Recent advances in analytical methodologies based on mass spectrometry for the environmental analysis of halogenated organic contaminants

Halogenated organic contaminants, including legislated and potential persistent organic pollutants and their precursors, represent a major environmental concern due to their hazardous effects in humans and wildlife as well as their ability to bioaccumulate through the food chain, their high resistance to environmental degradation, and their long-range atmospheric transport potential. The monitoring of these compounds in the environment at ultra-trace concentration levels requires highly selective and sensitive analytical methodologies. The lack of reference step-by-step methods led to a high number of reliable determinations depending on analytes, the complexity of the sample, and available instrumentation. Thus, this review article is mainly focused on the last advances in the analytical methodologies for the determination of halogenated organic contaminants. Methodologies regarding sample treatment, chromatographic separation, and mass spectrometry analysis have been reviewed to finally highlight the future perspectives for the improvement of the analytical determinations of these compounds and the throughput of environmental control laboratories in this field.     

A two-point calibration method for quantifying organic binary mixtures using secondary ion mass spectrometry in the presence of matrix effects

Quantification of the composition of binary mixtures in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is required in the analyses of technological materials from organic electronics to drug delivery systems. In some instances, it is found that there is a linear dependence between the composition, expressed as a ratio of component volumes, and the secondary ion intensities, expressed as a ratio of intensities of ions from each component. However, this ideal relationship fails in the presence of matrix effects and linearity is observed only over small compositional ranges, particularly in the dilute limits. In this paper, we assess an empirical method, which introduces a power law dependence between the intensity ratio and the volume fraction ratio. A previously published physical model of the organic matrix effect is employed to test the limits of the method and a mixed system of 3,3′-bis(9-carbazolyl) biphenyl and tris(2-phenylpyridinato)iridium (III) is used to demonstrate the method. This paper introduces a two-point calibration, which determines both the exponent in the power law and the sensitivity factor for the conversion of ion intensity ratio into volume fraction ratio. We demonstrate that this provides significantly improved accuracy, compared with a one-point calibration, over a wide compositional range in SIMS quantification and with a weak dependence on matrix effects. Because the method enables the use of clearly identifiable secondary ions for quantitative purposes and mitigates commonly observed matrix effects in organic materials, the two-point calibration method could be of significant benefit to SIMS analysts.     

具有区域极点约束的柔性梁鲁棒H∞振动主动控制

本文基于H∞控制理论研究了传感器和作动器非同位配置情况下,柔性悬臂梁的多模态振动抑制问题。采用频域辨识方法获取低阶名义模型,合理选取加性不确定权函数和性能权函数,将鲁棒H∞控制问题转化为标准H∞控制问题。为了避免H∞控制器设计过程中产生的零极点对消问题,在求解过程中引入区域极点约束。比较了鲁棒H∞控制器和不考虑高阶未建模动态的非鲁棒H∞控制器的控制效果,实验结果表明,设计的鲁棒H∞控制器能够有效抑制柔性梁的前三阶模态振动,而且不会发生溢出问题。     

卫星减振的试验研究

根据某卫星发射对减振性能的要求,本文提出在适配器与星箭界面之间安装整星隔振器并且在适配器表面粘贴约束阻尼层的减振方案。并且利用振动台分别对卫星减振系统施加垂向和横向的基础激励,测量卫星上关键位置处的加速度响应,比较减振前后其频率响应特性的变化,以验证卫星减振方案的减振性能。试验结果的对比分析验证了此卫星减振系统能够隔离卫星高频段的横向和垂向振动,降低卫星结构频率响应的幅值,能够减小运载火箭发射时传递给卫星的环境载荷,提高卫星发射的可靠性。本文对于相关的航天器的减振设计具有实用的参考价值。     

Kinetic Study on Models of the Noncatalyzed Reaction Between α, ω -Dicarboxypolyamide-11 and α, ω -Dihydroxypolyoxyalkylenes

The kinetics of the noncatalyzed reaction between α, ω -dicarboxypoly-amide-11 and α, ω -dihydroxypolyoxyalkylenes is investigated by using the reactions of 11-dodecylamidoundecanoic acid with 1-dodecanol, 2-tridecanol, α-dodecyl-ω-hydroxypolyoxyethylene or α-dodecyl-ω;-hydroxypolyoxypropylene as models. Kinetic data fit a 3rd overall order (2 in acid and 1 in alcohol). Rate constants and activation parameters are determined and compared.     

Tutorial review on validation of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry methods: Part II

This is the part II of a tutorial review intending to give an overview of the state of the art of method validation in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and discuss specific issues that arise with MS (and MS–MS) detection in LC (as opposed to the “conventional” detectors). The Part II starts with briefly introducing the main quantitation methods and then addresses the performance related to quantification: linearity of signal, sensitivity, precision, trueness, accuracy, stability and measurement uncertainty. The last section is devoted to practical considerations in validation. With every performance characteristic its essence and terminology are addressed, the current status of treating it is reviewed and recommendations are given, how to handle it, specifically in the case of LC–MS methods.     

Anti-Chudakov effect in high-energy electron–positron pair ionization loss in thin target

The problem of electron–positron pair ionization loss on different distances from its creation point in substance is considered. It is shown that together with the Chudakov effect of pair loss reduction the opposite effect of exceeding by the pair loss of the doubled value of single electron (positron) loss may take place. It is demonstrated that for pair ionization loss in the same substance where the pair is created such effect is rather small but can enhance by the order of magnitude if consider the pair loss in thin plate situated in the direction of pair motion on some distance from this substance. It is pointed out that such effect should be most significant at relatively low pair energies of several hundreds MeV.     

Investigation into the structural composition of hydroalcoholic solutions as basis for the development of multiple suppression pulse sequences for NMR measurement of alcoholic beverages

An eight‐fold suppression pulse sequence was recently developed to improve sensitivity in ¹H NMR measurements of alcoholic beverages [Magn. Res. Chem. 2011 (49): 734–739]. To ensure that only one combined hydroxyl peak from water and ethanol appears in the spectrum, adjustment to a certain range of ethanol concentrations was required. To explain this observation, the structure of water–ethanol solutions was studied. Hydroalcoholic solutions showed extreme behavior at 25% vol, 46% vol, and 83% vol ethanol according to ¹H NMR experiments. Near‐infrared spectroscopy confirmed the occurrence of four significant compounds (‘individual’ ethanol and water structures as well as two water–ethanol complexes of defined composition – 1 : 1 and 1 : 3). The successful multiple suppression can be achieved for every kind of alcoholic beverage with different alcoholic strengths, when the final ethanol concentration is adjusted to a range between 25% vol and 46% vol (e.g. using dilution or pure ethanol addition). In this optimum region, an individual ethanol peak was not detected, because the ‘individual’ water structure and the 1 : 1 ethanol–water complex predominate. The nature of molecular association in ethanol–water solutions is essential to elucidate NMR method development for measurement of alcoholic beverages. The presented approach can be used to optimize other NMR suppression protocols for binary water–organic solvent mixtures, where hydrogen bonding plays a dominant role. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

主动射流控制水翼空化的数值模拟与分析

为了改善高速流动工况下水翼吸力面上流场的空化特性,提出了水翼表面主动射流对绕水翼周围流动加以控制的方法.基于密度分域滤波的FBDCM混合湍流模型联合Zwart-Gerber-Belamri空化模型,分析了来流空化数为0.83,来流攻角为8°,射流位置距水翼前缘为x=0.19c时,主动射流对于水翼吸力面上流动的空化特性和水动力特性影响.对回射流的强度进行了量化分析,以探究回射流与流场空化特性的关系.数值分析结果表明,在射流水翼吸力面上的时均空泡体积为原始水翼的1/15,使得流场内空化流动由云空化状态转变为较为稳定的片空化状态,显著地削弱了云空化的发展.此外,射流极大地改善了水翼的水动力性能,使得水翼的升阻比较原始水翼提高了22.9%,空泡的脱落频率减少了26.2%,空泡脱落所引起的振幅减小了9.1%.射流大幅降低了水翼吸力面上低压区面积,水翼吸力面上流体的逆向压力减小,回射流强度降低;同时,射流使水翼吸力面上的边界层减薄,增强了流动的抗逆压梯度能力,一定程度上阻挡了回射流向水翼前缘的流动,这也从机理上分析了主动射流抑制空化的原因.