In-line phase separator for microfluidic solvent extraction of uranium

Experiments are carried out to study the separation of liquid-liquid dispersion generated at a microfluidic junction by using an in-line phase separator. The phase separator comprises a metallic mesh sandwiched between two flow channels. Dispersion generated at the microfluidic junction is fed to the upper flow channel of the in-line phase separator. Continuous phase permeates through the metallic mesh into the lower flow channel and gets separated from the dispersed phase. The effects of operating parameters (flow rates of the aqueous and organic phases), flow channel geometry and mesh properties (pore size and thickness) on phase separation are studied. After identification of operating window in which complete phase separation is achieved, mass transfer experiments are performed to demonstrate intensified uranium extraction using a micromixer and in-line phase separator.

     

Magnetic Field Directed Rare-Earth Separations

The separation of rare-earth ions from one another is challenging due to their chemical and physical similarities. Nearly all rare-earth separations rely upon small changes in ionic radii to direct speciation or reactivity. Herein, we show that the intrinsic magnetic properties of the rare-earth ions impact the separations of light/heavy and selected heavy/heavy binary mixtures. Using TriNOx³⁻ ([{(2-^tBuNO)C₆H₄CH₂}₃N]³⁻) rare-earth complexes, we efficiently and selectively crystallized heavy rare earths (Tb–Yb) from a mixture with light rare earths (La and Nd) in the presence of an external Fe₁₄Nd₂B magnet, concomitant with the introduction of a concentration gradient (decrease in temperature). The optimal separation was observed for an equimolar mixture of La:Dy, which gave an enrichment factor of EF_La:Dy=297±31 for the solid fraction, compared to EF_La:Dy=159±22 in the absence of the field, and achieving a 99.7 % pure Dy sample in one step. These results indicate that the application of a magnetic field can improve performance in a molecular separation system for paramagnetic rare-earth cations.     

Estimating optimal time for fast chromatographic separations

The term t_{min cc} provides a ready estimate of the shortest time that can be obtained by “column cutting” for baseline resolution of two components showing excess chromatographic resolution. While actual column cutting is impractical, the t_{min cc} value is shown to be closely related to the minimum separation time obtainable by adjusting other parameters such as flow rate, mobile phase composition, and temperature, affording scientists interested in the development of fast chromatographic separations a convenient tool for estimating the minimum separation time that can be obtained by modifying a given method development screening result. Furthermore, the relationship between t_{min cc} and the minimum separation time obtainable by adjusting other parameters is shown to be dependent on the speed of the screening method, with aggressive screening gradients affording t_{min cc} estimates that match the actual minimum separation time, and “lazy” screening gradients affording t_{min cc} values that overestimate minimum separation time. Consequently, the analysis of the relationship between t_{min cc} and actual minimum separation time may be a useful tool for determining the “fitness” of method development screening methods.     

Magnetic Field Directed Rare‐Earth Separations

The separation of rare‐earth ions from one another is challenging due to their chemical and physical similarities. Nearly all rare‐earth separations rely upon small changes in ionic radii to direct speciation or reactivity. Herein, we show that the intrinsic magnetic properties of the rare‐earth ions impact the separations of light/heavy and selected heavy/heavy binary mixtures. Using TriNOx^3? ([{(2‐^tBuNO)C₆H₄CH₂}₃N]^3?) rare‐earth complexes, we efficiently and selectively crystallized heavy rare earths (Tb–Yb) from a mixture with light rare earths (La and Nd) in the presence of an external Fe₁₄Nd₂B magnet, concomitant with the introduction of a concentration gradient (decrease in temperature). The optimal separation was observed for an equimolar mixture of La:Dy, which gave an enrichment factor of EF_La:Dy=297±31 for the solid fraction, compared to EF_La:Dy=159±22 in the absence of the field, and achieving a 99.7 % pure Dy sample in one step. These results indicate that the application of a magnetic field can improve performance in a molecular separation system for paramagnetic rare‐earth cations.     

Study of syneresis in thin foam layers by creating pressure drops in the liquid phase

The method of creating pressure drops in liquid phases of foams (foam pressure drop technique) is employed to study the influence of Plateau-Gibbs border radius and surface viscosity on the velocity of liquid flows through foams. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-stabilized foams with Newtonian black films and foams stabilized with 9,6-ethoxylated nonylphenol (Triton X-10 0) are investigated. A method is developed for determining the velocities of nonstationary syneresis in local layers of foams. The measured flow velocities correspond to those calculated through the Nguyen equation for sodium dodecyl sulfate solution foams with constant curvature radii and for local layers of foams at curvature radii varying in the range of 20–80 fum and variable pressure drops. In Triton X-100 solution foams, experimentally measured syneresis velocities are higher than those calculated by the Lemlich and Nguyen equations but agree with the velocities calculated via the Koehler equation at permeability K ₀ ⁿ varying in the range of 0.5 × 10^-3-2 × 10^-3 under the assumption that the key factor is the hydrodynamic resistance in foam knots.     

Automated Extraction of Drugs from Biological Fluids

Abstract

An automated continuous flow liquid-liquid extraction procedure is described for the separation of the H₂-antagonist loxtidine from plasma samples containing two metabolites which interfere in the radioimmunoassay of the drug. The extraction of the bronchodilator salbutamol was studied using the DuPont Prep I automated liquid solid extraction apparatus, with a 12 cartridge capacity, and a vacuum extraction box designed in this laboratory to hold 30 Sep-pak C-18 (Waters Associates) cartridges. Twenty-four plasma samples per hour can be automatically processed with the Prep I. Although the vacuum box is not fully automated 45 plasma samples per hour can be processed. The Prep I can only be used with DuPont XAD, strong cation and anion exchange cartridges. Cartridges containing alumina, silica, floril, cation and anion exchange resins and reverse phase packings can all be used with the vacuum extraction box. The latter costs only a fraction of the Prep I and therefore each analyst can have his own unit.     

An isotopic effect in the dielectric spectra of Ark. 9/water systems

Dielectric spectra of H₂O and D₂O molecules in the L_α liquid crystalline phase of nonylphenoxy-poly(ethylenoxy)ethanol(Ark. 9)/water lyotropic systems have been investigated by dielectric time domain spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10 MHz to 10 GHz. By fitting the Cole-Cole formula to the dielectric spectra, obtained at different temperatures the dielectric increments, the relaxation times and the distribution parameters have been calculated. A strong retardation of water molecules has been found for the lamellar phase with low water content, i.e. 10 water molecules (H₂O or D₂O) per one Ark. 9 molecule. The relaxation times obtained at room temperature for the light and heavy water are 63 and 93 ps, respectively. It means that the retardation factor for D₂O molecules in the L_α phase is close to 1.5 and higher than that found for pure heavy water (1.25). Any decomposition of the dielectric spectra obtained seems to be unsubstantiated. The temperature dependences of the relaxation times acquired for both kinds of water obey the Arrhenius behaviour.     

Localization function study of excitation processes in a set of small isoelectronic molecules

Electron localization function (ELF) theory is used to characterize changes that occur upon excitation from ground singlet to first excited triplet states in a series of isoelectronic 16‐electron molecules including H₂CCH₂, HNCH₂, H₂CO, HNNH, HNO, and O₂ (ground triplet to excited singlet). ELF allows one to visualize lone pair or nonbonding electrons, and in these cases the π→π* or n→π excitation processes involved lead to an effective 90° rotation of the electronic structure about one heavy atom center and consequent distortion towards pyramidal symmetry about both heavy atom centers. The heavy atom bond lengths change very little in those cases where effectively two‐center three‐electron bonds can be formed (HNNH, HNO, and O₂) while a significant lengthening occurs in those cases where hydrogen atoms prevent such interactions (H₂CCH₂, HNCH₂, and H₂CO). It is shown that both ELF basin populations and atoms‐in‐molecules (AIM) delocalization indices reflect expected bond orders for conventional single and double bonds provided one compares the ratio of the molecular quantities rather than their absolute magnitudes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 1702–1711, 2001     

Determination of the Glass Electrode Parameters by Means of Potentiometric Titration of Acetic Acid in Aqueous Sodium or Potassium Chloride Solutions at 25°C

Single-ion activity coefficient equations are presented for the calculation of stoichiometric (molality scale) dissociation constants K _m for acetic acid in aqueous NaCl or KCl solutions at 25°C. These equations are of the Pitzer or Hückel type and apply to the case where the inert electrolyte alone determines the ionic strength of the acetic acid solution considered. K _m for a certain ionic strength can be calculated from the thermodynamic dissociation constant K _a by means of the equations for ionic activity coefficients. The data used in the estimation of the parameters for the activity coefficient equations were taken from the literature. In these data were included results of measurements on galvanic cells without a liquid junction (i.e., on cells of the Harned type). Despite the theoretical difficulties associated with the single-ion activity coefficients, K _m can be calculated for acetic acid in NaCl or KCl solutions by the Pitzer or Hückel method (the two methods give practically identical K _m values) almost within experimental error at least up to ionic strengths of about 1 mol-kg^–1. Potentiometric acetic acid titrations with base solutions (NaOH or KOH) were performed in a glass electrode cell at constant ionic strengths adjusted by NaCl or KCl. These titrations were analyzed by equation E = E _o + k(RT/F) ln[m(H⁺)], where m(H⁺) is the molality of protons, and E is the electromotive force measured. m(H⁺) was calculated for each titration point from the volume of the base solution added by using the stoichiometric dissociation constant K _m obtained by the Pitzer or Hückel method. During each base titration at a constant ionic strength, E _o and k in this equation were observed to be constants and were determined by linear regression analysis. The use of this equation in the analysis of potentiometric glass electrode data represents an improvement when compared to the common methods in use for two reasons. No activity coefficients are needed and problems associated with liquid junction potentials have been eliminated.     

Morphology of a liquid-crystalline polyester film

Morphological studies are reported for a thermotropic liquid crystalline polyester. Small angle light scattering studies were carried out as a function of temperature using H_v and V_v polarization with photographic as well as photometric techniques. No scattering was observed from a thin film cast from a dilute solution of the polymer in a highly volatile solvent. When the film was heated, scattering of light was observed above the glass transition temperature of the polyester. The scattering was found to be azimuthally dependent with V_v intensities being much higher than the corresponding H_v intensities. The size of the morphological features responsible for SALS patterns were calculated and were found not to change significantly with temperature ranging from glass transition temperature to the solid-nematic transition temperature of the polyester. The WAXS pattern of solution cast polymer was representative of an amorphous structure. Solution cast films heat treated under various conditions (all above the T_g of the polymer) contained crystalline as well as amorphous structures. The maximum apparent crystallinity for annealed samples was of the order of 30%.     

Synthesis of coumarin derivatives in a microfluidic flow system employing the Pechmann condensation: A case study

For the synthesis of coumarin derivatives using the Pechmann condensation scheme, an acidic ionic liquid catalyst, abbreviated as [EBsImH][HSO ₄ ] , was prepared from the ring opening of 1,4-butanesultone by 1-ethylimidazole, followed by the addition of 1 equiv. H₂SO₄(c). The [EBsImH][HSO ₄ ] -catalyzed Pechmann condensation reactions proceeded smoothly in a batch setup, with recyclable [EBsImH][HSO ₄ ] showing great catalytic activity. The acidic ionic liquid catalyst [EBsImH][HSO ₄ ] was recovered from EtOAc/H₂O extraction of the product mixture, where the H₂O layer was worked up and dried for reuse in consecutive runs of the Pechmann condensation reactions, maintaining >85% conversion for four times. The catalytic reactions were also carried out in a microfluidic flow setup. The flow parameters, the reactant molar amounts, and the additional H₂SO₄ as a modifying acid catalyst were optimized in the current case study. A minimum conversion rate of 2.8 g/hr of coumarin derivatives was demonstrated.     

Conversion of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur byChlorobium thiosulfatophilum in a CSTR with a sulfur-settling separator

Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum may be used for the bioconversion of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur or sulfate. Sulfur is the preferred product because of problems in the disposal of sulfate. A CSTR with a sulfur-settling separator has been used to preferentially produce and recover elemental sulfur. The simple nutritional requirements of the bacterium and differences in densities and average cell and sulfur particle sizes make a CSTR with a sulfur-settling separator attractive. A bench-scale study has been carried out to determine the optimum process conditions to maximize H₂S conversion, cell growth, elemental sulfur production, and to minimize sulfate production. The liquid effluent typically contained about 425–550 mg/L elemental sulfur. The sulfate concentration was maintained at levels below 100 mg/L. It was possible to remove up to 57 Μmol min⁻¹ L⁻¹ of H₂S from the gas stream. An experiment over a period of 392 h showed stable performance. For Presentation at the Fifteenth Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, Colorado Springs, CO.     

On vibrational bonding of IHI

The vibrational bond of IHI is described in analogy to the covalent bond of H₂⁺ by a Born—Oppenheimer-type separation of light (“hydrogenic” ≡ “electronic”) and heavy (“iodines” ≡ “protons”) particle degrees of freedom. Competing potential energy decreases and hydrogen zero-point energy increases (for the IHI antisymmetric stretching and bending modes) yield a minimum in the iodine symmetric stretching mode's potential energy which supports one bound vibrational IHI state.     

Cinchoninium l-tartrate tetrahydrate

The title compound, (3R,4S,8R,9S)-cinchoninium (2R,3R)-tartrate tetrahydrate, C₁₉H₂₃N₂O⁺·C₄H₅O₆⁻·4H₂O, is a hydrated salt of cinchonine. In the cinchoninium cation, the geometry around the quinuclidinic N atom is typical of a protonated N atom, and the bond lengths and angles in the tartrate moiety clearly indicate the mono-ionized form. The relative orientation of the quinoline and quinuclidine systems is that most frequently observed in structures of cinchona salts and corresponds to one of the energy minima calculated for this type of mol­ecule in the gas phase. An extended network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds spreads parallel to the bc plane separating apolar layers.     

Separation and fragmentation study of isocoproporphyrin derivatives by UHPLC‐ESI‐exact mass MS/MS and identification of a new isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid metabolite

Isocoproporphyrin and its derivatives are commonly used as biomarkers of porphyria cutanea tarda, heavy metal toxicity and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) intoxication in humans and animals. However, most are isobaric with other porphyrins and reference materials are unavailable commercially. The structural characterisation of these porphyrins is important but very little data is available. We report here the separation and characterisation of isocoproporphyrin, deethylisocoproporphyrin, hydroxyisocoproporphyrin and ketoisocoproporphyrin, isolated in the faeces of rats fed with a diet containing HCB, by ultra high performance liquid chromatography‐exact mass tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS). Furthermore, we report the identification and characterisation of a previously unreported porphyrin metabolite, isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid isolated in the rat faeces. The measured mass‐to‐charge ratio (m/z) of the precursor ion was m/z 735.2338, corresponding to a molecular formula of C₃₆H₃₉N₄O₁₁S with an error of 0.3 ppm from the calculated m/z 735.2336. The MS/MS data was consistent with an isocoproporphyrin sulfonic acid structure, derived from dehydroisocoproporphyrinogen by sulfonation of the vinyl group. The metabolite was present in a greater abundance than other isocoproporphyrin derivatives and may be a more useful biomarker for HCB intoxication. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of modified γ-alumina as stationary phase in gas–solid chromatography and its separation performance for hydrogen isotopes

On the basis of impregnation method, several stationary phases were prepared using γ-Al₂O₃ with the solution of transition metal salts and the breakthrough curves of gas chromatograph for H₂ isotopes were analyzed under the temperature of liquid nitrogen. The effects of carrier gas, flow rate and doping concentration on the separation performance for H₂ and D₂ were systematically investigated. The overall results showed that the surface areas and adsorptive capacities of modified γ-Al₂O₃ were slightly lower than unmodified one while the separation performance and symmetry of chromatographic peaks of the former were more excellent. In addition, the chromatographic peaks of ortho- and para-H₂ were no longer separated and the retention time shortened to half on columns of modified γ-Al₂O₃. All the magnetic transition metal ions modified γ-Al₂O₃ did very well for the separation of H₂/D₂ under the conditions of neon as carrier gas with a flow rate of 60 mL/min and column lengths of 1.0 m and injection amounts of 0.1 mL. Especially, the MnCl₂ modified γ-Al₂O₃ exhibited the best performance for separating H₂/D₂ with an optimum doping concentration of 20 wt%.     

Light-scattering studies on solutions of cellulose in the ammonia / ammonium thiocyanate solvent system. II. Quasielastic light-scattering and liquid crystal study

This is the second part of a two–part study of the NH₃NH₄SCN cellulose solvent system. Quasielastic light scattering was used to determine the diffusion coefficients of cellulose in solution and the effective hydrodynamic radius of the dissolved molecules. Additionally, the system was studied using light microscopy to determine the minimum critical volume fraction or liquid crystal formation. Very little change was found in the diffusion coefficients with change in cellulose concentration indicating little interaction between the chains in solution. Values of 7.69 and 2.66 × 10⁸ cm²/s were measured for samples having a degree of polymerization of 153 and 969. The value of the coefficient relating the hydrodynamic volume to the radius of gyration was found to be in the range of 0.33 to 0.53, indicating an extended coil conformation according to the Kirkwood-Riseman theory. The minimum critical volume fractions necessary for liquid crystal formation, υ₂′ were 0.039, 0.038, and 0.048 for the three solvent compositions studied. The values calculated for υ₂′ based on the measured persistence lengths were much larger than the predicted values, indicating strong deviation from theory or possible aggregation in the system.     

Separation mechanism of chiral compounds in chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography

In this paper, the concept of reversed- or normal-phase chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography has been put forward according to the polar strength of mobile and stationary phases. The statistical model developed in HPLC has been used to investigate the separation mechanism of D- and L-enantiomer in chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography. It has been observed that the variation of capacity factor of enantiomers with mobile phase composition in both reversed-phase and normal-phase chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography can be described by the fundamental elution equation lnk' = a + blnC_b + _cC_b. The effect of mobile phase composition on the selectivity of enantiomers D and L in normal-phase chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography can be described by the equation lnα = Δa + ΔblnC_b, but in reversed-phase chiral stationary phase liquid chromatography the selectivity is almost independant of the mobile phase composition.     

Methyl 4‐O‐β‐l‐fucopyranosyl α‐­d‐­glucopyranoside hemihydrate

The crystal structure of methyl 4‐O‐β‐l ‐fuco­pyran­osyl α‐d ‐gluco­pyran­oside hemihydrate C₁₃H₂₄O₁₀·0.5H₂O is organized in sheets with antiparallel strands, where hydro­phobic interaction accounts for partial stabilization. Infinite hydrogen‐bonding networks are observed within each layer as well as between layers; some of these hydrogen bonds are mediated by water mol­ecules. The conformation of the disaccharide is described by the glycosidic torsion angles: ?_H = ?6.1° and ψ_H = 34.3°. The global energy minimum conformation as calculated by molecular mechanics in vacuo has ?_H = ?58° and ψ_H = ?20°. Thus, quite substantial changes are observed between the in vacuo structure and the crystal structure with its infinite hydrogen‐bonding networks.