A sensor for the in situ determination of acidity levels in concentrated sulfuric acid

A potentiometric method at imposed weak current between two paste electrodes, ferrocene and chloranil, permits the in situ determination of sulfuric acid concentrations (0.5–11.0 M). The different factors affecting the potential at imposed current as current intensity, temperature and H⁺ ion concentration are studied. The potentials measured between ferrocene and chloranil electrodes are directly linked to the acid concentration. The acidity R_i(H) function, which represents the determination of the H⁺ activity has been determined and compared to Strehlow R_o(H), Janata H_GF and Hammet H_o functions. R_i(H) is numerically equal to the thermodynamic R_o(H). Received: 19 October 1998 / Revised: 22 March 1999 / Accepted: 23 March 1999     

A sensor for the in situ determination of acidity levels in concentrated sulfuric acid

A potentiometric method at imposed weak current between two paste electrodes, ferrocene and chloranil, permits the in situ determination of sulfuric acid concentrations (0.5–11.0 M). The different factors affecting the potential at imposed current as current intensity, temperature and H⁺ ion concentration are studied. The potentials measured between ferrocene and chloranil electrodes are directly linked to the acid concentration. The acidity R_i(H) function, which represents the determination of the H⁺ activity has been determined and compared to Strehlow R_o(H), Janata H_GF and Hammet H_o functions. R_i(H) is numerically equal to the thermodynamic R_o(H). Received: 19 October 1998 / Revised: 22 March 1999 / Accepted: 23 March 1999     

Study of the Electrochemical Behavior of Disperse Blue 1‐Modified Graphite Electrodes. Application to the Flow Determination of NADH

The preparation and the electrochemical study of Disperse Blue 1‐chemically modified electrodes (DB1‐CME), as well as their efficiency for the electrocatalytic oxidation of NADH is described. The proposed mediator was immobilized by physical adsorption onto graphite electrodes. The electrochemical behavior of DB1‐CME was studied with cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical redox reaction of DB1 was found to be reversible, revealing two well‐shaped pair of peaks with formal potentials 152 and ?42 mV, respectively, (vs. Ag/AgCl/3M KCl) at pH 6.5. The current I_p has a linear relationship with the scan rate up to 800 mV s^?1, which is indicative for a fast electron transfer kinetics. The dissociation constants of the immobilized DB1 redox couple were calculated pK₁=4 and pK₂=5. The electrochemical rate constants of the immobilized DB1 were calculated k₁°=18 s^?1 and k₂°=23 s^?1 (Γ=2.36 nmol cm^?2). The modified electrodes were mounted in a flow injection manifold, poised at +150 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl/3M KCl) and a catalytic current due to the oxidation of NADH was measured. The reproducibility was 1.4% RSD (n=11 for 30 μM NADH) The behavior of the sensor towards different reducing compounds was investigated. The sensor exhibited good operational and storage stability.     

Comparison of the Complexation of Open-Chain and Cyclic N2S2 Ligands with Cu+ and Cu2+

The complexation properties of the open-chain N₂S₂ ligands 1–4 are described and compared to those of analogous N₂S₂ macrocycles 5–7 . With Cu²⁺, the open-chain ligands give complexes with the stoichiometry CuL²⁺ and CuLOH⁺, the stabilities and absorption spectra of which have been determined. The ligand field exerted by these ligands is relatively constant and independent of the length of the chain. With Cu⁺, the species CuLH, CuLH²⁺, and CuL⁺ were identified and their stabilities measured. The redox potentials calculated from the equilibrium constants and measured by cyclic voltammetry agree and lie between 250 and 280 mV against SHE. The comparison between open-chain and cyclic ligands shows that (1) a macrocyclic effect is found for Cu²⁺ but not for Cu⁺, (2) the ligand-field strength is very different for the two types of ligands, and (3) the redox potentials span a larger interval for the macrocyclic than for the open-chain complexes.     

Effect of pH and ionic strength on the interaction of humic acid with aluminium oxide

The effect of pH and neutral electrolyte on the interaction between humic acid/humate and γ-AlOOH (boehmite) was investigated. The quantitative characterization of surface charging for both partners was performed by means of potentiometric acid–base titration. The intrinsic equilibrium constants for surface charge formation were logK _a,1 ^int=6.7±0.2 and logK _a,2 ^int = 10.6±0.2 and the point of zero charge was 8.7±0.1 for aluminium oxide. The pH-dependent solubility and the speciation of dissolved aluminium was calculated (MINTEQA2). The fitted (FITEQL) pK values for dissociation of acidic groups of humic acid were pK ₁ = 3.7±0.1 and pK ₂ = 6.6±0.1 and the total acidity was 4.56 mmol g⁻¹. The pH range for the adsorption study was limited to between pH 5 and 10, where the amount of the aluminium species in the aqueous phase is negligible (less than 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³) and the complicating side equilibria can be neglected. Adsorption isotherms were determined at pH ∼ 5.5, ∼8.5 and ∼9.5, where the surface of adsorbent is positive, neutral and negative, respectively, and at 0.001, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.50 mol dm⁻³ NaNO₃. The isotherms are of the Langmuir type, except that measured at pH ∼ 5.5 in the presence of 0.25 and 0.5 mol dm⁻³ salt. The interaction between humic acid/humate and aluminium oxide is mainly a ligand-exchange reaction with humic macroions with changing conformation under the influence of the charged interface. With increasing ionic strength the surface complexation takes place with more and more compressed humic macroions. The contribution of Coulombic interaction of oppositely charged partners is significant at acidic pH. We suppose heterocoagulation of humic acid and aluminium oxide particles at pH ∼ 5.5 and higher salt content to explain the unusual increase in the apparent amount of humic acid adsorbed. Received: 20 July 1999 /Accepted in revised form: 20 October 1999     

Determination of Hydrogen Single Ion Activity Coefficients in Aqueous HCl Solutions at 25°C

The single ion activity coefficients of hydrogen and chloride ions in aqueous HCl solutions have been estimated at 25°C at concentrations up to 1 mol-kg^–1, using potentiometric measurements with ion-selective electrodes and appropriate calibration procedures. Two methods are described for an internal calibration of the electrodes in the extended Debye–Hückel concentration range. The results are compared to the conventional pH calibration with external buffer solutions. Since the latter calibration method does not account for the liquid junction potential E _J which arises at the reference electrode, the resulting activity coefficients are quite different in HCl solutions of higher concentration. These differences between internal and external calibration decrease significantly, when a correction for E _J is introduced into the conventional pH calibration. Hence, in solutions of higher ionic strength the accuracy of the conventional pH electrode calibration using buffer solutions is very limited, when exact H⁺ activities are required. The consistency of the results indicates that the liquid junction potentials in the examined systems calculated by the Henderson/Bates approximation are of reasonable precision.     

Redox Properties of the Iron Complexes of Orally Active Iron Chelators CP20, CP502, CP509, and ICL670

Redox cycling of iron is a critical aspect of iron toxicity. Reduction of a low‐molecular‐weight iron(III)‐complex followed by oxidation of the iron(II)‐complex by hydrogen peroxide may yield the reactive hydroxyl radical (OH^.) or an oxoiron(IV) species (the Fenton reaction). Complexation of iron by a ligand that shifts the electrode potential of the complex to either to far below ?350 mV (dioxygen/superoxide, pH=7) or to far above +320 mV (H₂O₂/HO^., H₂O pH=7) is essential for limitting Fenton reactivity. The oral chelating agents CP20, CP502, CP509, and ICL670 effectively remove iron from patients suffering from iron overload. We measured the electrode potentials of the iron(III) complexes of these drugs by cyclic voltammetry with a mercury electrode and determined the dependence on concentration, pH, and stoichiometry. The standard electrode potentials measured are ?620 mV, ?600 mV, ?535 mV, and ?535 mV with iron bound to CP20, ICL670, CP502, and CP509, respectively, but, at lower chelator concentrations, electrode potentials are significantly higher.     

Analytical fractionation of aquatic humic substances by metal affinity chromatography on iron(III)-coated cellulose

The chromatographic fractionation of aquatic humic substances (HS) onto iron(III)-coated cellulose (Cell-Fe(III)) as a metal-loaded adsorbent is described, analogously to the separation principle of the well-established metal affinity chromatography (MAC). For that purpose the sorption of HS from different aquatic origin on that collector was characterized by their kinetics and equilibrium distribution coefficients Kd. Based on Kd values of 10³ to 10⁴,mL/g, and fast sorption kinetics a preparative HPLC procedure, using stepwise increased pH-values (pH 8–12.5, borate buffer) as an eluent, was developed for the fractionation of dissolved HS (up to 7 fractions of different amount). The fractions obtained by this MAC procedure from selected aquatic HS samples were different in their Cu(II) complexation capacity, absorbance ratio E_{265 nm}/E_{365 nm} and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Received: 14 June 1999 / Revised: 6 August 1999 / Accepted: 10 August 1999     

Electrochemical Studies of a New Iron Porphyrin Entrapped in a Propylpyridiniumsilsesquioxane Polymer Immobilized on a SiO2/Al2O3 Surface

In this work, a new porphyrin, the 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis‐(2,6‐difluoro‐3‐sulfonatophenyl) porphyrinato iron(III) chloride (denoted as FeTsP) was immobilized on SiO₂/Al₂O₃ (SiAl) coated with n‐propylpyridiniumsilsesquioxane polymer (SiPy⁺Cl^?). The FeTsP was adsorbed on SiAl/SiPyCl by an ion exchange reaction, obtaining a modified solid, SiAl/SiPy/FeTsP, where the porphyrin complex was strongly adhered. Cyclic voltammograms of the SiAl/SiPy/FeTsP carbon paste electrode showed an irreversible response, with an oxidation peak at E_pa=0.40 V and nondefined reduction peak at E_pc=0.15 V (vs. SCE). These peaks were not observed for the nonmetallated porphyrin, indicating that they probably correspond to the Fe(III)/Fe(II) process. Studies made in solutions having different pH, (between pH 2 and 9) using the modified electrode showed that the peak potentials and the current density were not affect by pH changes, indicating that the iron porphyrin is very stable and strongly entrapped in the matrix. The modified electrode presented the property to electrocatalyze the eletrooxidation of hydrazine at 0.41 V (vs. SCE), at pH 7. The potentiality of the SiAl/SiPy/FeTsP electrode as a sensor for hydrazine was evaluated by the using the chronoamperometric technique. A linear response was obtained in the concentration range between 5×10^?5 and 6×10^?4 mol L^?1 of hydrazine.     

Analytical fractionation of aquatic humic substances by metal affinity chromatography on iron(III)-coated cellulose

The chromatographic fractionation of aquatic humic substances (HS) onto iron(III)-coated cellulose (Cell-Fe(III)) as a metal-loaded adsorbent is described, analogously to the separation principle of the well-established metal affinity chromatography (MAC). For that purpose the sorption of HS from different aquatic origin on that collector was characterized by their kinetics and equilibrium distribution coefficients Kd. Based on Kd values of 10³ to 10⁴,mL/g, and fast sorption kinetics a preparative HPLC procedure, using stepwise increased pH-values (pH 8–12.5, borate buffer) as an eluent, was developed for the fractionation of dissolved HS (up to 7 fractions of different amount). The fractions obtained by this MAC procedure from selected aquatic HS samples were different in their Cu(II) complexation capacity, absorbance ratio E_{265 nm}/E_{365 nm} and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Received: 14 June 1999 / Revised: 6 August 1999 / Accepted: 10 August 1999     

Redox reaction Yb(III) + <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis> = Yb(II) in a molten eutectic mixture NaCl-2CsCl

Potentiometric method was used to measure the redox potentials of Yb³⁺/Yb²⁺ in a eutectic melt of sodium and cesium chlorides relative to a chlorine reference electrode in the temperature range 823–973 K. The basic thermodynamic characteristics of the redox reaction YbCl₂(s.) + 1/2Cl₂(g.) ai YbCl₃(s.) were calculated from the conditional standard potentials E*(Yb³⁺/Yb²⁺).     

Two‐component calculations of spin–orbit effects for a van der Waals molecule Rn2

Electronic structures of the weakly bound Rn₂ were calculated by the two‐component Møller–Plesset second‐order perturbation and coupled‐cluster methods with relativistic effective core potentials including spin–orbit operators. The calculated spin–orbit effects are small, but depend strongly on the size of basis sets and the amount of electron correlations. Magnitudes of spin–orbit effects on D_e (0.7–3.0 meV) and R_e (−0.4∼−2.2 Å) of Rn₂ are comparable to previously reported values based on configuration interaction calculations. A two‐component approach seems to be a promising tool to investigate spin–orbit effects for the weak‐bonded systems containing heavy elements. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 72: 139–143, 1999     

Sequencing of trans-4-methacryloyloxyazobenzene/vinylidene chloride copolymers by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy

Trans-4-methacryloyloxyazobenzene/Vinylidene Chloride (M/V) copolymers of different monomer concentrations were prepared by solution polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The copolymer composition was determined from the ¹³C{¹H}-NMR spectrum. The quaternary carbon of M- and V-centered resonances were used for determining the sequences in terms of the distribution of M- and V-centered triads. The sequence distribution of M- and V-centered triads determined from ¹³C{¹H}-NMR spectra of the copolymer is in good agreement with the triad concentration calculated from the statistical model. The comonomer reactivity ratios, determined by both the Kelen Tudos (KT) and the nonlinear error in variables (EVM) methods are r_M = 3.59 ± 0.19, r_V = 0.89 ± 0.07; r_M = 3.76, and r_V = 0.93, respectively. ¹³C Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) spectrum was used to differentiate between the resonance signals of M- and V-methylene and methyl carbon units. Assignments to the methylene resonance signals have been assigned up to the tetrad levels using 2D HSQC experiments. The geminal couplings in the methylene proton region is shown in the 2D DQF-COSY spectrum. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3179–3185, 1999     

Determination of chromatographic dissociation constants of some carbapenem group antibiotics and quantification of these compounds in human urine

The dissociation constant values (_s^spK_a) of some carbapenem group drugs (ertapenem, meropenem, doripenem) in different percentages of methanol–water binary mixtures (18, 20 and 22%, v/v) were determined from the mobile phase pH dependence of their retention factor. Evaluation of these data was performed using the NLREG program. From calculated pK_a values, the aqueous pK_a values of these subtances were calculated by different approaches. Moreover, the correlation established between retention factor and the pH of the water–methanol mobile phase was used to determine the optimum separation conditions. In order to validate the optimized conditions, these drugs were studied in human urine. The chromatographic separation was realized using a Gemini NX C₁₈ column (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 µm particles) and UV detector set at 220 and 295 nm. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrolysis of methyltin(IV) trichloride in aqueous NaCl and NaNO3 solutions at different ionic strengths and temperatures

The hydrolysis of methyltin(IV) trichloride (CH₃SnCl₃) has been studied in aqueous NaCl and NaNO₃ solutions (0 < I/mol dm⁻³ ≤ 1), at different temperatures (15 ≤ T/°C ≤ 45) by­potentiometric measurements (H⁺‐glass electrode). By considering the generic hydrolytic <?tw=97.2%>reaction pCH₃Sn³⁺ + qH₂O = (CH₃Sn)_p(OH)_q^3p−q<?tw>­+ qH⁺ (logβ_pq), we have the formation of five species and logβ₁₂ = −3.36, logβ₁₃ = −8.99, logβ₁₄ = −20.27 and logβ₂₅ = −7.61. The first hydrolysis step is measurable only at very low pH values and was not determined: a rough estimate of the hydrolysis constant is logβ₁₁ = −1.5 (± 0.5). The dependence on ionic strength of logβ_pq is quite different in NaNO₃ and NaCl solutions, and the formation at low pH values of the species CH₃Sn(OH)Cl⁺ has been found with logβ = −1.40. Hydrolysis constants strongly depend on temperature and from the relationships logβ_pq = f(T), ΔH ° values have been calculated. Speciation problems of CH₃Sn³⁺ in aqueous solution are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study of the copolymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate

The free radical copolymerizations of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate have been investigated at 50°C. The compositions of polymers prepared at low conversions have been determined using ¹³C-NMR, and the glass transition temperatures determined by DSC. The copolymerizations were found to be best described by a terminal model with reactivity ratios of r_H = 1.79 and r_T = 0.76. The triad fraction sequence distributions have been calculated based on the terminal model and the calculated reactivity ratios. The glass transitions have been fitted to the Gordon–Taylor equation. The best value of the Gordon–Taylor constant was found to be k_H = 1.42 ± 0.2, indicating nonideal mixing of the two monomer components in the copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3730–3737, 1999     

Low‐rate dynamic contact angles on poly(methyl methacrylate/ethyl methacrylate, 30/70) and the determination of solid surface tensions

Low‐rate dynamic contact angles of 12 liquids on a poly(methyl methacrylate/ethyl methacrylate, 30/70) P(MMA/EMA, 30/70) copolymer were measured by an automated axisymmetric drop shape analysis‐profile (ADSA‐P). It was found that five liquids yield nonconstant contact angles, and/or dissolve the polymer on contact. From the experimental contact angles of the remaining seven liquids, it is found that the liquid–vapor surface tension times cosine of the contact angle changes smoothly with the liquid–vapor surface tension (i.e., γ_l|Kv cos θ depends only on γ_l|Kv for a given solid surface or solid surface tension). This contact angle pattern is in harmony with those from other methacrylate polymer surfaces previously studied.^45,50 The solid–vapor surface tension calculated from the equation‐of‐state approach for solid–liquid interfacial tensions¹⁴ is found to be 35.1 mJ/m², with a 95% confidence limit of ± 0.3 mJ/m², from the experimental contact angles of the seven liquids. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2039–2051, 1999     

Realization of Rhodium Metal‐Oxide Electrode in Indifferent Electrolytes

The pH‐dependence of the stationary open‐circuit potential E_i=0^st of rhodium electrode with a surface layer of anodically formed insoluble compounds has been studied in sulfate and phosphate solutions by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The range of potentials of the investigations performed has been confined to the region of rhodium electrochemical oxidation/reduction, i.e., 0.2<E<1.2 V (RHE) in order to prevent any possible interference of other reactions such as H₂ and O₂ evolution. It has been shown that rhodium electrode with a layer of surface compounds formed anodically at E<<1.23 V (RHE) behaves like a reversible metal‐oxide electrode within the range of pH values from ca. 1.0 to ca. 8.0. It has been presumed that the stationary potential of such electrode is determined by the equilibrium of the following electrochemical reaction: Rh+3H₂O??Rh(OH)₃+3H⁺+3e^?. The pH‐dependence of the reversible potential of Eequation/tex2gif-inf-6.gif electrode has been found to be: Eequation/tex2gif-inf-8.gif=E_i=0^st=0.69?0.059 pH, V. In acid solutions (pH<2.0) rhodium hydroxide dissolves into the electrolyte, therefore, to reach equilibrium, the solution must be saturated with Rh(OH)₃. This has been achieved by adding Rh³⁺ ions in the form of Rh₂(SO₄)₃. The solubility product of Rh(OH)₃, estimated from the experimental Eequation/tex2gif-inf-16.gif?pH dependence obtained, is ca. 1.0×10^?48, which is close to the value given in literature.     

The interaction between n-alkyl trimethylammonium bromides with poly(l-aspartate): a thermodynamics study

Specific conductivities of a homologous series of n-alkyl trimethylammonium bromides (C₈,C₁₀,C₁₂ and C₁₄TABs) in the presence of poly(l-aspartate) in glycine buffer at pH 3.2 and 25 ^∘C have been measured over a range of C _n TAB concentrations. From the conductivity changes, the number of surfactant molecules absorbed onto the polymer, the Gibbs free energies of adsorption and the equilibrium constants have been calculated. A statistical thermodynamics analysis was used to obtain the Gibbs free energies of adsorption. The results obtained using both methods are compared and analysed. Received: 15 December 1999 Revised form: 29 February 2000 Accepted: 3 March 2000