Calibration of δ17O and δ18O of international measurement standards – VSMOW,VSMOW2, SLAP,and SLAP2

Due to exhaustion of the two primary calibration materials, Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) and Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation (SLAP), two replacement materials, VSMOW2 and SLAP2, were created with isotopic compositions as close as possible to the original standards in their D/H and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios. Measurements of the δ¹⁷O composition constitute therefore an appropriate independent check of the achieved isotopic adjustment. Aliquots from ampoules of VSMOW, VSMOW2, SLAP, and SLAP2 were fluorinated by BrF₅ and analyzed using a dual‐inlet Delta E mass spectrometer. VSMOW2 and SLAP2 were found to be indistinguishable from VSMOW and SLAP, respectively, in their δ¹⁷O and δ¹⁸O values within measurement uncertainties. This result is a confirmation of the successful isotopic matching of VSMOW2 and SLAP2 to their predecessors. Further checks of the δ¹⁷O value of SLAP2 seem desirable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Online high‐precision δ2H and δ18O analysis in water by pyrolysis

A method for online simultaneous δ²H and δ¹⁸O analysis in water by high‐temperature conversion is presented. Water is injected by using a syringe into a high‐temperature carbon reactor and converted into H₂ and CO, which are separated by gas chromatography (GC) and carried by helium to the isotope ratio mass spectrometer for hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate several issues such as sample size, temperature and memory effects. The δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in multiple water standards changed consistently as the reactor temperature increased from 1150 to 1480°C. The δ¹⁸O in water can be measured at a lower temperature (e.g. 1150°C) although the precision was relatively poor at temperatures <1300°C. Memory effects exist for δ²H and δ¹⁸O between two waters, and can be reduced (to <1%) with proper measures. The injection of different amounts of water may affect the isotope ratio results. For example, in contrast to small injections (100 nL or less) from small syringes (e.g. 1.2 µL), large injections (1 µL or more) from larger syringes (e.g. 10 µL) with dilution produced asymmetric peaks and shifts of isotope ratios, e.g. 4‰ for δ²H and 0.4‰ for δ¹⁸O, probably resulting from isotope fractionation during dilution via the ConFlo interface. This method can be used to analyze nanoliter samples of water (e.g. 30 nL) with good precision of 0.5‰ for δ²H and 0.1‰ for δ¹⁸O. This is important for geosciences; for instance, fluid inclusions in ancient minerals may be analyzed for δ²H and δ¹⁸O to help understand the formation environments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Offline oxygen isotope analysis of organic compounds with high N:O

Although the advantages of online δ¹⁸O analysis of organic compounds make its broad application desirable, researchers have encountered NO⁺ isobaric interference with CO⁺ at m/z 30 (e.g. ¹⁴N¹⁶O⁺, ¹²C¹⁸O⁺) when analyzing nitrogenous substrates. If the δ¹⁸O value of inter‐laboratory standards for substrates with high N:O value could be confirmed offline, these materials could be analyzed periodically and used to evaluate δ¹⁸O data produced online for nitrogenous unknowns. To this end, we present an offline method based on modifications of the methods of Schimmelmann and Deniro (Anal. Chem. 1985; 57: 2644) and Sauer and Sternberg (Anal. Chem. 1994; 66: 2409), whereby all the N₂ from the gas products of a chlorinated pyrolysis was eliminated, resulting in purified CO₂ for analysis via a dual‐inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry system. We evaluated our method by comparing observed δ¹⁸O values with previously published or inter‐laboratory calibrated δ¹⁸O values for five nitrogen‐free working reference materials; finding isotopic agreement to within ±0.2‰ for SIGMA® cellulose, IAEA‐CH3 cellulose (C₆H₁₀O₅) and IAEA‐CH6 sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), and within ±1.8‰ for IAEA‐601 and IAEA‐602 benzoic acids (C₇H₆O₂). We also compared the δ¹⁸O values of IAEA‐CH3 cellulose and IAEA‐CH6 sucrose that was nitrogen‐'doped' with adenine (C₅H₅N₅), imidazole (C₃H₄N₂) and 2‐aminopyrimidine (C₄H₅N₃) with the undoped δ¹⁸O values for the same substrates; yielding isotopic agreement to within ±0.7‰. Finally, we provide an independent analysis of the δ¹⁸O value of IAEA‐600 caffeine (C₈H₁₀N₄O₂), previously characterized using online systems exclusively, and discuss the reasons for an average 1.4‰ enrichment in δ¹⁸O observed offline relative to the consensus online δ¹⁸O value. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calcite‐CO2 mixed into CO2‐free air: a new CO2‐in‐air stable isotope reference material for the VPDB scale

In order to generate a reliable and long‐lasting stable isotope ratio standard for CO₂ in samples of clean air, CO₂ is liberated from well‐characterized carbonate material and mixed with CO₂‐free air. For this purpose a dedicated acid reaction and air mixing system (ARAMIS) was designed. In the system, CO₂ is generated by a conventional acid digestion of powdered carbonate. Evolved CO₂ gas is mixed and equilibrated with a prefabricated gas comprised of N₂, O₂, Ar, and N₂O at close to ambient air concentrations. Distribution into glass flasks is made stepwise in a highly controlled fashion. The isotopic composition, established on automated extraction/measurement systems, varied within very small margins of error appropriate for high‐precision air‐CO₂ work (about ±0.015‰ for δ¹³C and ±0.025‰ for δ¹⁸O). To establish a valid δ¹⁸O relation to the VPDB scale, the temperature dependence of the reaction between 25 and 47°C has been determined with a high level of precision. Using identical procedures, CO₂‐in‐air mixtures were generated from a selection of reference materials; (1) the material defining the VPDB isotope scale (NBS 19, δ¹³C = +1.95‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.2‰ exactly); (2) a local calcite similar in isotopic composition to NBS 19 (‘MAR‐J1’, δ¹³C = +1.97‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.02‰), and (3) a natural calcite with isotopic compositions closer to atmospheric values (‘OMC‐J1’, δ¹³C = ?4.24‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?8.71‰). To quantitatively control the extent of isotope‐scale contraction in the system during mass spectrometric measurement other available international and local carbonate reference materials (L‐SVEC, IAEA‐CO‐1, IAEA‐CO‐8, CAL‐1 and CAL‐2) were also processed. As a further control pure CO₂ reference gases (Narcis I and II, NIST‐RM 8563, GS19 and GS20) were mixed with CO₂‐free synthetic air. Independently, the pure CO₂ gases were measured on the dual inlet systems of the same mass spectrometers. The isotopic record of a large number of independent batches prepared over the course of several months is presented. In addition, the relationship with other implementations of the VPDB‐scale for CO₂‐in‐air (e.g. CG‐99, based on calibration of pure CO₂ gas) has been carefully established. The systematic high‐precision comparison of secondary carbonate and CO₂ reference materials covering a wide range in isotopic composition revealed that assigned δ‐values may be (slightly) in error. Measurements in this work deviate systematically from assigned values, roughly scaling with isotopic distance from NBS 19. This finding indicates that a scale contraction effect could have biased the consensus results. The observation also underlines the importance of cross‐contamination errors for high‐precision isotope ratio measurements. As a result of the experiments, a new standard reference material (SRM), which consists of two 5‐L glass flasks containing air at 1.6 bar and the CO₂ evolved from two different carbonate materials, is available for distribution. These ‘J‐RAS’ SRM flasks (‘Jena‐Reference Air Set’) are designed to serve as a high‐precision link to VPDB for improving inter‐laboratory comparability. a Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the calibration of continuous,high‐precision δ18O and δ2H measurements using an off‐axis integrated cavity output spectrometer

The ¹⁸O and ²H of water vapor serve as powerful tracers of hydrological processes. The typical method for determining water vapor δ¹⁸O and δ²H involves cryogenic trapping and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Even with recent technical advances, these methods cannot resolve vapor composition at high temporal resolutions. In recent years, a few groups have developed continuous laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) approaches for measuring δ¹⁸O and δ²H which achieve accuracy levels similar to those of lab‐based mass spectrometry methods. Unfortunately, most LAS systems need cryogenic cooling and constant calibration to a reference gas, and have substantial power requirements, making them unsuitable for long‐term field deployment at remote field sites. A new method called Off‐Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA‐ICOS) has been developed which requires extremely low‐energy consumption and neither reference gas nor cryogenic cooling. In this report, we develop a relatively simple pumping system coupled to a dew point generator to calibrate an ICOS‐based instrument (Los Gatos Research Water Vapor Isotope Analyzer (WVIA) DLT‐100) under various pressures using liquid water with known isotopic signatures. Results show that the WVIA can be successfully calibrated using this customized system for different pressure settings, which ensure that this instrument can be combined with other gas‐sampling systems. The precisions of this instrument and the associated calibration method can reach ～0.08‰ for δ¹⁸O and ～0.4‰ for δ²H. Compared with conventional mass spectrometry and other LAS‐based methods, the OA‐ICOS technique provides a promising alternative tool for continuous water vapor isotopic measurements in field deployments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A dynamic soil chamber system coupled with a tunable diode laser for online measurements of δ13C, δ18O,and efflux rate of soil‐respired CO2

High frequency observations of the stable isotopic composition of CO₂ effluxes from soil have been sparse due in part to measurement challenges. We have developed an open‐system method that utilizes a flow‐through chamber coupled to a tunable diode laser (TDL) to quantify the rate of soil CO₂ efflux and its δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values (δ¹³C_R and δ¹⁸O_R, respectively). We tested the method first in the laboratory using an artificial soil test column and then in a semi‐arid woodland. We found that the CO₂ efflux rates of 1.2 to 7.3 µmol m^?2 s^?1 measured by the chamber‐TDL system were similar to measurements made using the chamber and an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) (R² = 0.99) and compared well with efflux rates generated from the soil test column (R² = 0.94). Measured δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of CO₂ efflux using the chamber‐TDL system at 2 min intervals were not significantly different from source air values across all efflux rates after accounting for diffusive enrichment. Field measurements during drought demonstrated a strong dependency of CO₂ efflux and isotopic composition on soil water content. Addition of water to the soil beneath the chamber resulted in average changes of +6.9 µmol m^?2 s^?1, ?5.0‰, and ?55.0‰ for soil CO₂ efflux, δ¹³C_R and δ¹⁸O_R, respectively. All three variables initiated responses within 2 min of water addition, with peak responses observed within 10 min for isotopes and 20 min for efflux. The observed δ¹⁸O_R was more enriched than predicted from temperature‐dependent H₂O‐CO₂ equilibration theory, similar to other recent observations of δ¹⁸O_R from dry soils (Wingate L, Seibt U, Maseyk K, Ogee J, Almeida P, Yakir D, Pereira JS, Mencuccini M. Global Change Biol. 2008; 14: 2178). The soil chamber coupled with the TDL was found to be an effective method for capturing soil CO₂ efflux and its stable isotope composition at high temporal frequency. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nd4N2Se3 und Tb4N2Se3: Zwei nicht‐isotype Lanthanoid(III)‐Nitridselenide

Nd₄N₂Se₃ and Tb₄N₂Se₃: Two non‐isotypical Lanthanide(III) Nitride Selenides The non‐isotypical nitride selenides M₄N₂Se₃ of neodymium (Nd₄N₂Se₃) and terbium (Tb₄N₂Se₃) are formed by the reaction of the respective rare‐earth metal with sodium azide (NaN₃), selenium and the corresponding rare‐earth tribromide (MBr₃) at 900 °C in evacuated silica ampoules after seven days. Each of them crystallizes monoclinically in the space group C2/c with Z = 4 for Nd₄N₂Se₃ (a = 1300.47(4), b = 1009.90(3), c = 643.33(2) pm, β = 90.039(2)°) and in the space group C2/m with Z = 2 for Tb₄N₂Se₃ (a = 1333.56(5), b = 394.30(2), c = 1034.37(4) pm, β = 130.377(2)°), respectively. The crystal structures differ fundamentally in the linkage of the structure dominating N^3‐ centred (M³⁺)₄ tetrahedra. In Nd₄N₂Se₃, the [NNd₄] units are edge‐linked to bitetrahedra which are cross‐connected to [N(Nd1)(Nd2)]³⁺ layers via their remaining four corners, whereas the [NTb₄] tetrahedra in Tb₄N₂Se₃ share cis‐oriented edges to form strands [N(Tb1)(Tb2)]³⁺. Both structures contain two crystallographically different M³⁺ cations, that show coordination numbers of six and seven (Nd₄N₂Se₃) or twice six (Tb₄N₂Se₃), respectively, relative to the anions (N^3‐ und Se^2‐). Each of the two independent kinds of Se^2‐ anions provide the three‐dimensional linkage as well as the charge balance. The particular axial ratio a/c and the monoclinic reflex angle offer two choices for fixing the unit cell of Tb₄N₂Se₃.     

Isotopologue enrichment factors of N2O reduction in soils

Isotopic signatures can be used to study sink and source processes of N₂O, but the success of this approach is limited by insufficient knowledge on the isotope fractionation factors of the various reaction pathways. We investigated isotope enrichment factors of the N₂O‐to‐N₂ step of denitrification (ε) in two arable soils, a silt‐loam Haplic Luvisol and a sandy Gleyic Podzol. In addition to the ε of ¹⁸O (ε_18O) and of average ¹⁵N (ε_bulk), the ε of the ¹⁵N site preference within the linear N₂O molecule (ε_SP) was also determined. Soils were anaerobically incubated in gas‐tight bottles with N₂O added to the headspace to induce N₂O reduction. Pre‐treatment included the removal of NO to prevent N₂O production. Gas samples were collected regularly to determine the dynamics of N₂O reduction, the time course of the isotopic signatures of residual N₂O, and the associated isotope enrichment factors. To vary reduction rates and associated fractionation factors, several treatments were established including two levels of initial N₂O concentration and anaerobic pre‐incubation with or without addition of N₂O. N₂O reduction rates were affected by the soil type and initial N₂O concentration. The ε_18O and ε_bulk ranged between ?13 and ?20‰, and between ?5 and ?9‰, respectively. Both quantities were more negative in the Gleyic Podzol. The ε of the central N position (ε_α) was always larger than that of the peripheral N‐position (ε_β), giving ε_SP of ?4 to ?8‰. The ranges and variation patterns of ε were comparable with those from previous static incubation studies with soils. Moreover, we found a relatively constant ratio between ε_18O and ε_bulk which is close to the default ratio of 2.5 that had been previously suggested. The fact that different soils exhibited comparable ε under certain conditions suggests that these values could serve to identify N₂O reduction from the isotopic fingerprints of N₂O emitted from any soil. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Positional δ(18O) Values of Extracted and Synthetic Vanillin

The positional δ(¹⁸O) values of vanillin ( 1 ) of different origins have been determined from the global values of 2‐methoxy‐4‐methylphenol ( 4 ), obtained from 1 upon Clemensen reduction, and of 3‐methylanisole ( 5 ), obtained from 4 by removal of the phenolic O‐atom. By these means, it is possible to differentiate samples of 1 of synthetic origin from those extracted from Vanilla plants or produced from lignin by chemical oxidation. The main difference between the samples derived from guaiacol and those possessing the aromatic moiety of natural origin is in the enrichment values of the O‐atoms at C(3) and C(4), while the extractive materials from the pods are distinguished from the product from lignin on the basis of the carbonyl oxygen δ(¹⁸O) values, ranging from +25.5 and +26.2 in the natural material to +19.7‰ in the lignan‐based sample. The values for the phenolic O‐atom vary from +8.9 and +12‰ of the synthetic materials to +6.5, +5.3, and +6.3‰, respectively, of the sample from lignin and the two samples from Vanilla pods,whereas the MeO O‐atoms show the following values for the same compounds: −2.9, −3.2, +3.5, +3.1, and +2.3‰, respectively. This study indicates the significance of the positional δ(¹⁸O) values of polyoxygenated compounds for the definition of their origin.     

The N(4S) + N2O(X̃1∑) reaction

The title reaction, which is spin‐forbidden for N₂(X¹∑) + NO(X²Π) production, has been studied from 960 to 1130 K in a high‐temperature photochemistry reactor. No reaction could be observed, indicating k < 1 × 10^?15 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. It is concluded that there is no significant contribution from the spin‐allowed exothermic path leading to N₂(X¹∑) + NO(a⁴Π). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 387–389, 2001     

Comprehensive inter‐laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on‐line high‐temperature conversion techniques

Internationally distributed organic and inorganic oxygen isotopic reference materials have been calibrated by six laboratories carrying out more than 5300 measurements using a variety of high‐temperature conversion techniques (HTC) a in an evaluation sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). To aid in the calibration of these reference materials, which span more than 125‰, an artificially enriched reference water (δ¹⁸O of +78.91‰) and two barium sulfates (one depleted and one enriched in ¹⁸O) were prepared and calibrated relative to VSMOW2 b and SLAP reference waters. These materials were used to calibrate the other isotopic reference materials in this study, which yielded:

δ15N of soil N and plants in a N‐saturated,subtropical forest of southern China

We investigated the δ¹⁵N profile of N (extractable NH, NO, and organic N (EON)) in the soil of a N‐saturated subtropical forest. The order of δ¹⁵N in the soil was EON > NH > NO. Although the δ¹⁵N of EON had been expected to be similar to that of bulk soil N, it was higher than that of bulk soil N by 5‰. The difference in δ¹⁵N between bulk soil N and EON (Δ¹⁵N_bulk‐EON) was correlated significantly with the soil C/N ratio. This correlation implies that carbon availability, which determines the balance between N assimilation and dissimilation of soil microbes, is responsible for the high δ¹⁵N of EON, as in the case of soil microbial biomass δ¹⁵N. A thorough δ¹⁵N survey of available N (NH, NO, and EON) in the soil profiles from the organic layer to 100 cm depth revealed that the δ¹⁵N of the available N forms did not fully overlap with the δ¹⁵N of plants. This mismatch in δ¹⁵N between that of available N and that of plants reflects apparent isotopic fractionation during N uptake by plants, emphasizing the high N availability in this N‐saturated forest. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nicotine,acetanilide and urea multi‐level 2H‐, 13C‐ and 15N‐abundance reference materials for continuous‐flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Accurate determinations of stable isotope ratios require a calibration using at least two reference materials with different isotopic compositions to anchor the isotopic scale and compensate for differences in machine slope. Ideally, the δ values of these reference materials should bracket the isotopic range of samples with unknown δ values. While the practice of analyzing two isotopically distinct reference materials is common for water (VSMOW‐SLAP) and carbonates (NBS 19 and L‐SVEC), the lack of widely available organic reference materials with distinct isotopic composition has hindered the practice when analyzing organic materials by elemental analysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA‐IRMS). At present only L‐glutamic acids USGS40 and USGS41 satisfy these requirements for δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, with the limitation that L‐glutamic acid is not suitable for analysis by gas chromatography (GC). We describe the development and quality testing of (i) four nicotine laboratory reference materials for on‐line (i.e. continuous flow) hydrogen reductive gas chromatography‐isotope ratio mass‐spectrometry (GC‐IRMS), (ii) five nicotines for oxidative C, N gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass‐spectrometry (GC‐C‐IRMS, or GC‐IRMS), and (iii) also three acetanilide and three urea reference materials for on‐line oxidative EA‐IRMS for C and N. Isotopic off‐line calibration against international stable isotope measurement standards at Indiana University adhered to the ‘principle of identical treatment’. The new reference materials cover the following isotopic ranges: δ²H_nicotine ?162 to ?45‰, δ¹³C_nicotine ?30.05 to +7.72‰, δ¹⁵N_nicotine ?6.03 to +33.62‰; δ¹⁵N_acetanilide +1.18 to +40.57‰; δ¹³C_urea ?34.13 to +11.71‰, δ¹⁵N_urea +0.26 to +40.61‰ (recommended δ values refer to calibration with NBS 19, L‐SVEC, IAEA‐N‐1, and IAEA‐N‐2). Nicotines fill a gap as the first organic nitrogen stable isotope reference materials for GC‐IRMS that are available with different δ¹⁵N values. Comparative δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N on‐line EA‐IRMS data from 14 volunteering laboratories document the usefulness and reliability of acetanilides and ureas as EA‐IRMS reference materials. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of the silver nitrate and bacterial denitrification methods for the determination of nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate in surface water

Nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotope ratios of NO are often used to trace dominant NO pollution sources in water. Both the silver nitrate (AgNO₃) method and the bacterial denitrification method are frequently used analytical techniques to determine δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO in aqueous samples. The AgNO₃ method is applicable for freshwater and requires a concentration of 100–200 µmol of NO for isotope determination. The bacterial denitrification method is applicable for seawater and freshwater and for KCl extracts of soils with a NO concentration as low as 1 µmol. We have carried out a thorough method comparison using 42 real surface water samples having a wide range of δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO values and NO concentrations. Various correction pairs using three international references and blanks were used to correct raw δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO values. No significant difference between the corrected data was observed when using various correction pairs for each analytical method. Both methods also showed excellent repeatability with high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The ICC of the AgNO₃ method was 0.992 for δ¹⁵N and 0.970 for δ¹⁸O. The ICC of the bacterial denitrification method was 0.995 for δ¹⁵N and 0.954 for δ¹⁸O. Moreover, a positive linear relationship with a high correlation coefficient (r ≥ 0.88) between the two methods was found for δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO. The comparability of the methods was assessed by the Bland‐Altman technique using 95% limits of agreement. The average difference between results obtained by the bacterial denitrification and the AgNO₃ method for δ¹⁵N was ?1.5‰ with 95% limits of agreement ?3.6 and +0.5‰. For δ¹⁸O this was +2.0‰, with 95% limits of agreement ?3.3 and +7.3‰. We found that for δ¹⁵N and for δ¹⁸O, 97% of the differences fell within these 95% limits of agreement. In conclusion, the AgNO₃ and the bacterial denitrification methods are highly correlated and statistically interchangeable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isotopologue fractionation during N2O production by fungal denitrification

Identifying the importance of fungi to nitrous oxide (N₂O) production requires a non‐intrusive method for differentiating between fungal and bacterial N₂O production such as natural abundance stable isotopes. We compare the isotopologue composition of N₂O produced during nitrite reduction by the fungal denitrifiers Fusarium oxysporum and Cylindrocarpon tonkinense with published data for N₂O production during bacterial nitrification and denitrification. The fractionation factors for bulk nitrogen isotope values for fungal denitrification were in the range −74.7 to −6.6‰. There was an inverse relationship between the absolute value of the fractionation factors and the reaction rate constant. We interpret this in terms of variation in the relative importance of the rate constants for diffusion and enzymatic reduction in controlling the net isotope effect for N₂O production during fungal denitrification. Over the course of nitrite reduction, the δ¹⁸O values for N₂O remained constant and did not exhibit a relationship with the concentration characteristic of an isotope effect. This probably reflects isotopic exchange with water. Similar to the δ¹⁸O data, the site preference (SP; the difference in δ¹⁵N between the central and outer N atoms in N₂O) was unrelated to concentration during nitrite reduction and, therefore, has the potential to act as a conservative tracer of production from fungal denitrification. The SP values of N₂O produced by F. oxysporum and C. tonkinense were 37.1 ± 2.5‰ and 36.9 ± 2.8‰, respectively. These SP values are similar to those obtained in pure culture studies of bacterial nitrification but quite distinct from SP values for bacterial denitrification. The large magnitude of the bulk nitrogen isotope fractionation and the δ¹⁸O values associated with fungal denitrification are distinct from bacterial production pathways; thus multiple isotopologue data holds much promise for resolving bacterial and fungal production. Our work further provides insight into the role that fungal and bacterial nitric oxide reductases have in determining site preference during N₂O production. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

{4‐[(Carbamimidoylhydrazono)methyl‐κ2N1,N4]‐5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐methylpyridinium‐3‐olate‐κO}(methanol‐κO)copper(II) dinitrate

The title compound, [Cu(C₉H₁₃N₅O₂)(CH₄O)](NO₃)₂, consists of square‐planar cationic complex units where the Cu^II centre is coordinated by an N,N′,O‐tridentate pyridoxal–aminoguanidine Schiff base adduct and a methanol molecule. The tridentate ligand is a zwitterion exhibiting an almost planar conformation. The dihedral angles between the mean planes of the pyridoxal ring and the six‐ and five‐membered chelate rings are all less than 2.0°. The charge on the complex cation is neutralized by two nitrate counter‐ions. Extensive N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonding connects these ionic species and leads to the formation of layers. The pyridoxal hydroxy groups are the only fragments that deviate significantly from the flat layer structure; these groups are involved in O—H...O hydrogen bonding, connecting the layers into a three‐dimensional crystal structure.     

{μ‐N,N′‐Bis[3‐(dimethyl­amino)prop­yl]­oxamidato(2–)‐κ6N,N′,O′:N′′,N′′′,O}­bis­[(1H‐imidazole‐κN3)(methanol‐κO)copper(II)] bis­(perchlorate)

The structure of the title compound, [Cu₂(C₁₂H₂₄N₄O₂)(C₃H₄N₂)₂(CH₄O)₂](ClO₄)₂ or [Cu₂(dmoxpn)(HIm)₂(CH₃OH)₂](ClO₄)₂, where dmoxpn is the dianion of N,N′‐bis­[3‐(dimethyl­amino)prop­yl]oxamide and HIm is imidazole, consists of a centrosymmetric trans‐oxamidate‐bridged copper(II) binuclear cation, having an inversion centre at the mid‐point of the central C—C bond, and two perchlorate anions. The Cu^II atom has square‐pyramidal coordination geometry involving two N atoms and an O atom from the dmoxpn ligand, an N atom from an imidazole ring, and an O atom from a methanol mol­ecule. The crystal structure is stabilized by O—H⋯O, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and imidazole π–π stacking inter­actions to form a three‐dimensional supra­molecular array.     

Effects of CH3OH‐H2O and CH3OH solvents on rate of reaction of phthalimide with piperidine

Pseudo‐first‐order rate constants (k_obs) for the cleavage of phthalimide in the presence of piperidine (Pip) vary linearly with the total concentration of Pip ([Pip]_T) at a constant content of methanol in mixed aqueous solvents containing 2% v/v acetonitrile. Such linear variation of k_obs against [Pip]_T exists within the methanol content range 10%–∼80% v/v. The change in k_obs with the change in [Pip]_T at 98% v/v CH₃OH in mixed methanol‐acetonitrile solvent shows the relationship: k_obs = k[Pip]_T + k[Pip], where respective k and k represent apparent second‐order and third‐order rate constants for nucleophilic and general base‐catalyzed piperidinolysis of phthalimide. The values of k_obs, obtained within [Pip]_T range 0.02–0.40 M at 0.03 M NaOH and 20 as well as 50% v/v CH₃OH reveal the relationship: k_obs = k₀/(1 + {k_n[Pip]/k_OX[⁻OX]_T}), where k₀ is the pseudo‐first‐order rate constant for hydrolysis of phthalimide, k_n and k_OX represent nucleophilic second‐order rate constants for the reaction of Pip with phthalimide and for the XO⁻‐catalyzed cyclization of N‐piperidinylphthalamide to phthalimide, respectively, and [⁻OX]_T = [NaOH] + [⁻OX_re], where [⁻OX_re] = [⁻OH_re] + [CH₃O_re⁻]. The reversible reactions of Pip with H₂O and CH₃OH produce ⁻OH_re and CH₃O_re⁻ ions. The effects of mixed methanol‐water solvents on the rates of piperidinolysis of PTH reveal a nonlinear decrease in k with the increase in the content of methanol. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 29–40, 2001     

Three oxo complexes with a tetra­nuclear [Cu4(μ2‐Cl)6(μ4‐O)] unit

The three title compounds, namely 4‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazolium hexa‐μ₂‐chloro‐chloro‐μ₄‐oxo‐tris­(4‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐κN¹)­tetra­copper(II) monohydrate, (C₉H₉N₂)[Cu₄Cl₇O(C₉H₈N₂)₃]·H₂O, hexa‐μ₂‐chloro‐μ₄‐oxo‐tetra­kis­(pyridine N‐oxide‐κO)tetra­copper(II), [Cu₄Cl₆O(C₅H₅NO)₄], and hexa‐μ₂‐chloro‐tetra­kis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole‐κN¹)‐μ₄‐oxo‐tetra­copper(II) methanol trisolvate, [Cu₄Cl₆O(C₄H₆N₂)₄]·3CH₄O, exhibit the same Cu₄OCl₆ framework, where the O atom at the centre of an almost regular tetra­hedron bridges four copper cations at the corners. This group is in turn surrounded by a Cl₆ octa­hedron, leading to a rather globular species. This special arrangement of the Cu^II cations results in a diversity of magnetic behaviours.