the decrease of overpotential and the increase of redox peak current, which was the characteristics of electrocatalytic oxidation. The electrocatalytic mechanism was discussed and the electrochemical parameters were calculated with results of the charge-transfer coefficient (α) as 0.45, the electrode reaction rate constant (k _s) as 4.02 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹, and the diffusion coefficient (D) as 6.35 × 10⁻⁵ cm²/s. Under the optimal conditions, the anodic peak current was linear with the metol concentration in the range of 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ ∼ 1.0 × 10⁻³ mol/L (n = 11, γ = 0.994) and the detection limit was estimated as 2.33 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L (3σ). The proposed method was successfully applied to determination of metol content in synthetic samples and photographic solutions.     

A kinetic, spectral and theoretical investigation on the role of oxygen in the radiolytic oxidation of a sorbityl cyclic acetal

The oxidation process of the cyclic acetal sorbitylfurfural (SF) has been thoroughly examined from the kinetic, spectroscopic and theoretical point of view. Oxidation has been initiated by the radiolitically produced OH radical in the presence of variable oxygen amounts. Two competing reaction pathways are evidenced which lead to quite different products, although they do not affect the acetal ring integrity. The peroxidation of the hydroxylated furanic ring (k ₄=(6.1±0.9)×10⁸ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) maintains the ring structurevia HO₂^• elimination (k ₆=(1.9±0.4)×10⁵ s⁻¹). Unlike that, the peroxidation of the pseudo-allylic radical (k ₅=(1.9±0.9)×10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹), formedvia β-cleavage, fixes the destructured intermediate, leading to a tetroxide, which slowly decomposes through a Russell mechanism (k ₈=(2.3±0.6)×10² s⁻¹). It is confirmed that the steady state concentration of the tetroxide is very low, which suggests a molar absorption coefficient for it around 1.2×10⁴ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 265 nm. The end products of the latter pathway have been characterized as carboxylic and butenald-sorbitol derivatives. The kinetic and spectral data of every step of the process have been fitted by the above outlined mechanism. The energetics of the mechanism has been detailed byab initio computations as well, carrying further substantiation to it. Semi-empirical calculations were also employed to describe the spectral properties of each intermediate.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and third-order nonlinear optical properties of a copper(I) one-dimensional coordination polymer

A copper(I) thiocyanate coordination polymer [Cu(Phen)(μ-NCS)]n (I) (Phen = 1,10-phenan-throline) has been synthesized by the low-temperature solid-state reaction. Single-crystal X-ray analyses reveal that compound I possesses a type of one-dimensional (1D) framework structure. Polymer I was characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, and UV-visifele spectra. The third-order nonlinear optical properties were also investigated, and they exhibit good nonlinear absorption and self-defocusing performance with modulus of the hyperpolarizability 4.94 × 10⁻³⁰ esu for I in a 6.35 × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ DMF solution.     

Determination of levofloxacin in chicken tissue,manure and serum by self-ordered ring fluorescent microscopic imaging

Based on the self-ordered ring (SOR) fluorescent microscopic imaging technique on a hydrophobic glass slide with Mn²⁺ and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTMAB) as sensitizer, poly(vinyl alcohol)-124 (PVA-124) and NH₃-NH₄Cl buffer (pH 9.30) as the medium, a method has been developed for determining levofloxacin (LVFX) residues in chicken tissue, chicken manure and the concentrations in chicken serum. Sample preparation used the PBS and acetic acid-methanol as extracting agents for chicken breast muscle, liver and manure, respectively, the protein from chicken serum samples was removed with methanol. When the droplet volume is 0.2 μL, LVFX in the range of 5.7 × 10^?14?1.0 × 10^?13 mol/ring can be detected, and the limit of detection (LOD) can reach 5.7 × 10^?15 mol/ring (2.8 × 10^?8 M). Compared to reference [16], the sensitivity of SOR method enhances 1.7 times. It is a viable method for the determination of LVFX in chiken samples with the recoveries of 90.0–104.1% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 3.6%. The results indicate that the method applied to chicken tissue, manure and serum is reliable and applicable.     

Mechanism of hydroquinone-inhibited oxidation of acrylic acid and methyl methacrylate

The kinetics of hydroquinone-inhibited oxidation of acrylic acid and methyl methacrylate was studied volumetrically by measuring the oxygen uptake in the presence of an initiator (azobisisobutyronitrile) at T = 333 K and P _{O 2} = 1 and 0.21 atm. The oxidation of acrylic acid inhibited by 4-methoxyphenol was studied under the same conditions for comparison. The rate constants of the reactions of the peroxyl radicals of acrylic acid (∼CH₂CH(COOH)O₂^·) and methyl methacrylate (∼CH₂CMe(COOMe)O₂^·) with hydroquinone (HOC₆H₄OH) (1.20 × 10⁵ and 7.16 × 10⁴ l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively) and of the reaction of peroxyl radicals of acrylic acid with 4-methoxyphenol (p-CH₃OC₆H₄OH) (3.25 × 10⁴ l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) were measured. The stoichiometric inhibition factors f were determined. The reaction between the semiquinone radical and oxygen, O₂ + HOC₆H₄O^·, plays an important role, decreasing the factor f and the efficiency of the inhibition effect of hydroquinone. The rate constants of this reaction were calculated from kinetic data: k = 5.72 × 10² (in acrylic acid) and 4.60 × 10² l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ (in methyl methacrylate).     

Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by chemically modified silver nanoparticles

The ability of silver nanoparticles stabilized by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to concentrate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from aqueous solutions was shown. It was found that fixed PAH molecules are capable of acting as electronic energy donors and of generating sensibilized fluorescence of silver nanoparticles. It was shown by spectral-luminescent investigations of dilute PAH solutions (5 × 10⁻¹⁰−1 × 10⁻⁶ g/ml) in the presence of silver nanoparticles (∼0.7 vol %) that the concentration of PAH molecules from solutions occurs due to its sorption on hydrocarbon CTAB radicals in close contact to the surface of metallic silver. On the basis of the spectral data, the sorption isotherms were obtained and the values of extraction degree and partition coefficients for naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, chrysene, pyrene, and 3,4-benzopyrene were calculated. It was found that the degree of extraction values of the investigated PAHs fall within the range of 73–98%, the partition coefficients (logD) ∼ 6, and the concentration coefficients ∼10⁵.     

Visual spectroscopy detection of triclosan

The azo coupling reaction with 2-aminonaphthalene-4,8-disulfonic acid (I) was used to develop a new cheap and rapid method of triclosan (II) determination in hygiene products. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 2.0−100 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. The detection limit was 2.0 μmol L⁻¹.     

Electrocatalytic determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical and human serum samples by using [N,N′-bis(2-pyridine carboxamido)-1,2-benzene] nickel(II) modified carbon paste electrode

The main purpose of this study is to develop an inexpensive, simple, selective and especially sensitive modified carbon paste electrode (MCPE) for the determination of dopamine (DA) in pharmaceutical and human serum samples. The carbon paste electrode (CPE) has been modified by using [N,N′-bis(2-pyridine carboxamido)-1,2-benzene] nickel(II) complex (Ni(II)bpb) and the electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. The modified electrode shows an excellent electrocatalytic effect on the oxidation of DA. Under optimum conditions, calibration plots are found to be linear in the range of 7.0 × 10⁻⁷−1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M (r ₂ = 0.9940) and 1.0 × 10⁻⁵−1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M (r₂ = 0.9945); the detection limit is 6.2 × 10⁻⁸ M. The preparation of MCPE is very easy. The electrode can be renewed by simple polishing. The proposed method shows good sensitivity, reproducibility (RSD ∼ 2.9%), high stability (more than two month) without any considerable change in response and recovery for the determination of DA. The prepared electrode has been successfully applied to the voltammetric determination of DA in pharmaceutical and biological samples. The article is published in the original.     

Ion-pair formation in the outer-sphere electron transfer reactions between tris-(1, 10) phenanthroline iron(II) and the halopentacyanocobaltate(III) complexes in aqueous acidic solutions

The kinetics of the reactions between Fe(phen) ₃ ²⁺ [phen = tris–(1,10) phenanthroline] and Co(CN)₅X³⁻ (X = Cl, Br or I) have been investigated in aqueous acidic solutions at I = 0.1 mol dm⁻³ (NaCl/HCl). The reactions were carried out at a fixed acid concentration ([H⁺] = 0.01 mol dm⁻³) and the second-order rate constants for the reactions at 25 °C were within the range of (0.151–1.117) dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹. Ion-pair constants K _ip for these reactions, taking into consideration the protonation of the cobalt complexes, were 5.19 × 10⁴, 3.00 × 10² and 4.02 × 10⁴ mol⁻¹ dm⁻³ for X = Cl, Br and I, respectively. Activation parameters measured for these systems were as follows: ΔH* (kJ K⁻¹ mol⁻¹) = 94.3 ± 0.6, 97.3 ± 1.0 and 109.1 ± 0.4; ΔS* (J K⁻¹) = 69.1 ± 1.9, 74.9 ± 3.2 and 112.3 ± 1.3; ΔG* (kJ) = 73.7 ± 0.6, 75.0 ± 1.0 and 75.7 ± 0.4; E _a (kJ) = 96.9 ± 0.3, 99.8 ± 0.4, and 122.9 ± 0.3; A (dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) = (7.079 ± 0.035) × 10¹⁶, (1.413 ± 0.011) × 10¹⁷, and (9.772 ± 0.027) × 10²⁰ for X = Cl, Br, and I respectively. An outer – sphere mechanism is proposed for all the reactions.     

Simultaneous determination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphen hydrobromide and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in a new drug formulation for cold treatment by HPLC

Summary A rapid and accurate HPLC method is described for the simultaneous determination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphen hydrobromide and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in a new cold formulation. Chromatographic separation of the three pharmaceuticals was performed on a Hypersil CN column (150×5.0 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase mixture of an ion-pairing solution, methanol and acetonitrile (25:57:18, v/v), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹, with detection at 220 nm. Separation was complete in less than 10 min. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of quantitation and robustness. Linearity, accuracy, and precision were found to be acceptable over the ranges of 2.06∼20.6 μg·mL⁻¹ for acetaminophen, 0.202∼2.02 mg·mL⁻¹ for pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and 0.042∼1.06 mg·mL⁻¹ for dextromethorphen hydrobromide.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and third-order nonlinear optical properties of a copper(I) one-dimensional coordination polymer [Cu(μ-1,1,1,3-N<Subscript>3</Subscript>)]<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>

A novel copper(I) azide coordination polymer [Cu(μ-1,1,1,3-N₃)] _n has been synthesized by the low-temperature solution-state reaction. Crystal X-ray analyses reveal that compound [Cu(μ-1,1,1,3-N₃)] _n possesses a type of three-dimensional (3D) framework structure. The polymer was characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, and UV-Vis spectra. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were also investigated, and they exhibit good linear absorption and self-defocusing performance with modulus of the hyperpolarizability (γ) 8.16 × 10⁻³⁰ esu for [Cu(μ-1,1,1,3-N₃)] _n in a 1.96 × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ DMF solution.     

Rubidium-cationic conductance in the systems Rb2 ? 2xAl2 ? xAxO4 (A = P, V)

RbAlO₂-based solid solutions are synthesized in the systems Rb_{2 − x} Al_{2 − x} A _x O₄ (A = P, V). Temperature and concentration dependences of their conductance are studied; the rubidium-cationic character of the conductance is corroborated. The high ionic conductivity of the synthesized phases (∼5 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 300°C, ∼2 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 700°C) is caused by (a) formation of rubidium vacancies as a result of the replacing of Al³⁺ ions by fivefold-charged cations of phosphorus or vanadium and (b) disordered crystal structure of γ-KAlO₂ type. The obtained data are compared with the results of the studying of similar systems. Original Russian Text ? G.Sh. Shekhtman, E.I. Volegova, E.I. Burmakin, 2009, published in Elektrokhimiya, 2009, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 495–499.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the reactions of hexaaqua rhodium (III) with sulphur (IV) in aqueous medium

An O-bonded sulphito complex, Rh(OH₂)₅(OSO₂H)²⁺, is reversibly formed in the stoppedflow time scale when Rh(OH₂) ₆ ³⁺ and SO₂/HSO ₃ ⁻ buffer (1 <pH< 3) are allowed to react. For Rh(OH₂)₅OH₂₊+ SO₂ □ Rh(OH₂)₅(OSO₂H)²⁺ (k₁/k_-1), k₁ = (2.2 ±0.2) × 10³ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹, k₋1 = 0.58 ±0.16 s⁻¹ (25°C,I = 0.5 mol dm⁻³). The protonated O-sulphito complex is a moderate acid (K _d = 3 × 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³, 25°C, I= 0.5 mol dm⁻³). This complex undergoes (O, O) chelation by the bound bisulphite withk= 1.4 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ (31°C) to Rh(OH₂)₄(O₂SO)⁺ and the chelated sulphito complex takes up another HSO ₃ ⁻ in a fast equilibrium step to yield Rh(OH₂)₃(O₂SO)(OSO₂H) which further undergoes intramolecular ligand isomerisation to the S-bonded sulphito complex: Rh(OH₂)₃(O₂SO)(OSO₂)^- → Rh(OH₂)₃(O₂SO)(SO₃)⁻ (k _iso = 3 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, 31°C). A dinuclear (μ-O, O) sulphite-bridged complex, Na₄[Rh₂(μ-OH)₂(OH)₂(μ-OS(O)O)(O₂SO)(SO₃) (OH₂)]5H₂O with (O, O) chelated and S-bonded sulphites has been isolated and characterized. This complex is sparingly soluble in water and most organic solvents and very stable to acid-catalysed decomposition     

Electrochemical synthesis of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-tolidine): Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization

Polymerization of (O-tolidine), as ring substituted derivative of benzidine was achieved electro-chemically in organic solution containing Bu₄NBF₄ (0.2 M) in dichloromethane as supporting electrolyte. The film was obtained by electropolymerization in solution containing monomer in various ratio ((5 × 10⁻⁴)–(5 × 10⁻²) M). This polymer was characterized by cycling voltammetry, impedance measurement, UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopy.     

Determination of sulfanilamide based on the Mn(II)-catalyzed oscillating chemical reaction

A convenient and sensitive method for determination of sulfanilamide (SNA) was described based on the Mn(II)-catalyzed oscillating chemical reaction. Under optimum conditions, a linear relationship existed between the changes of oscillating period or amplitude and the negative of logarithm of SNA concentration in the range of 4.27 × 10⁻⁸ mol ·L⁻¹ ∼ 7.41 × 10⁻⁶ mol ·L⁻¹ (RSD, 0.85%) and 9.33 × 10⁻⁸ mol ·L⁻¹ ∼ 3.02 × 10⁻⁶ mol ·L⁻1 (RSD, 1.08%), respectively. The lower limit of detection was found to be 2.69 × 10⁻⁸ mol ·L⁻¹ and 6.03 × 10⁻⁸ mol ·L⁻¹, respectively.