Graphene-polyaniline modified electrochemical droplet-based microfluidic sensor for high-throughput determination of 4-aminophenol

We report herein the first development of graphene-polyaniline modified carbon paste electrode (G-PANI/CPE) coupled with droplet-based microfluidic sensor for high-throughput detection of 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in pharmaceutical paracetamol (PA) formulations. A simple T-junction microfluidic platform using an oil flow rate of 1.8 μL/min and an aqueous flow rate of 0.8 μL/min was used to produce aqueous testing microdroplets continuously. The microchannel was designed to extend the aqueous droplet to cover all 3 electrodes, allowing for electrochemical measurements in a single droplet. Parameters including flow rate, water fraction, and applied detection potential (E_det) were investigated to obtain optimal conditions. Using G-PANI/CPE significantly increased the current response for both cyclic voltammetric detections of ferri/ferrocyanide [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− (10 times) and 4-AP (2 times), compared to an unmodified electrode. Using the optimized conditions in the droplet system, 4-AP in the presence of PA was selectively determined. The linear range of 4-AP was 50–500 μM (R² = 0.99), limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) was 15.68 μM, and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) was 52.28 μM. Finally, the system was used to determine 4-AP spiked in commercial PA liquid samples and the amounts of 4-AP were found in good agreement with those obtained from the conventional capillary zone electrophoresis/UV–Visible spectrophotometry (CZE/UV–Vis). The proposed microfluidic device could be employed for a high-throughput screening (at least 60 samples h⁻¹) of pharmaceutical purity requiring low sample and reagent consumption.     

Simultaneous determination of DTPA,EDTA, and NTA by UV–visible spectrometry and HPLC

In this study, UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used for simultaneous analysis of chelating agents diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), as their metal chelates in dishwashing detergents, natural waters, and pulp mill water. The total amounts of the chelating agents in dishwashing detergents were verified by potentiometric titration with Fe(III) solution. Nickel(II) chelates were determined by UV–Vis and iron(III)chelates by HPLC and titration. Recoveries of DTPA, EDTA, and NTA from a standard mixture of analytes by UV–Vis were 107±7, 101±12 and 94±13%, respectively, and the recovery of the total amount of complexing agents was 99±4%. The limits of detection for DTPA, EDTA, and NTA were 667, 324, and 739 mol L^–1, respectively. In HPLC measurements the optimized mobile phase contained 0.03 mol L^–1 sodium acetate, 0.002 mol L^–1 tetrabutylammonium bromide, and 5% methanol at pH 3.15 and the detection was by UV–Vis detection at 254 nm. All three complexing agents could be separated from each other in a simultaneous analysis in less than 5 min. The limits of detection were 0.34, 0.27, and 0.62 mol L^–1 for DTPA, EDTA, and NTA, respectively. The total amounts of the analytes measured in the dishwashing detergents by the three techniques were found to be highly comparable (ANOVA: F=0.04, P=0.96). R² values were 0.99 for EDTA, 0.99 for NTA, and 0.99 for all the results when UV–Vis and HPLC determinations were compared using regression lines. The UV–Vis and HPLC methods were proved to be viable also for analyses of natural and pulp mill waters. The absence of matrix interferences was verified by the standard addition technique.     

Colorimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide and lactate based on the etching of the carbon based Au-Ag bimetallic nanocomposite synthesized by carbon dots as the reductant and stabilizer

In this report, carbon-based gold core silver shell Au-Ag bimetallic nanocomposite (Au-Ag/C NC) was synthesized using carbon dots (C-dots) as the reductant and stabilizer by a facile green sequential reduction approach. The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite are characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as synthesized Au-Ag/C NC exhibits good optic response toward hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) without adding any other chromogenic agents. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorbance peak of Au-Ag/C NC declined and red-shifted with the solution color changing from reddish orange to light pink when adding H₂O₂ owing to the etching effect of H₂O₂ towards Ag. Thus, a simple colorimetric and UV strategy for sensitive detection of H₂O₂ is proposed. It provides the wide linear range for detection of H₂O₂ from 0.8–90 μM and 90–500 μM, and the detection limit was as low as 0.3 μM (S/N = 3). In addition, this colorimetric strategy can also be applied to directly distinguish and detect of lactate by naked eye and UV–Vis. The linear range of colorimetric sensing towards lactate was 0.1–22 μM and 22–220 μM, which was successfully applied in the analysis of lactate in human serum.     

Analytical procedure for the determination of Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate (LAE) to assess the kinetics and specific migration from a new antimicrobial active food packaging

Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate (LAE) is a cationic tensoactive compound, soluble in water, with a wide activity spectrum against moulds and bacteria. LAE has been incorporated as antimicrobial agent into packaging materials for food contact and these materials require to comply with the specific migration criteria. In this paper, one analytical procedure has been developed and optimized for the analysis of LAE in food simulants after the migrations tests. It consists of the formation of an ionic pair between LAE and the inorganic complex Co(SCN)₄²⁻ in aqueous solution, followed by a liquid–liquid extraction in a suitable organic solvent and further UV–Vis absorbance measurement. In order to evaluate possible interferences, the ionic pair has been also analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with UV–Vis detection. Both procedures provided similar analytical characteristics, with linear ranges from 1.10 to 25.00 mg kg⁻¹, linearity higher than 0.9886, limits of detection and quantification of 0.33 and 1.10 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, accuracy better than 1% as relative error and precision better than 3.6% expressed as RSD. Optimization of analytical techniques, thermal and chemical stability of LAE, as well as migration kinetics of LAE from experimental active packaging are reported and discussed.     

On-line high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet–nuclear magnetic resonance method of the markers of nerve agents for verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention

This paper details an on-flow liquid chromatography–ultraviolet–nuclear magnetic resonance (LC–UV–NMR) method for the retrospective detection and identification of alkyl alkylphosphonic acids (AAPAs) and alkylphosphonic acids (APAs), the markers of the toxic nerve agents for verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Initially, the LC–UV–NMR parameters were optimized for benzyl derivatives of the APAs and AAPAs. The optimized parameters include stationary phase C₁₈, mobile phase methanol:water 78:22 (v/v), UV detection at 268 nm and ¹H NMR acquisition conditions. The protocol described herein allowed the detection of analytes through acquisition of high quality NMR spectra from the aqueous solution of the APAs and AAPAs with high concentrations of interfering background chemicals which have been removed by preceding sample preparation. The reported standard deviation for the quantification is related to the UV detector which showed relative standard deviations (RSDs) for quantification within ±1.1%, while lower limit of detection upto 16 μg (in μg absolute) for the NMR detector. Finally the developed LC–UV–NMR method was applied to identify the APAs and AAPAs in real water samples, consequent to solid phase extraction and derivatization. The method is fast (total experiment time ∼2 h), sensitive, rugged and efficient.     

The reactions of 8-hydroxyquinoline with [RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3]: A new ruthenium(II) carbonyl complex with a N-donor ligand

The reaction of [RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃] with 8-hydroxyquinoline has been examined and a novel ruthenium(II) complex – [RuCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂(C₉H₆NO)] – has been obtained. This compound has been studied by IR, UV–Vis (absorption and emission), ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. The molecular orbital diagram of the complex has been calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method. The spin-allowed singlet–singlet electronic transitions of the complex have been calculated with the time-dependent DFT method, and the UV–Vis spectrum of the compound has been discussed on this basis.     

Stability study of α-bromophenylacetic acid: Does it represent an appropriate model analyte for chiral separations?

The stability of α-bromophenylacetic acid (BPAA) in 50% aqueous methanol solution has been tested. CE in different running buffers was used to separate BPAA from the decomposition reaction products α-hydroxyphenylacetic (mandelic) acid and α-methoxyphenylacetic acid. Suitable CE separation of all three compounds and other product, bromide, was achieved in 60 mmol/L formate buffer (pH 3.0) at −30 kV in 50 μm (i.d.) poly(vinyl alcohol)-coated fused silica capillary (30 cm/24.5 cm) with UV detection at 200 nm. The CE method was applied to determine the reaction order of the decomposition of BPAA (0.47 mmol/L) via nucleophilic substitution in 50% aqueous methanol. The first-order reaction kinetics was confirmed by linear and non-linear regression, giving the rate constants 1.52 × 10⁻⁴ ± 2.76 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ and 7.89 × 10⁻⁵ ± 5.02 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, respectively. Additionally, the degradation products were identified by CE coupled to mass spectrometric (MS) detection. The CE–MS experiments carried out in 60 mmol/L formate buffer (pH 3.0) and in 60 mmol/L acetate buffer (pH 5.0) confirmed the results obtained by CE–UV. Furthermore, the stability of BPAA in polar solvents was tested by ¹H NMR experiments. Our results provide strong evidence of the instability and fast degradation of BPAA in 50% aqueous methanol indicating that BPAA is not suitable as the model analyte for chiral separations.     

Analysis of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Potassium formate was extracted from airport storm water runoff by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by GC–MS. Formate was transformed to formic acid by adding phosphoric acid. Subsequently, formic acid was derivatized to methyl formate by adding methanol. Using sodium [²H]formate (formate-d) as an internal standard, the relative standard deviation of the peak area ratio of formate (m/z 60) and formate-d (m/z 61) was 0.6% at a concentration of 208.5 mg L⁻¹. Calibration was linear in the range of 0.5–208.5 mg L⁻¹. The detection limit calculated considering the blank value was 0.176 mg L⁻¹. The mean concentration of potassium formate in airport storm water runoff collected after surface de-icing operations was 86.9 mg L⁻¹ (n = 11) with concentrations ranging from 15.1 mg L⁻¹ to 228.6 mg L⁻¹.     

Analysis of cytokinin nucleotides by capillary zone electrophoresis with diode array and mass spectrometric detection in a recombinant enzyme in vitro reaction

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for separation of adenosine and N⁶-isopentenyladenosine (cytokinin) nucleotides was developed, optimized and validated. Aqueous solutions of several amino acids were evaluated as the background electrolyte constituents. Separation of six nucleotides in less than 20 min with high theoretical plate number (up to 400 000 for isopentenyladenosine triphosphate) was achieved using a 100 mM sarcosine/ammonia buffer at pH 10.0. The detection limits of the CZE-UV method are in the low micromolar range (0.69–1.27 μmol L⁻¹). Good repeatability of migration times (within 1.3%), peak areas (within 1.8%) and linearity (R² > 0.999) was achieved over the concentration range 5–1000 μmol L⁻¹. The method was used to assay the activity of the recombinant Arabidopsis thaliana isopentenyltransferase 1 (AtIPT1). Baseline separation of isopentenylated nucleotides by CE–ESI-MS using a volatile buffer (30 mM ammonium formate; pH 10.0) was accomplished. The identities of the reaction products – isopentenyladenosine di- and triphosphate were confirmed by HPLC-QqTOF-MS. Dephosphorylation of ATP was observed as a parallel reaction.     

A novel rhenium(III) complex with bis(pyrazol-1-yl)methane: X-ray structure and DFT calculations for [ReCl3(bpzm)(PPh3)]

The [ReCl₃(MeCN)(PPh₃)₂] complex reacts with bis(pyrazol-1-yl)methane (bpzm) to give [ReCl₃(bpzm)(PPh₃)]. This compound has been studied by IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, magnetic measurement and X-ray crystallography. The molecular orbital diagram of [ReCl₃(bpzm)(PPh₃)] has been calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method. The spin-allowed triplet–triplet electronic transitions of [ReCl₃(bpzm)(PPh₃)] have been calculated with the time-dependent DFT method, and the UV–Vis spectrum of the title compound has been discussed on this basis. The magnetic behavior is characteristic of a mononuclear d⁴ low-spin octahedral Re(III) complex (³T_1g ground state) and arises because of the large spin–orbit coupling (ζ = 2500 cm⁻¹), which gives a diamagnetic ground state.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic and structural characterization of new complex of ruthenium(II) with Hmtpo ligand

The [(PPh₃)₂RuHCl(CO)(Hmtpo)] complex has been prepared and studied by IR, NMR, UV–VIS spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The complex was prepared in reactions of [RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃] with 7-hydroxy-5-methyl[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine in methanol. The electronic structure and UV–Vis spectrum of the obtained compound have been calculated using the TD–DFT method.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization,X-ray structure and DFT calculations of copper(II) complex with 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole

The reaction of copper(II) nitrate trihydrate and 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole (pybzim) leads to [Cu(pybzim)₂(NO₃)](NO₃). The compound has been studied by IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The electronic structure of the [Cu(pybzim)₂(NO₃)]⁺ cation has been calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method. The spin-allowed doublet–doublet electronic transitions of [Cu(pybzim)₂(NO₃)]⁺ have been calculated with the time-dependent DFT method, and the UV–Vis spectrum of the title compound has been discussed on this basis.     

In situ hydrothermal growth of ZnO/g-C3N4 nanoflowers coated solid-phase microextraction fibers coupled with GC-MS for determination of pesticides residues

In this paper, Zinc oxide (ZnO) hybridized with graphite-like C₃N₄ (ZnO/g-C₃N₄) nanoflowers based solid phase microextraction (SPME) coating was prepared on fiber using in situ hydrothermal growth method for gas chromatographic -mass spectrum (GC- MS) separation and analysis target analytes in complex matrixes for the first time. The proposed hybrid ZnO/g-C₃N₄ fiber exhibited wide linearity for the pesticide residues in range of 0.003–5.0 ng mL⁻¹. The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.001–0.0025 ng mL⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for three replicate extractions using one fiber was ranged from 2.3% to 7.6%. The fiber to fiber RSD was 5.3–11.3% (n = 3). This method was successfully used for simultaneous determination of nine pesticide residues in cucumber, pear, Green tea and Minjiang water with satisfactory recoveries of 79.1–103.5%. These results indicated that the ZnO/g-C₃N₄ composite provided a promising alternative in sample pretreatment and analysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of new polymeric phthalocyanines substituted with diaza-18-crown-6 macrocycles through ethyleneoxy bridges

A tetranitrile monomer was synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-4,13-diaza-18-crown-6 onto 4-nitrophthalonitrile. A series of polymeric metal-free and metallophthalocyanine (M = 2H, Zn, Cu, Co and Ni) polymers was prepared by polymeric tetramerization reaction of the tetranitrile monomer with proper materials. The electrical conductivities of the polymeric phthalocyanines measured as gold sandwiches were found to be ∼10⁻⁹–10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ in a vacuum and in argon. The extraction ability of the metal-free polymeric phthalocyanine was evaluated in tetrahydrofuran using several alkali metal picrates such as Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Cs⁺. The extraction affinity of the metal-free polymeric phthalocyanine for K⁺ was found to be highest in the heterogeneous solid–liquid phase extraction experiments. The disaggregation property of the metal-free polymeric phthalocyanine was investigated with sodium, potassium and ammonium ions and methanol. All the novel compounds were characterized by using elemental analysis, UV–Vis, FT-IR, NMR and MS spectral data and DTA/TG.     

Catalytic and peroxidase-like activity of carbon based-AuPd bimetallic nanocomposite produced using carbon dots as the reductant

In this report, carbon-based AuPd bimetallic nanocomposite (AuPd/C NC) was synthesized using carbon dots (C-dots) as the reducing agent and stabilizer by a simple green sequential reduction strategy, without adding other agents. The as synthesized AuPd/C NC showed good catalytic activity and peroxidase-like property. The structure and morphology of these nanoparticles were clearly characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The AuPd/C NC catalyst exhibits noticeably higher catalytic activity than Pd and Au nanoparticles in catalysis reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Moreover, based on the high peroxidase-like property of AuPd/C NC, a new colorimetric detection method for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been designed using 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-benzidine (TMB) as the substrate, which provides a simple and sensitive means to detect H₂O₂ in wide linear range of 5 μM–500 μM and 500 μM–4 mM with low detection limit of 1.6 μM (S/N = 3). Therefore, the facile synthesis strategy for bimetallic nanoparticles by the mild reductant of carbon dot will provide some new thoughts for preparing of carbon-based metal nanomaterials and expand their application in catalysis and analytical chemistry areas.     

Synthesis of Coenzyme Q<Subscript>10</Subscript> and β-carotene by Yeasts Isolated from Antarctic Soil and Lichen in Response to Ultraviolet and Visible Radiations

The effect of different doses of visible (Vis), ultraviolet-А (UVA), and mixed light (UVA + Vis) upon coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) and β-carotene synthesis and biomass yield by the Sporobolomyces salmonicolor AL₁, Cryptococcus albidus AS₅₅, Cryptococcus laurentii AS₅₆, and C. laurentii AS₅₈ strains isolated from Antarctic samples was investigated. The β-carotene concentration in the red strain biomass increased by 52% under irradiation with 11 J/cm² Vis, and the CoQ₁₀ concentration rose by 37% in relation to the control quantity obtained through dark cultivation. Under irradiation with 6 J/cm² UVA, the S. salmonicolor AL₁ strain synthesized 15% more β-carotene; C. albidus AS₅₅, 22%; C. laurentii AS₅₆, 44%; and C. laurentii AS₅₈, 35% in relation to the control quantity. Irradiation with a low UVА + Vis dose significantly stimulated β-carotene biosynthesis by the strains of the Cryptococcus genus (87%, 138%, and 100%), whereas S. salmonicolor AL₁ increased the β-carotene content to a smaller degree (55%). Higher doses of all three irradiation types inhibited β-carotene accumulation. Vis suppressed CoQ₁₀ biosynthesis in the Cryptococcus strains, whereas UVА and UVА + Vis inhibited it in all four strains. The S. salmonicolor AL₁ strain pre-treated with 0.02 J/cm² UVA synthesized twice as much CoQ₁₀ and β-carotene when cultivated in the presence of Vis light in an 11-J/cm² dose.     

Fiber-optic fluorescence sensor for dissolved oxygen detection based on fluorinated xerogel immobilized with ruthenium (II) complex

A fiber-optic sensor based on fluorescence quenching was designed for dissolved oxygen (DO) detection. The fluorinated xerogel-based sensing film of the present sensor was prepared from 3, 3, 3-trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane (TFP–TriMOS). Oxygen-sensitive fluorophores of tris (2, 2′- bipyridine) ruthenium (II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) were immobilized in the sensing film and the emission fluorescence was quenched by dissolved oxygen. In the sensor fabrication, a two-fiber probe was employed to obtain the best fluorescence collection efficiency and the sensing film was attached to the probe end. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements have been used to characterize the sensing film. The sensor sensitivity is quantified by I _deoxy/I _oxy, where I _deoxy and I _oxy represented the detected fluorescence intensities in fully deoxygenated and fully oxygenated environments, respectively. Compared with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTMS)-derived sensing films, TFP–TriMOS-based sensor exhibited excellent performances in dissolved oxygen detection with short response time of 4 s, low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 ppm (R.S.D. = 2.5%), linear Stern–Volmer calibration plot from 0 to 40 ppm and long-term stability during the past 10 months. The reasons for the preferable performances of TFP–TriMOS-based sensing film were discussed.     

A novel approach for highly proton conductive electrolyte membranes with improved methanol barrier properties: Layer-by-Layer assembly of salt containing polyelectrolytes

A series of highly proton conductive electrolyte membranes with improved methanol barrier properties are prepared from polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) including salt by Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method. The effects of added salt type (NaCl, MgCl₂) and salt concentration (1.0 M, 0.1 M) on proton conductivity (σ) and methanol barrier properties of the LbL self-assembled composite membranes are discussed in terms of controlled layer thickness and charge density. Furthermore, the influences of ion type in the multilayered composite membranes are studied in conjunction with physicochemical and thermal properties.The deposition of the self-assembly of PAH/PSS film on Nafion is followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and it is observed that the polyelectrolyte layers growth on both sides of Nafion membrane regularly. (PAH/PSS)₅–Na⁺ and (PAH/PSS)₅–H⁺ with 1.0 M NaCl exhibits 49.6 and 27.8% reduction in lower methanol permittivity in comparison with the pristine Nafion^®117, respectively, while the proton conductivities are 12.97 and 74.69 mS cm⁻¹. Promisingly, it is found that the membrane selectivity values (Φ) of all multilayered membranes in H⁺ form are much higher than that of salt form (Na⁺ and Mg²⁺) and perfluorosulfonated ionomers reported in the literature. Also, we find out that the use of polyelectrolytes with high charge density causes a further improvement in proton conductivity and methanol barrier properties simultaneously. These encouraging results indicate that upon a suitable choice of LbL deposition conditions, composite membranes exhibiting both high proton conductivity and improved methanol barrier properties can be tailored for fuel cells.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization,X-ray structure and DFT calculations of five-coordinated chlorocopper(II) complex with bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)methane

The reaction of copper dichloride dihydrate and bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)methane affords [Cu{H₂C(3,5-Me₂pz)₂}₂Cl]Cl · 3H₂O. The compound has been studied by IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The electronic structure of the [Cu{H₂C(3,5-Me₂pz)₂}₂Cl]⁺ cation has been calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method. The spin-allowed doublet–doublet electronic transitions of [Cu{H₂C(3,5-Me₂pz)₂}₂Cl]⁺ have been calculated with the time-dependent DFT method, and the UV–Vis spectrum of the title compound has been discussed on this basis.     

X-ray structure,spectroscopic characterisation and DFT calculations of the [Re(CO)3(2,2′-biquinoline)Cl] complex

The fac-[Re(CO)₃(2,2′-biquinoline)Cl] complex has been obtained in reaction of Re(CO)₅Cl with 2,2′-biquinoline. The compound has been studied by IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The molecular orbital diagram of the tricarbonyl has been calculated with the density functional theory (DFT) method. The spin-allowed singlet–singlet electronic transitions of [Re(CO)₃(2,2′-biquinoline)Cl] have been calculated with the time-dependent DFT method, and the UV–Vis spectrum of the title compound has been discussed on this basis.