Determination of inorganic ionic mercury down to 5×10−14 mol l−1 by differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

A new method is described for the reliable and ultrasensitive determination of inorganic ionic mercury, using differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry on a glassy carbon electrode. It has been possible to determine mercury down to a concentration of 5×10^–14 moll^-1 (the lowest detection limit ever reported for a voltammetric method). This success was achieved by using a thiocyanate electrolyte and relatively long deposition times. The mercury ions are stabilized in the solution by the formation of strong thiocyanate complexes. This leads to a highly reproducible cathodic plating and anodic dissolution of mercury. A speciation analysis allowing to distinguish between dissolved atomic and ionic mercury in water is possible.     

TRENDS IN THE OPTICAL ROTATORY DISPERSION SPECTRA OF R-(−)-1,2-PROPYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETATO COMPLEXES OF GROUPS IIA,IIB,IIIA,IIIB,IVB AND SOME HEAVY METALS

Abstract

A general periodic trend was observed in the optical rotatory dispersion spectra of the R-(?)-1,2-propylenediamine-tetraacetato (R(?)PDTA) complexes of Group IIA metals: magnesium(II), calcium(II), strontium(II), and barium(II); Group IIIB metals: scandium(III), yttrium(III), and lanthanum(III); Group IVB metals: titanium(IV), zirconium(IV), and thorium(IV); Group IIB metals: zinc(II), cadmium(II), and mercury(II); Group IIIA metals: aluminum(III), indium(III), and thallium(III); and the heavy metals: mercury(II), thallium(III), lead(II), and bismuth(III). The periodic trend was related to the ionic potential of the metals within each group, in that as the ionic potential increases within a group, the molecular rotations decrease from a positive to a negative value at any given wavelength outside of a region of anomalous optical rotatory dispersion. Comparing the heavy metal, mercury(II), lead(II), thallium(III), and bismuth(III), complexes of R(?)PDTA, outside of the region of anomalous rotatory dispersion, the metal with the same charge but smaller ionic potential has the greater positive molecular rotation at any given wavelength.     

Effective binuclear Pd(II) complexes for Suzuki reactions in water

A series of new ionic binuclear Pd(II) complexes supported by water‐soluble bis(α‐diimine) ligands were prepared and employed as catalysts for the palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki reaction in aqueous media. The binuclear nature of the complexes increased the reaction rate, while electronic and steric modification of the ligand frameworks had a remarkable influence upon the catalytic activity of the palladium complexes. The catalysts were shown to be homogeneous through mercury poisoning experiments and complexes could be recycled more than 10 times without loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermodynamics of the Mixed-Ligand Complex Formation of Mercury(II) Ethylenediaminetetraacetate with Dipyridine and Phenanthroline in Aqueous Solution

The formation of the mixed-ligand complexes HgEdtaL^2?, where L = 2,2′-dipyridine (Dipy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen), was studied by calorimetry and pH titration at 298.15 K and the ionic strength I = 0.5 (NaClO₄, KNO₃). The heats of the formation of the dipyridine and phenanthroline complexes of mercury(II) determined at 298.15 K and the ionic strength I = 0.1 (NaNO₃, KNO₃). A probable coordination mode of the ligands in a mixed complex was discussed.     

Chloro Complexes of Mercury(II) in Aqueous Perchlorate Media: Equilibrium and Electronic Absorption Spectra

The literature data on the equilibrium constants of formation of HgCl^– _{3 solv} and HgCl^2– _{4 solv} from HgCl_{2 solv} and Cl^– _solv in aqueous perchlorate–chloride solutions were generalized. The individual electronic absorption spectrum of the trichloro complex of mercury(II) was obtained for the first time, and the effect of the ionic strength on the spectra of di-, tri-, and tetrachloro complexes of mercury(II) was considered. The previously developed procedures for the resolution of absorption spectra into individual bands were found to be suitable for interpretation of spectral changes experimentally observed for solutions as the result of stepwise complexation. The parameters of the absorption bands in the spectra of chloro complexes of mercury(II) were determined.     

Speciation analysis of mercury in sediments using ionic‐liquid‐based vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry

An improved novel method based on ionic liquid vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction of methylmercury, ethylmercury and inorganic mercury in sediment samples prior to analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. In this work, mercury species were firstly complexed with dithizone, and the complexes were extracted into 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate. Key factors that affect the extraction efficiency of mercury species, such as type and amount of ionic liquid and chelatants, extraction time, sample pH, salt effect and matrix effect were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was found in the concentration range from 0.1–70 ng/g. Limits of detection ranged from 0.037–0.061 ng/g. Reproducibility and recoveries were assessed by extracting a series of six independent sediment samples that were spiked with different concentration levels. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied in analysis of real sediment samples. In this work, ionic liquids vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction was for the first time used for the extraction of mercury species in sediment samples. The proposed method was proved to be much simpler and more rapid, as well as more environmentally friendly and efficient compared with the previous methods.     

Determination of Stability Constants for Complexes of Ni(II) with Adenine and Guanine from Catalytic Linear Scan Voltammetric Currents

The catalytic effects of adenine and guanine on the reduction of Ni(II) at the hanging mercury drop electrode were used to study the formation of complexes in the bulk of aqueous solutions at 25 °C and ionic strength 0.2 M. Complexation data were obtained from an analysis of the kinetic (catalytic) pure limiting currents, according to a method proposed previously. Values of 3.70 and 3.17 were determined for the logarithms of the stability constants corresponding to the formation of 1 : 1 complexes between Ni(II) – aquo ion and the neutral form of adenine and guanine, respectively.     

Polarographic Behavior of Manganese(II) in the Presence of Oxalate Ions in Perchlorate and Sulfate Solutions

The dc polarographic method has been applied to study coordination equilibria between Mn(II) and oxalate ions in perchlorate and sulfate solutions. The stoichiometries of complexes formed in solution and those reduced at a dropping mercury electrode were established. The stability constants of the Mn(II) oxalate and sulfate complexes, as well as their diffusion coefficients, were determined at a constant ionic strength 0.5 mol⋅L⁻¹ and 25 °C. The stabilities of these Mn(II) complexes were compared with the corresponding complexes of other divalent metal ions. The polarographic method was able to identify complexes that have not been established by other methods and to determine their stability constants with high accuracy.     

Formation of mercury(ii) ethylenediaminediacetate and its mixed-ligand complexes with anions

The complexes of mercury(II) with EDDA and the formation of mixedligand complexes with some anions have been investigated spectrophotometrically. Mercury(II) reacts with EDDA to give 1:1 and 1:2 complexes, which have stability constants of 15.4±0.1 and 24.2±0.2 respectively, at ionic strength 0.1. These complexes react with anions (X), such as cyanide, thiocyanate, iodide, bromide and chloride, to form the mixed-ligand 1:1:1 complexes. Hg(EDDA)X. The apparent stability constants (log K_x) of the chloro, bromo, and thiocyanato mixed-ligand complexes are 9.9, 12.0, and 10.8, respectively.     

Synthesis and Application of Hydride Silica Composites for Rapid and Facile Removal of Aqueous Mercury

The adsorption of ionic mercury(II) from aqueous solution on functionalized hydride silicon materials was investigated. The adsorbents were prepared by modification of mesoporous silica C‐120 with triethoxysilane or by converting alkoxysilane into siloxanes by reaction with acetic acid. Mercury adsorption isotherms at 20 °C are reported, and maximum mercury loadings were determined by Langmuir fitting. Adsorbents exhibited efficient and rapid removal of ionic mercury from aqueous solution, with a maximum mercury loading of approximately 0.22 and 0.43 mmol of Hg g^?1 of silica C‐120 and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) xerogel, respectively. Adsorption efficiency remained almost constant from pH 2.7 to 7. These inexpensive adsorbents exhibiting rapid assembly, low pH sensitivity, and high reactivity and capacity, are potential candidates as effective materials for mercury decontamination in natural waters and industrial effluents.     

Complexes of zinc,cadmium and mercury(II) with the zwitter-ionic form of NN′-ethylenebis (salicylideneimine)

The Schiff base NN′-ethylenebis(salicylideneimine), H₂ salen reacts with hydrous and anhydrous Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury(II) salts to give complexes M(H₂ salen)X₂·nH₂O (M = Zn, Cd, Hg; XCl, Br, I, NO₃; MZn, X₂SO₄; n = 0?2). Spectroscopic and other evidence indicated that; (i) halide and sulphate are coordinated to the metal ion, whereas the nitrate group is ionic in mercury nitrate compound and covalently bonded in zinc and cadmium nitrato complexes, (ii) the Schiff base is coordinated through the negatively charged phenolic oxygen atoms and not the nitrogen atoms, which carry the protons transferred from phenolic groups on coordination, (iii) therefore the coordination numbers suggested are 4-, in mercury and 4- or 6- in zinc and cadmium Schiff base complexes.     

The actual mercurating species in the mercuration of aromatic amines and the aminomercuration of olefins

The reactivity of π- and σ- N-mercurated and C-mercurated amines as electrophiles towards olefins and aromatic amines is studied under different reaction conditions. Depending on the ionic or covalent character of the starting mercury(II) salt, dissociated species or π-complexes 3 respectively, are found to be the most plausible mercurating species in the aminomercuration process. By contrast, complexes 3' do not react with aromatic amines unless the former undergo prior dissociation.     

Électrochimie dans l'oxydipropionitrile: Comportement électrochimique du solvant. Stabilité des complexes argent(I) halogénures. Solvatation des anions

Electrochemical possibilities of oxydipropionitrile have been shown. The system Ag(s)/Ag⁺ has been used to make a reference electrode in this medium. The electroactivity range which depends on the electrolyte and the kind of electrode used has been specified. At a platinum electrode, in LiClO₄ medium, the electroactivity range is very large. At a mercury electrode, water does not interfere but at a platinum electrode it is oxidizable; the electroactivity range depends on its concentration. The second part treats the complexes with silver ion and halides. Stability constants of complexes and solubility products have been obtained from potentiometric titration curves. The determination of the transfer parameters for ionic species is based on the Strehlow assumption that the potential of the ferrocene/ferricinium couple is constant in all solvents. The results show that the silver ion is more strongly solvated in oxydipropionitrile than in water; on the other hand halide ions are little solvated in this solvent.     

Structure of solvated mercury(II) halides in liquid ammonia, triethyl phosphite and tri-n-butylphosphine solution

Liquid ammonia, trialkyl phosphites, and especially trialkylphosphines, are very powerful electron-pair donor solvents with soft bonding character. The solvent molecules act as strongly coordinating ligands towards mercury(ii), interacting strongly enough to displace halide ligands. In liquid ammonia mercury(ii) chloride solutions separate into two liquid phases; the upper contains tetraamminemercury(ii) complexes, [Hg(NH(3))(4)](2+), and chloride ions in low concentration, while the lower is a dense highly concentrated solution of [Hg(NH(3))(4)](2+) entities, ca. 1.4 mol dm(-3), probably ion-paired by hydrogen bonds to the chloride ions. Mercury(ii) bromide also dissociates to ionic complexes in liquid ammonia and forms a homogeneous solution for which (199)Hg NMR indicates weak bromide association with mercury(ii). When dissolving mercury(ii) iodide in liquid ammonia and triethyl phosphite solvated molecular complexes form in the solutions. The Raman nu(I-Hg-I) symmetric stretching frequency is 132 cm(-1) for the pseudo-tetrahedral [HgI(2)(NH(3))(2)] complex formed in liquid ammonia, corresponding to D(S) = 56 on the donor strength scale. For the Hg(ClO(4))(2)/NH(4)I system in liquid ammonia a (199)Hg NMR study showed [HgI(4)](2-) to be the dominating mercury(ii) complex for mole ratios n(I(-)) : n(Hg(2+)) > or = 6. A large angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) study of mercury(ii) iodide in triethyl phosphite solution showed a [HgI(2)(P(OC(4)H(9))(3))(2)] complex with the Hg-I and Hg-P bond distances 2.750(3) and 2.457(4) A, respectively, in near tetrahedral configuration. Trialkylphosphines generally form very strong bonds to mercury(ii), dissociating all mercury(ii) halides. Mercury(ii) chloride and bromide form solid solvated mercury(ii) halide salts when treated with tri-n-butylphosphine, because of the low permittivity of the solvent. A LAXS study of a melt of mercury(ii) iodide in tri-n-butylphosphine at 330 K resulted in the Hg-I and Hg-P distances 2.851(3) and 2.468(4) A, respectively. The absence of a distinct I-I distance indicates flexible coordination geometry with weak and non-directional mercury(ii) iodide association within the tri-n-butylphosphine solvated complex.     

Separation and preconcentration of mercury in water samples by ionic liquid supported cloud point extraction and fluorimetric determination

We have developed a cloud point extraction procedure based on room temperature ionic liquid for the preconcentration and determination of mercury in water samples. Mercury ion was quantitatively extracted with tetraethyleneglycol-bis(3- methylimidazolium) diiodide in the form of its complex with 5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-phenoxyphenyl)porphyrin. The complex was back extracted from the room temperature ionic liquid phase into an aqueous media prior to its analysis by spectrofluorimetry. An overall preconcentration factor of 45 was accomplished upon preconcentration of a 20?mL sample. The limit of detection obtained under the optimal conditions is 0.08?μg mL^?1, and the relative standard deviation for 10 replicate assays (at 0.5?g mL^?1 of Hg) was 2.4%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in tap, river and mineral water samples.

The separation of mercury from sea water by adsorption colloid flotation and analysis by flameless atomic absorption

Adsorption colloid flotation has been found capable of separating ionic mercury from sea water quantitatively at levels as low as 0.02 μg l^?1 with use of a cadmium sulfide collector and octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride as the surfactant. The mercury in 25 samples can be separated in 2 h. Following the separation the mercury was analyzed by flameless atomic absorption. Recovery of mercury from 0.5 l samples spiked with 0.010 μg of inorganic mercury gave sol|0.014 ± 0.002 μg/0.5 l. Black Point, Oahu near-shore sea water was found to contain mercury in the range 0.038–0.078 μg l^?1 with no measurable organic mercury fraction. Sea-water samples collected at an open ocean station analyzed for total mercury revealed the highest mercury concentrations above 200 meters. Mercury concentrations in general showed a decreasing trend with increase in depth.     

Theoretical studies of complexes between Hg(II) ions and l‐cysteinate amino acids

In this study, ab initio and density functional theory methods have been used to understand the structures and thermodynamic stabilities of complexes formed between l ‐cysteine and mercury (II) ions in neutral aqueous solution. To better understand the interaction between sulfur and mercury (II) ion, the MP2, B3LYP, M06‐2X, and TPSS methods have been used to optimize [HgSH_x]^2?x, x = 1–4, complexes and compared to benchmark QCISD(T) structures. Furthermore, energies from these same methods are compared to CCSD(T)/CBS(2,3) energies. From these benchmark calculations, the M06‐2X method was selected to optimize l ‐cysteinate‐Hg(II) complexes and the MP2 method for estimating complex energies. l ‐cysteinate‐mercury (II) ion complexes are formed primarily by forming a bond between cysteinate sulfur and the mercury ion. Stable complexes of l ‐cysteinate and mercury can be formed in 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1 ratios. Each complex is stabilized further by interaction between carboxylate oxygen and mercury as well as hydrogen bonding among complex cysteinate ligands. The results indicate that at high cysteinate to Hg(II) ratios high‐coordinate complexes can be present but at lower ratios the 2:1 complex should be dominant. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Luminescent bacteria-based sensing method for methylmercury specific determination

A bacterial biosensor method for the selective determination of a bioavailable organomercurial compound, methylmercury, is presented. A recombinant luminescent whole-cell bacterial strain responding to total mercury content in samples was used. The bacterial cells were freeze-dried and used as robust, reagent-like compounds, without batch-to-batch variations. In this bacteria-based sensing method, luciferase is used as a reporter, which requires no substrate additions, therefore allowing homogenous, real-time monitoring of the reporter gene expression. A noninducible, constitutively light-producing control bacterial strain was included in parallel for determining the overall cytotoxicity of the samples. The specificity of the total mercury sensor Escherichia coli MC1061 (pmerRBlux) bacterial resistance system toward methylmercury is due to a coexpressed specific enzyme, organomercurial lyase. This enzyme mediates the cleavage of the carbon–mercury bond of methylmercury to yield mercury ions, which induce the reporter genes and produce a self-luminescent cell. The selective analysis of methylmercury with the total mercury strain is achieved by specifically chelating the inorganic mercury species from the sample using an optimized concentration of EDTA as a chelating agent. After the treatment with the chelating agent, a cross-reactivity of 0.2% with ionic mercury was observed at nonphysiological ionic mercury concentrations (100 nM). The assay was optimized to be performed in 3 h but results can already be read after 1 h incubation. Total mercury strain E. coli MC1061 (pmerRBlux) has been shown to be highly sensitive and capable of determining methylmercury at a subnanomolar level in optimized assay conditions with a very high dynamic range of two decades. The limit of detection of 75 ng/l (300 pM) allows measurement of methylmercury even from natural samples.     

Etude de la séparation de traces de mercure ionique par adsorption,en milieu aqueux,sur verre sodocalcique. Application à la séparation Hg2+-organomercuriels

The separation conditions of traces of ionic mercury from aqueous solution on microbeads of soda lime are studied theoretically and established experimentally. The formation of a stable complex of the ion with ethylene diamine allows to operate at pH 7–8. The efficiency of the exchange is close to 96%. The methods allows the separation and essay of ionic mercury in presence of various organomercuric compounds.     

Dynamic Modelling of Nickel Complexation in Xylem Sap of Quercus ilex: A Voltammetric Study

Holm oak (Quercus ilex) is the dominant tree growing on serpentine soils of northeast Portugal, characterized by elevated soil concentrations of Ni and Mg, combined with low Ca concentrations. Apparently Q. ilex does not suffer from excessive concentrations of Ni in the soil. In this work we report a complexation study of nickel by the relevant ligands present in xylem sap: histidine, aspartic acid, oxalic and citric acids, at 0.10 M ionic strength and pH 5.5. Single and mixed complexes were characterized. To validate the proposed complexation model, diluted solutions of Q. ilex xylem sap were titrated with nickel. All studies were done using square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) at a hanging mercury drop electrode. Due to the dynamic nature of SWV, it is possible to obtain the conditional stability constants of the complexes formed but also to have knowledge on the kinetics of the interconversion of the species present.