Calorimetric analysis of the ethanolysis of 1,2-epoxybutane

Polyethers, which are produced by alcoholysis of oxiranes, are often used as solvents in chemical plants. The spectra of the products can be influenced by the choice of the catalyst (acid or base). The results of the base-catalyzed ethanolysis of 1,2-epoxybutane are displayed. The reaction was investigated calorimetrically by varying the molar ratio between ethanol and 1,2-epoxybutane, the starting temperature and the concentration of the catalyst sodium hydroxide. Additionally, the influence of the used alcohol will be shown in one example. To determine the activation parameters, the experiments were evaluated by the nonlinear software package TA-kin v3.3.     

Use of participant EQA results to assess sample homogeneity and stability for qualitative analytes

International requirements for PT and EQA state that providers must demonstrate that samples are homogeneous and stable. However, testing for homogeneity and stability can be expensive, use samples that could otherwise serve as quality-control materials, and can also fail to detect significant inhomogeneity and instability. In some situations it may be preferable to use the results from participants to identify problems with sample lots, if historic results follow predictable distributions and a statistical decision rule can be produced. An unusually high proportion of incorrect results may indicate that samples were inhomogeneous or unstable. Conditions under which this can be demonstrated are discussed, and the efficacy of the proposal is demonstrated with two examples. This procedure is especially effective when there are a large number of participants and/or a historic small proportion of incorrect results. Providers who adopt this proposal will need to retain samples for testing and assume the risk of distributing bad samples.Presented at the Eurachem PT Workshop September 2005, Portorož, Slovenia     

PHOTOSENSITIZATION WITH BACTERIOCHLORINS

Abstract— Biophysical and photobiological properties of a group of bacteriochlorins were compared with efficacy of these products for photodynamic therapy of murine tumors. Predictive factors for selective photosensitization in vivo include affinity binding to lipoproteins greater than albumin, extinction coefficient at the wavelength of irradiation and tumor/skin distribution. Efficacy was correlated with circulating plasma levels of the different sensitizers but not with the photodynamic therapy response in cell culture.