Reverse permeation of sodium ions driven by pH difference across a liquid membrane: time dependencies of membrane resistance and membrane potential in a reverse permeation system

The diffusional flux of sodium ions across a liquid membrane was observed as a reverse permeation phenomenon: sodium ions were transported across the membrane against their own concentration difference. A supported liquid membrane having stearic acid as an ionic carrier was used. The internal aqueous phase contained NaCl and HCl and the external aqueous phase contained NaOH of the same initial concentration as NaCl in the internal aqueous phase. The reverse permeation occurred with a long time delay. During the delay, sodium ions flowed from the acidic to alkaline solution. The diffusion coefficient of sodium ion estimated from the flux equation taking into account the Donnan equilibrium at the interface was found to be much greater than that in the membrane solvent, 1-octanol. In the same membrane system as for the flux measurement, the membrane conductance and the membrane potential were measured as a function of time. The time dependence of the membrane potential in the presteady state showed a biphasic behavior. The initial rapid phase could be attributed to the change in the phase boundary potential and the subsequent slow step to the change in the diffusion potential within the membrane. Before the steady membrane potential had been reached, the reverse permeation of sodium ions against their own concentration difference was not observed. During the slow relaxation process of the membrane potential, the membrane resistance decreased to approach the steady state. Moreover, the oscillation of membrane potential abruptly started at a time in the slow step of the potential change and continued during the steady state. It was suggested that, at the presteady state, the increase in the amount of water in the membrane would drive a drastic change in the state of the liquid membrane in the filter pore, e.g. an inverted micellar structure making.     

A New Neutral Carrier for Silver Ions Based on a Bis(Thiothiazole) Derivative and its Evaluation in Membrane Electrodes

Membrane electrodes based on 2,2-dithiobis(benzothiazole), DTBBT, as a neutral carrier for silver ions are described. Silver-selective membrane electrodes formulated with 2wt% DTBBT ionophore and 50mol% TFPB in an FPNPE plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) exhibited near-Nernstian responses towards silver ions (60.3±0.5mVdecade^–1) over a wide silver ion activity range of 0.83µM to 94mM. Increasing the amount of anionic sites, TFPB, to 100 or 150mol% (relative to the DTBBT weight) resulted in super-Nernstian responses toward silver ions. Membrane electrodes prepared using a low dielectric constant plasticizer, however, exhibited sub-Nernstian responses. Polymer membrane electrodes with optimal composition (i.e., 2wt% DTBBT, 50mol% TFPB in FPNPE plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)) exhibited high potentiometric selectivity towards silver ions over alkali, alkaline earth, transition metal ions, as well as heavy metal ions such as Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺. A good correlation was found between the potentiometric selectivity coefficients and the change in the UV-visible spectra of the ionophore upon exposure to different metal ions. The overall performance of the silver-selective membrane electrodes based on DTBBT ionophore, which is available at low cost, was found to be comparable to the performance of silver electrodes prepared with Fluka silver ionophore-IV. A DTBBT-based silver electrode was used as an indicator electrode for titrations of silver ions using standard sodium chloride solutions. Sharp inflections occur at the end point, and the data obtained showed 99.4% recovery with a standard deviation of 0.7% (n=3). In addition, the applicability of the DTBBT-based silver-selective electrode is illustrated by measuring the silver concentrations in natural water spiked with silver nitrate and by analyzing the silver in electroplating wastewater samples. The results obtained utilizing a DTBBT-based silver electrode showed very good agreement with the standard methods of analysis.     

Utility of copper(II) oxide as a packed reactor in flow injection assembly for rapid analysis of some angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

A new simple, sensitive, rapid and precise flow injection (FI) procedure based on the formation of copper complexes with some angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been developed and evaluated for the analysis of lisinopril (LN), enalapril maleate (EP), ramipril (RP) and perindopril tert-butylamine (PD). In this method, samples were injected into a flowing stream of distilled-deionized water, carried through the packed reactor of CuO for derivatization followed by ultraviolet (UV) detection. The flow rate was 1.5 ml min⁻¹ and column temperature was ambient (25 °C). Lisinopril was injected directly into the flowing stream and the detector response was measured at 262 nm. The hydrolysis products of enalapril maleate, ramipril and perindopril tert-butylamine in 0.2N NaOH were injected after neutralization with 1N HCl and the detector response was measured at 272, 265 and 252 nm, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of tested drugs in pharmaceutical preparations at a sampling rate of 60 samples h⁻¹ and a recovery near 100% for all compounds.     

Flux decline behaviors in dead-end microfiltration of activated sludge and its supernatant

The properties of dead-end microfiltration were explored under constant pressure using two types of activated sludge controlled under the condition of different air flow rates. The activated sludge cultured at the air flow rate of 0.15 L min⁻¹ (the anaerobic condition) exhibited a significant flux decline compared with the case of the air flow rate of 2.33 L min⁻¹ (the aerobic condition). It was found from the results of microfiltration of the supernatant separated by centrifugation that the constituents in the supernatant caused a major cake resistance in microfiltration of the activated sludge. The average specific filtration resistance for filtration of the activated sludge was closely consistent with that for filtration of the supernatant at low pressure (49 kPa). However, the cake resistance of the microbial floc in microfiltration of the activated sludge became substantial with increasing filtration pressure because of high compressibility of the microbial floc. Moreover, the foulant and the fouling mechanism in microfiltration of the supernatant were evaluated from both microfiltration test of the supernatant and microfiltration test of the filtrate collected thereby. As a result, the effects of the pore size and material of the microfiltration membrane on the flux decline behaviors in dead-end microfiltration were reasonably elucidated.     

Profiling and comprehensive expression analysis of ABC transporter solute-binding proteins of Bacillus subtilis membrane based on a proteomic approach

We analyzed ABC transporter solute-binding proteins (SBPs) of the Bacillus subtilis membrane using a proteomic approach. We prepared a washed cell membrane fraction that was insoluble in 134 mM nondetergent sulfobetaine and then extracted proteins using mixtures of detergents in a stepwise manner. The membrane proteins were resolved by three two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) or two one-dimensional (1-D) PAGE procedures, electroblotted, and digested in the presence of 5% or 80% acetonitrile. Thereafter, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified 637 proteins corresponding to 15.9% of the total cellular proteins. We predicted that among these, 256 were membrane proteins, 101 were lipoproteins or secretory proteins and 280 were soluble proteins containing peripheral proteins that function in both the cytoplasm and the cell membrane such as SecA and FtsY. Among the 637 proteins, we identified 30 SBPs among 38 importers predicted by a bioinformatic search of the genome. We confirmed expression of the genes for the 30 SBPs using DNA microarray analysis. We compared the 2-D gel separation profiles of submembrane fractions solubilized by 1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside from cells cultured on Luria Bertani (LB), S7, and S7 medium without glutamate as well as DNA microarray data on LB and S7. The results suggested that YcdH, YtmK and YurO are binding proteins for Mn(++), glutamate and glucose, respectively, and that YqiX and YxeM are binding proteins for amino acids (tryptophan in S7 medium).     

Novel Ytterbium(III) Selective Membrane Sensor Based on N‐(2‐Pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐Methoxyphenyl)‐Thiourea as an Excellent Carrier and Its Application to Determination of Fluoride in Mouth Wash Preparation Samples

The construction, performance, and applications of a novel ytterbium(III) sensor based on N‐(2‐pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐thiourea (PMT), as an excellent carrier, in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) PVC matrix, is described. The influences of membrane composition and pH on the potentiometric response of the sensor were investigated. The sensor exhibits a nice Nernstian response for Yb(III) ion over a wide concentration range of 4 decades of concentration (1.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?2 M), and a detection limit of 5.0×10^?7 M. The response time of the electrodes is between 8 and 10 s, depending on the concentration of ytterbium(III) ions. The proposed sensor can be used for about 8 weeks without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor revealed very good selectivity for Yb(III) in the presence of several metal ions. The best performance was observed for the membrane containing; 30% PVC, 59% o‐nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as solvent mediator, 7% PMT, and 4% sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB). It was successfully applied as indicator electrodes in the potentiometric titration of Yb(III) with EDTA and for the determination of fluoride ion in two mouth wash formulations. The proposed La(III) sensor was found to work well under laboratory conditions. It was also used as an indicator electrode in titration of a 1.0×10^?4 M of Yb(III) with a standard EDTA solution (1.0×10^?2 M). It was also used for determination of Yb(III) ion in Xenotime .     

Cyclic voltammetry of highly hydrophilic ions at a supported liquid membrane

Cyclic voltammetry has been used to study the coupling of ion transfer reactions at a liquid membrane. The liquids are either supported by a porous hydrophobic membrane (polyvinylidene difluoride, PVDF) when the organic solvent is non-volatile (o-nitrophenyloctylether) or are merely a free standing organic solvent layer such as 1,2-dichloroethane comprised between two hydrophilic dialysis membranes supporting the adjacent aqueous phases. The passage of current across the liquid membrane is associated with two ion transfer reactions across the two polarised liquid liquid interfaces in series. It is shown that it is possible to study the transfer of highly hydrophilic ions at one interface by limiting the mass transfer of the other ion transfer reaction at the other interface. Indeed, for systems comprising an ion M in one aqueous phase and a reference ion R partitioned between the membrane and the other aqueous phase, the observed and simulated cyclic voltammograms have a half-wave potential determined by the Gibbs energy of transfer of M transferring at one interface and by the limiting mass transfer of R at the other interface. This new methodology opens a way to measure the Gibbs energy of transfer of highly hydrophilic or hydrophobic ions, which usually limits the potential window at single liquid liquid interfaces (ITIES).     

Photolithographically patternable nitrate-sensitive acrylate-based membrane

A photocurable acrylate matrix nitrate-sensitive membrane containing 2-nitrophenyl n-octyl ether as mediator and tetraalkylammonium nitrate as an active compound is described. The photocuring was achieved by the use of photoinitiators containing diaryliodonium chloride. This acrylate membrane is patternable via a photolithographic process with a only slight loss of electrochemical characteristics.     

Preparation, characterization and effect of annealing on performance of cellulose acetate/sulfonated polysulfone and cellulose acetate/epoxy resin blend ultrafiltration membranes

Polymeric membranes based on cellulose acetate (CA)--sulfonated polysulfone blends at three different polymer compositions were prepared by solution blending and phase inversion technique, characterized and subjected to annealing at 70, 80 and 90 °C. The permeate water flux, separation of bovine serum albumin and its flux by the blend membranes before and after thermal treatment, have been compared and discussed. Similarly, CA and epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A) were blended in various compositions, in the presence and in the absence of polyethyleneglycol 600 as non-solvent additive, using N,N^′-dimethylformamide as solvent, and used for preparing ultraflltration membranes by phase inversion technique. The polymer blend composition, additive concentration, casting and gelation conditions were optimized. Blend membranes were characterized in terms of compaction, pure water flux, water content and membrane resistance. The effects of polymer blend composition and additive concentration on the above parameters were determined and the results are discussed.     

Theoretical treatment of first-order reversible reactions occurring in a chromatographic reactor, on the basis of consecutive reactions

Summary Analytical peak-shape equations were derived for first-order reversible reactions occurring in a chromatographic reactor by treating the reversible reactions as consecutive reactions with alternating products. The results of the analytical peak-shape equations were compared with those from a numerical solution of the partial differential equation system modeling the chromatographic reactor. For small to medium conversions the correspondence was found to be sufficiently close to enable substitution of the numerical solution in fitting procedures for the determination of rate constants. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996