Criteria for assessing the effect of the composition of mixed media on analytical sensitivity in thermal lens spectrometry

The effect of the main parameters of solvent mixtures (water-acetone, water-ethanol, water-acetonitrile, water-ethylene glycol, and chloroform-acetone) of various compositions on the detection limit and analytical range was studied, and the selection criteria for the composition of mixed media were discussed in the context of trace determination by thermal lens spectrometry. It is shown that the strength of the thermal lens effect in the medium cannot serve the measure of its effect on the sensitivity and reproducibility of the determination. The lowest detection limits were reached in the water-ethanol (8 times lower in comparison to water), water-acetone (3 times), and water-ethylene glycol (2.5 times) mixtures with a volume ratio of components of 1: 4, while in water-acetonitrile mixtures (22 times), with a component ratio of 3 : 1.     

Detection and quantification of traces of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in paper samples using analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS

In this paper a simplified method based on analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for the detection and quantification of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in paper samples is presented. The method enables a direct analysis of the samples without tedious sample preparation. As the analytes are thermally desorbed, a solvent extraction is not needed. The method is applicable to small samples of ~120 μg. The limits of detection are below 1 mg kg(-1) for bisphenol A and for bisphenol S. The limits of quantification are about 1.3 mg kg(-1). Several validation characteristics of the method developed like standard error of calibration, limit of determination, linearity, and accuracy are given. To prove the accuracy of the method, interferences and matrix dependencies were also investigated. The influence of the pyrolysis crucibles, a special effect of analytical pyrolysis, was additionally investigated. It was found that the impact of the crucibles on the results is significant and one cause for matrix effects.     

A new spectrum technique based on direct detection of light intensity absorbed

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Behaviour of phospholipids in analytical reactive pyrolysis

Checking for the presence of egg in a painting layer allows to decide whether or not it is a tempera. Several already assessed analytical techniques may be used to perform the chemical analysis for the detection of egg in paintings. As an advantageous and alternative methodology for the determination of egg, a new application of analytical pyrolysis, hyphenated with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) system, in presence of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and tetramethylammonium-hydroxide (TMAH), is reported here. The innovation lays mainly in the choice of new markers for the presence of egg. It is here demonstrated that in art diagnostic tris-TMS-ester and methyl ester of phosphoric acid, generated by the pyrolysis of standard phospholipids and synthetic painting layers containing egg as binding medium, may be used as new markers for identification of egg in tempera layers. The adoption of these new markers in analytical pyrolysis allows to obtain higher analytical performance with respect to classical markers (fatty acids), especially in terms of yield and, as a consequence, in terms of limit of detection.     

Hemichrome Determination by Thermal Lensing with Polyethylene Glycols for Signal Enhancement in Aqueous Solutions

The thermal lens technique is proposed for the determination of total hemoglobin in the form of reversible hemichrome. The conditions were optimized (concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate, 2?mM) to attain the maximum sensitivity with the use of polyethylene glycols as signal enhancers. For polyethylene glycols with molecular weights 1500–35000 Da in a concentration range of 5–15% w/w (5–25?mM), the influence on thermal lens signal enhancement was estimated. It is shown that the use of 5% w/w polyethylene glycol 2000 provides the maximum increase in the thermal lens enhancement factor (by 40%) in comparison with unmodified aqueous solutions. The detection limit of iron(II) tris(1,10-phenanthrolinate) as a model system is 60?nM. Under these conditions, the thermal lens detection limit of hemichrome is 10?nM, which shows a 15-fold enhancement compared to spectrophotometry. Modification of the medium with polyethylene glycols decreases the limit of detection of hemichrome determination by 15% in comparison with unmodified aqueous solutions due to better reproducibility for the range of concentrations from 0.02 to 0.9?µM.     

整体柱离子对色谱-间接紫外检测法快速测定N-甲基,丙基吗啉阳离子

建立了快速分析无紫外吸收的N-甲基,丙基吗啉阳离子的离子对色谱-间接紫外检测法。采用反相C18硅胶整体柱,以背景紫外吸收试剂-离子对试剂-有机溶剂为流动相。研究了背景紫外吸收试剂、检测波长、离子对试剂、有机溶剂、柱温、流速对吗啉阳离子测定的影响。最佳色谱条件为:(0.5 mmol/L对氨基苯酚盐酸盐-0.1 mmol/L庚烷磺酸钠)溶液-甲醇(9:1, v/v)为流动相,检测波长230 nm,柱温30 ℃,流速1.0 mL/min。在此条件下,N-甲基,丙基吗啉阳离子的保留时间为2.966 min,检出限为0.07 mg/L(S/N=3),峰面积的相对标准偏差为2.1%(n=5),保留时间的相对标准偏差为0.02%(n=5)。将此方法用于分析实验室合成的N-甲基,丙基吗啉离子液体,加标回收率为98.8%。结果表明本方法简便、快速。     

The use of high-speed differential scanning calorimetry (Hyper-DSC™) to study the thermal properties of carbamazepine polymorphs

The thermal properties of two polymorphs of the drug carbamazepine, Forms I and III, were studied using high-speed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Previously, accurate determination of the heat enthalpy of fusion of Form III has not been possible using DSC at typical heating rates, due to concurrent exothermic recrystallisation to the higher-melting Form I. Here, it is demonstrated that heating rates of 250° C/min altered the kinetics of the melting transition of Form III such that this concurrent exothermic recrystallisation was inhibited. This allowed direct measurement of the enthalpy of the melting endotherm for Form III from a single transition. The enthalpy of this transition was found to be 109.5 J/g. Further investigations were then performed to test the utility of this technique in quantifying relative amounts of Forms I and III in mixtures of the two polymorphs. It was demonstrated that a limit of detection of 1% (w/w) was possible in this system. However, accurate quantification was not possible due to seeding effects initiating recrystallisation to Form I in these mixtures, even at these elevated heating rates. The utility of this novel technique as a fast analytical tool for studying the polymorphic behaviour of metastable polymorphs has been successfully demonstrated.     

Spectrophotometric and thermal lens determination of aluminum with 3-sulfo-5-nitro-4′-diethylamino-2,2′-dihydroxyazobenzene

The conditions of the spectrophotometric and thermal lens determination of aluminum with sulfo-5-nitro-4′-diethylamino-2,2′-dihydroxyazobenzene have been compared. The limit of spectrophotometric detection of aluminum in aqueous solutions has been found to be 8 ng/mL. On the basis of the conditions of spectrophotometric determination, the conditions for thermal lens determination have been proposed (532.0 nm, exciting radiation power of 42 mW); they provide a decrease of the detection limit down to 0.6 ng/mL and an increase of the sensitivity coefficient by an order of magnitude. It has been shown that, in the case of the thermal lens determination of aluminum in water-organic mixtures (50 vol % of dimethyl sulfoxide or 30 vol % acetonitrile), the sensitivity coefficient is respectively 9.1 and 6.3-fold higher as compared with the thermal lens determination in water. As a result, the detection limits are reduced 2.5 and 10-fold, respectively. Aluminum has been determined by thermal lens spectrophotometry in Moscow’s tap water using the standard addition method, its concentration being 0.79 ± 0.07 mg/L, which is above the threshold limit value of the aluminum content of drinking water.     

Quantification of nanodiamonds in aqueous solutions by spectrophotometry and thermal lens spectrometry

Spectrophotometry and thermal lens spectrometry were used to study solutions of several commercial detonation nanodiamonds. It was found that the absorption spectra of solutions of all studied nanodiamond samples obey the Bouger-Lambert-Beer law, which ensures the precise determination of the total mass concentration of unknown nanodiamond solutions using a calibration plot. It was shown that the absorption spectra of nanodiamond solutions exhibit both absorption and scattering components, both significantly affecting signal formation. Conditions were proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of nanodiamonds at 250 nm (l = 1.0 cm). The detection limits were from 60 ng/mL to 2 ??g/mL, depending on the nanodiamond type. Limits of detection of SDND nanodiamonds by spectrophotometry and thermal lens spectrometry were calculated for identical conditions of sample preparation and measurements (488 nm, l = 1.0 cm). These were 10 and 0.6 ??g/mL for spectrophotometry and thermal lens spectrometry, respectively (power of excitation radiation 150 mW).     

土壤中铅的分析方法比对

对不同的样品消解方法及电感耦合等离子体质谱、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱、石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定土壤中铅的测定结果进行比对。采用电热板、微波及水浴3种加热方式,选择硝酸、氢氟酸、双氧水、王水、高氯酸、盐酸的不同组合进行土壤样品消解,通过分析测定值的精密度和准确度,考察消解体系对电感耦合等离子体质谱、电感耦合等离子体发射光谱、石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定结果的影响。结果表明采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定土壤中的铅,最适宜的消解体系是硝酸-氢氟酸-高氯酸(微波加热),采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定最适宜的消解体系是硝酸(电热板加热),采用石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定最适宜的消解体系是硝酸-盐酸-高氯酸(微波加热)。电感耦合等离子体质谱法的精密度和准确度优于另外两种方法。     

Effect of electrolytes on the sensitivity of the thermal lens determination

The effect of some electrolytes on the detection limits and sensitivity coefficients of the thermal lens determination of model compounds of different types in aqueous solutions is studied. A significant increase in the sensitivity of thermal lens determination in electrolyte solutions is shown. For example, the sensitivity coefficient is doubled in 0.6 M H₂SO₄ and 1.2 M HNO₃, regardless of the analyte nature. It is shown that the effect of electrolyte on the sensitivity of a thermal lens determination cannot be assessed a priori.     

Spectral interferences in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry-I: A theoretical and experimental study of the effect of spectral bandwidth on selectivity,limits of determination,limits of detection and detection power

This article links up with recent work on high resolution spectroscopy in this laboratory [1] and primarily deals with the effect of the spectral resolution on the “selectivity” in the case of samples that emit line-rich spectra. The concept of selectivity, as developed by KAISER [8] on the basis of the set of calibration equations for a multicomponent system, is considered as a useful starting-point but is rejected as a meaningful analytical figure of merit. Instead the concept of “line selectivity” is introduced as a criterion and related to the analytical error. This approach leads to a definition of the limit of determination such that its dependence on the spectral resolution can be clearly and unambiguously revealed in any concrete situation, that is, once the sample type has been specified. Such a specification is necessary since the numerical values of quantities related to selectivity are inherently linked with sample composition.Thus the theory is illustrated with practical examples including the results of a multiplicity of simulated line overlap situations using representative experimental line profiles measured at two extreme levels of resolution, referred to as “medium” and “high” resolution.It is shown that in the case of line overlap the limit of determination may exceed the limit of detection by one or even two orders of magnitude, unless line selection is based on a selectivity criterion so that the limit of detection is inherently coupled to the limit of determination. It is also shown that the prime benefit of high resolution spectroscopy is the reduction of the limit of determination, not that of the limit of detection. This benefit is found only if the spectral resolution can improve the selectivity, thus if there exist situations of line overlap.     

Effect of polyethylene glycols on the sensitivity of the thermal lens determination of cobalt with nitrosonaphthols of various structures (nitroso-R-salt and 2-nitroso-1-naphthol)

The effect of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) with molecular weights of 2000, 6000, 13000, and 20000 on the sensitivity of the thermal lens determination of cobalt(III) using nitroso-R-salt and 2-nitroso-1-naphthol is studied. At the polymer concentration as low as 10%, the sensitivity coefficient significantly increases and the detection limit decreases by a factor of 1.5–2 with respect to the determination in an aqueous medium without PEG. This effect is accompanied by an increase in sensitivity due to an increase in the absorbance of the cobalt complexes in PEG solutions at the operating wavelength. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits for cobalt(III) are 6 and 10 ng/mL with nitroso-R-salt and 2-nitroso-1-naphthol, respectively.     

Extraction–thermal lens quantification of cobalt with Nitroso-R-Salt in two-phase aqueous systems with water-soluble polymer polyethylene glycol

A novel method is proposed for the extraction-thermal lens quantification of cobalt with Nitroso-R-Salt based on the distribution of the colored complex in a two-phase aqueous system on the basis of poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) and an ammonium sulfate solution followed by its thermal lens detection in the extract. The limit of detection is 0.3 μM (20 ng/mL); the lower limit of the analytical range is 0.7 μM (40 ng/mL); the relative standard deviation for the concentrations 1–50 μM makes 1–3% (n = 6, P = 0.95). In the determination of cobalt by spectrophotometry under the same conditions, the detection limit is 10 μM (0.6 μg/mL) and the lower limit of the analytical range is 40 μM (2.5 μg/mL). The precision of thermal lens measurements in PEG solutions is higher in comparison to that in aqueous ones because of the weaker interference of convection in aqueous solutions of PEG.     

Determination of reducing carbonyl groups in cellulose in the solvent system LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide

 The 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) method for the determination of reducing carbonyl groups in cellulose in water suspensions has been thoroughly evaluated. By reduction of TTC in alkaline medium, triphenylformazane (formazane) is produced. It is thermally unstable and an unavoidable loss results in a relatively high detection limit for the determination of reducing carbonyl groups in most celluloses with a low content of such groups. Besides, oxidized cellulose is unstable in the alkaline media in which the reaction is performed. The determined content of reducing groups has also been shown to be affected by the amount of sample, indicating that absorption of triphenylformazane takes place. A new method for determination of reducing carbonyl groups in cellulose in homogeneous medium has been developed. Cellulose is dissolved in the solvent system LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide and reacts with TTC in the presence of tert-butylamine at 75 ^°C for 10 min and formazane is subsequently determined spectrophotometrically at 524 nm. None of the systematic errors inherent in the “aqueous” suspension method can be defined. The new procedure is also more reproducible and has a lower detection limit of 7 nmol reducing groups in a given mass of sample. The two procedures have been tested on five differently oxidised cellulose samples and the difference in the determinations are discussed. Received: 4 March 1996/Revised: 21 May 1996/Accepted: 25 May 1996     

On the role of analytical chemistry in solvent extraction processing

Analytical chemistry plays a vital role in both the development and operation of any chemical process, and the process of solvent extraction as applied in hydrometallurgical operations is no exception. Because of the increasing attention being given today to solvent extraction as a means of separating metals in solution, it seemed appropriate that the analytical chemistry associated with solvent extraction studies, process development, and operations be reviewed. In this review, consideration is given only to analysis of the aqueous and organic phases for the determination of solvent components, rather than to the determination of metals in these phases. Furthermore, the major emphasis is placed on analytical methods which are applicable to process studied and plant control, and which require a minimum of instrumentation and operator skill. The importance of sampling is discussed first, and problems encountered in obtaining representative samples from the solvent, aqueous, and slurry phases are considered in some detail. This is followed by a review of methods of analysis which are directly applicable, or are considered as having application, to the analysis of the organic and the aqueous phases of the solvent extraction process. Analytical methods for the determination of the various extractants, modifiers, and diluents presently being used, or considered for use, in commercial solvent extraction processes are surveyed. First, those methods which are applicable to the determination of reagents in the solvent phase are considered, followed by those which are available for analysis of the aqueous phase for the determination of soluble components of the solvent phase. In both cases extractants, modifiers, and diluents are considered separately. Finally, some of the more obvious analytical needs, and areas where research is required in order that a more complete understanding of the solvent extraction process can be obtained, are discussed.     

Thermooptical detection in microchips: from macro- to micro-scale with enhanced analytical parameters

In this paper, we compared the methods of photothermal spectroscopy used in different spatial scales, namely thermal-lens spectrometry (TLS) and thermal-lens microscopy (TLM) to enhance the performance parameters in analytical procedures. All of the experimental results were confirmed by theoretical calculation. It was proven that the design for both TLM and TLS, despite a different scale for the effect, is governed by the same signal-generating and probing conditions (probe beam diameter at the sample should be equal to the diameter of the blooming thermal lens), and almost does not depend on the nature of the solvent. Theoretical and experimental instrumental error curves for thermal lensing were coincident. TLM obeys the same law of instrumental error as TLS and shows better repeatability for the same levels of thermal-lens signals or absorbances. TLS is more advantageous for studying low concentrations in bulk, while TLM shows much lower absolute LODs due to better repeatability for low amounts. The behavior of the thermal-lens signal with different flow rates was studied and optimum conditions, with the minimum contribution to total error, were found. These conditions are reproducible, are in agreement with the existing theory of the thermal response in thermal lensing, and do not significantly affect the design of the optimum scheme for setups. TLM showed low LODs in solvent extraction (down to 10(-8) M) and electrokinetic separation (10(-7) M), which were shown to be governed by discussed instrumental regularities, instead of by microchemistry.     

微波消解-石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定纳米二氧化钛中痕量砷

建立了微波消解-石墨炉原子吸收光谱法（GF-AAS）测定纳米二氧化钛中痕量杂质元素砷的分析方法。采用由一定浓度和比例的氢氟酸、硝酸组成的混合试剂,结合应用高压密闭微波加热技术快速完全消解纳米二氧化钛样品,优选了最佳微波加热控制程序,不仅解决了二氧化钛难消解和待测元素砷高温消解过程中易挥发损失等难点,而且检测溶液酸度低,避免对GF-AAS石墨管的侵蚀。并且,通过基体效应影响实验,优化选择了石墨管类型、石墨炉升温原子化控制程序以及原子吸收光谱仪检测参数,消除热稳定性强的二氧化钛基体对测定易挥发痕量元素砷的影响。方法检出限为0.02μg/L,加标回收率为93.0%~106.0%,相对标准偏差9.4%,与ICP-MS检测方法结果对照一致。     

Optimisation of thermal lens microscopic measurements in a microchip

The thermal lens optical scheme-design was optimised for microscopic measurements in microchannels. The efficient pathlength of the sample, irradiated volume, and the diameter of the thermal lens were estimated. Experimental time curves of development of the thermal lens and periodical oscillations of the signal due to convectional heat transfer are in good agreement with the theoretically expected behaviour. Noise sources (laser noises, instrumental flicker noise, convection, and flow noise) were studied. The possible effect of probe laser power on transient and steady-state thermal lens measurements were estimated. The effect of solvent absorption on the performance characteristics is shown. Under the optimum optical scheme-design, the limits of detection of ferroin and Sunset Yellow FCF at 488.0 nm are 1×10⁻⁸ and 4×10⁻⁹ mol dm⁻³, respectively (corresponding quantities in the detection volume are 3×10⁻²¹ and 1×10⁻²¹ mol). The total linear calibration range is n×10⁻⁸ to n×10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³, the repeatability R.S.D. for this range is 3-7%. The optimised instrument was also used for the determination of characteristic rate constants of formation and dissociation of ferroin at the level of n × 10⁻⁸ mol dm⁻³. Some analytical applications are discussed.