Analysis of Early Medieval Glass Beads – The Raw Materials to Produce Green, Orange and Brown Colours

 Monochrome coloured glass beads of the Merovingians (5^th–7^th cent. AD) have been examined by different analytical methods. The elemental composition of a large number of mostly unprepared beads have been measured non-destructively by X-ray fluorescence analysis. After subtracting the content of the colouring oxides of the glass beads and normalising the residual values to 100% an identical soda-lime-glass matrix was obtained. X-ray diffraction was used for the identification of the crystalline colouring and opacifying pigments (SnO₂, Cu, Cu₂O, PbSnO₃), and scanning electron microscopy as well as electron probe microanalysis were applied to study the microstructure and the composition of white, brown, green, orange and yellow coloured glass beads. Oxidised metals, alloys (lead, copper, bronze, brass and mixtures of them) and iron smelting slag have been identified as raw materials to colour the soda-lime-glass.     

Trace anion determination in concentrated hydrofluoric acid solutions by two-dimensional ion chromatography II. Method performance study with a hydroxide eluent and a low noise suppressor

The two-dimensional ion exclusion chromatography/ion chromatography (ICE-IC) approach is considered to be the method of choice for the determination of trace anions in concentrated hydrofluoric acid (48-50%, w/w). In order to achieve lower detection limits, this method was for the first time used with electrolytically generated and purified hydroxide eluents in combination with a low noise electrochemical suppressor. Compared to carbonate based eluents, the achieved gain in peak height sensitivity for chloride, sulfate, nitrate and phosphate is a factor of 6, 7, 16 and 13, respectively. The instrumental detection limits, based on the background noise, are 2, 0.2, 0.4 and 1.4 microg/kg HF 50% (w/w) for the same anions. Their method detection limits, calculated according to SEMI, are all within the 6-10microg/kg HF 50% (w/w) range and thus at least 10 times lower than the current Tier C grade requirements. The chromatographic run time could be shortened with some 10 min by the use of a relatively fast high-capacity hydroxide selective anion exchange column.     

Planar potentiometric sensors based on Au and Ag microelectrodes and conducting polymers for flow-cell analysis

Back-side contact Au and Ag microelectrodes were used as transducers to construct planar all-solid-state electrodes suitable for flow-through analysis. The microsensors were based on plasticized PVC potassium-selective membranes containing ion-electron conducting polymer—polypyrrole doped with di(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate. The proposed technique allowed simple construction of microsensors in one step, by membrane solution casting directly on the surface of the planar metallic transducers. The performance of the microsensors based on Au and Ag transducers were determined and compared with planar sensors based on internal electrolyte immobilized in polyHEMA. The addition of the polypyrrole to the membrane composition did not influence on the selectivity, reproducibility and long-term stability of the microsensors but improved their standard potential stability in time in comparison with coated-wire type sensors. Moreover, all-solid-state microsensors based on Au transducers exhibited better signal stability than Ag based sensors.     

Immunoaffinity-based extraction of phenylurea herbicides using mixed antibodies against isoproturon and chlortoluron

Summary The analysis of several phenylurea herbicides in different waters is described using an immunoaffinity column clean-up and determination by high performance liquid chromatography. The pesticides were selectively retained on a solid phase extraction column containing antibodies to chlortoluron and to isoproturon immobilised onto silica. Selected phenylureas were eluted using a simple phosphate buffered saline/ethanol mixture at low pH. The immunoaffinity approach gave extracts free of interfering substances and allowed detection limits comparable to those required for pesticides in water in the European Community. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of chlortoluron, isoproturon, linuron and chlorbromuron in tap and river water. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

Copolymerization of butadiene and styrene with a gadolinium tricarboxylate catalyst

Homo- and copolymerizations of butadiene (BD) and styrene (St) were carried out by gadolinium catalysts having various tricarboxylate ligands [Gd(OCOR)₃: R = CH₃, CH₂Cl, CHCl₂, CCl₃, and CF₃], to investigate the effects of ligands and discuss the cis polymerization mechanism. Polymerization of BD with Gd(OCOR)₃—(i—Bu)₃Al—Et₂AlCl catalysts was carried out in hexane at 50°C. By each catalyst, poly(BD) having a high cis content (cis = 97–99%) in 22–85% yields for 2–24 h were obtained. The ligands with low pKa values increased the polymerization activity as follows: R of Gd(OCOR)₃: CF₃ > CCl₃ > CHCl₂ > CH₂Cl ～ CH₃. On the other hand, in the polymerization of St or copolymerization of BD and St under similar conditions, the highest activity was attained by a Gd(OCOCCI₃)₃- based catalyst. The difference in the optimum ligand among the homo- and copolymerization of BD and St was discussed on the basis of energy levels of the catalysts. In the copolymers of BD and St, the cis-1,4 content of the BD unit decreased with increasing St content. Furthermore, according to the diad analysis of copolymers (St content ～ 14.5 mol %) by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, the low cis value of the BD unit was observed in the St-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 24/53/23), while the high cis value of the BD unit remained in the BD-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 89/10/1). These results suggest that the terminal BD unit is controlled by the cis configuration by the coordination between the penultimate cis vinylene unit and the gadolinium metal catalyst, whereas the presence of the penultimate St unit interferes with cis polymerization of the terminal BD unit. The difference in the coordination mechanism in the course of polymerization between rare earth metal and transition metal catalysts such as the Ni(acac)₂ and Co(acac)₃-based catalyst was also discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Determination of the diastereomers of vitamin K1

A method is described for the gas-chromatographic determination of the diastereomers of vitamin K₁ (phylloquinone) in the form of their dihydro dimethyl ethers. The reported method of derivatization and chromatographic analysis in conjunction with optical rotation measurements are useful approaches for characterization of vitamin K₁ samples with respect to their origin.     

Chemical modification of polymer surfaces: a review

The main approaches that have been taken to chemically modify polymer surfaces are introduced and reviewed. These are wet chemical oxidation, plasma treatment, classical organic chemistry, and attachment of polymer chains. The extent to which each of these approaches can produce the specific modifications desired is discussed, and any unwanted effects that commonly occur are cited. Finally, the need for using several methods of surface analysis in concert to obtain adequate surface characterization is described.     

Thermal analysis of phenylethynyl end-capped fluorinated imide oligomer afr-pepa-4

Thermal analysis of phenylethynyl end-capped imide oligomer AFR-PEPA-4 was performed to characterize cure reaction, thermal stabilities and semicrystalline behavior of AFR-PEPA-4 oligomer and its cured polyimide. Cured AFR-PEPA-4 polyimide showed high T _gs up to 418°C. Both AFR-PEPA-4 oligomer and polyimide exhibit excellent thermal stabilities comparable to PETI-5 polyimides. AFR-PEPA-4 imide oligomer has a T _m of 330°C and exhibits spherulite crystalline morphology in the film. The crystallinity in AFR-PEPA-4 films could not be regenerated under any annealing conditions after the initial melt.     

以水滑石及类水滑石为前体的Mg/Al、Co/Al及Co/Mg/Al混合氧化物的合成、表征和异丙醇催化性能

以共沉淀法合成的水滑石(HT)和类水滑石(HTLc)为前体制备了镁铝、钴铝、钴镁铝混合氧化物，采用了BET、XRD、TG-DTA、TPR、FTIR和微量量热吸附及异丙醇催化反应进行了研究。结果表明：以HT和HTLc为前体制备的混合氧化物，其比表面积较大、并随着钴含量的增加而降低。在HT中引入Co²⁺离子后，由于Co²⁺离子的氧化还原属性，削弱了水滑石层对阴离子的键合能力，从而使其热分解温度及热稳定性降低，导至焙烧后生成的混合氧化物的比表面积比不含钴的2Mg/Al混合氧化物的低。在TPR过程中，镁铝混合氧化物不被还原，而含钴的混合氧化物的还原是经由Co³⁺ → Co²⁺ → Co⁰的过程。混合氧化物表面含有酸性位和碱性位，并随着钴含量的变化而得到调变。含钴氧化物样品的表面以L酸为主和含有很少量的B酸。异丙醇催化反应生成丙酮的选择性最高，表明样品表面的氧化还原位是主要的，随着钴的加入及含量的增大，异丙醇催化反应的转化率也是增大的。     

Simultaneous determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates and their biotransformation products by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Reversed-phase LC-MS/MS is used to determine major estrogenic alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) and their biotransformation products. It allows the simultaneous analysis of eight APEOs, alkylphenoxy carboxylates (APECs) and alkylphenols (APs) in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents in the same extract after solid-phase enrichment on polymeric Oasis HLB. As precursor ions, [APEO + NH4]+, [APEC - H]- and [AP - H]- were monitored. Instrumental limits of detection (LOD) were 2-600 pg, corresponding to sample concentrations of 0.04-12 ng l(-1), without correction for overall method recoveries. Matrix-induced signal suppression during electrospray ionisation (ESI) and extraction as well as overall method recoveries were assessed and the suitability of deuterated surrogates as internal standards was evaluated.