Gels of hydrophobically modified ethyl(hydroxyethyl) cellulose cross-linked by amylose: effects of hydrophobe architecture

Previous work has shown that amylose (AM) can cross-link hydrophobically modified polymers by inclusion complexation, whereby thermoreversible cold-setting gels are formed. Here we investigate the complexation of AM with different samples of hydrophobically modified ethyl(hydroxyethyl) cellulose (HMEHEC), distinguished by differences in the architecture of the hydrophobes (the hydrophobic side chains). All hydrophobes, except one, were based on linear alkyl chains, but with varying chain lengths (C12-C14). In addition, some samples contained short hydrophilic "spacers", consisting of 2-5 ethylene oxide units, between the alkyl chains and the EHEC backbone. Gels of varying strength were obtained for the different AM/HMEHEC samples. The alkyl chain length seemed to be the major factor affecting the gel strength, with longer alkyl chains giving stronger gels. For similar alkyl chain lengths, stronger gels were obtained when a spacer was present. Addition of AM caused a small increase of the cloud points of HMEHECs with C14 hydrophobes in water. Time-dependent effects and effects of the sample preparation procedure were also investigated. The reversibility of the gelation with respect to shear was confirmed. A gel destroyed by added surfactant was shown to reform on removal of the surfactant by dialysis.     

Determination of glycol in aircraft ground deicing/anti-icing fluids using flow injection with refractive index detection

A simple method for determining glycol in deicing/anti-icing fluids has been developed. The method uses a single line FIA system with detection based on Schlieren optics. The concentration range was 0-5% glycol and the limit of detection was 0.05%. Samples were preferably pumped at a flow rate of 0.7 ml/min and 100 mul of distilled water was injected (reverse FIA). Detection was accomplished with an 18 mul spectrophotometric flow cell at a wavelength of 410 nm. The conduit connecting the injector and the detector was 10 cm long and had an inner diameter of 0.5 mm. The traditional FIA approach can also be applied, i.e. injection of samples into a carrier of water, but the linear working range is narrower in comparison to the reverse FIA method. Standard addition and near infrared spectroscopy confirmed the validity of the developed method.     

The determination of penicillins by titrations with mercury(II) solution.

A simple technique, involving two titrations with mercury(II) solutions, is described for the determination of penicillins and their degradation products. The first titration, at pH 4–5 on an untreated penicillin solution, gives the amount of degradation products; the second titration, on a hydrolysed solution at the same pH, gives the sum of the degradation products and penicillin degraded during the hydrolysis. Enzymic hydrolysis is superior to alkaline hydrolysis for penicillinase-sensitive penicillins. Enzyme-resistant penicillins should be hydrolysed with alkali at optimum conditions, e.g. for cloxacillin at pH 13.5 for 5 min. A standard deviation of less than 0.5 % was obtained for the penicillins investigated. The method is absolute; calibration with standard penicillin is not necessary.     

The ETACS European project for testing the comparability of sensors and analysers

ETACS is the official acronym for the European project "European Testing and Assessment of Comparability of On-line Sensors/Analysers". This project has three main objectives to achieve the comparability of performance data for sensors and analysers in the environmental field. First, to develop a test protocol for validation and comparison of the performance of on-line sensors/analysers. The test protocol is intended to be generic, that is independent of the specific sensors/analysers and the specific parameters to be monitored. Second, the practical testing of this test protocol to assess its applicability and to develop the techniques used. Finally, to achieve widespread acceptance of the test protocol by producer/suppliers, users and relevant authorities to assist its early adoption as an agreed European standard. Laboratory tests for producing the test protocol have been carried out and completed to check the applicability of such a protocol.     

On-line infrared detection in aqueous micro-volume systems

Mid infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive technique that can provide detailed information on important, molecule-specific features such as the conformation and functional groups of a large range of compounds. Infrared spectroscopy is now an established and frequently used technique for qualitative analysis, i.e. the identification of chemical constituents in a sample. In addition, its use for quantitative purposes has grown dramatically in recent years. It is important to realise that the analytical problem defines the mode of operation and implementation of the FTIR technique. This Highlight article focuses on the advantages and scope of on-line FTIR detection strategies. However, in common with all techniques, on-line FTIR detection has a number of potential shortcomings, which are also discussed.     

Extraction based on the flow-injection principle : Part 6. Film formation and dispersion in liquid—liquid segmented flow extraction systems

The dispersion mechanism in flow-injection extraction systems has been investigated. The phase with the highest affinity for the tubing material forms a thin film on the wall (e.g., 0.055 mm in a 0.7-mm i.d. PTFE tube with pentanol/water at a flow velocity of 11 cm s^?1). The film thickness increases linearly with increasing flow velocity and can be related to the viscosity/interfacial tension ratio in such a way that a low ratio indicates a thin film. The analyte is extracted into the film and into the adjacent segments. The film is stationary relative to the moving segments and this results in a backward transport of analyte molecules giving rise to dispersion. The thicker the film, the larger the dispersion. By decreasing the tube diameter and the flow velocity, lower dispersion results. Minimum dispersion is obtained for systems in which the phase carrying the analyte does not form the film.     

Mixed solutions of an associating polymer with a cleavable surfactant

Mixtures of hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HMHEC) and alkali-sensitive cleavable betaine ester surfactants have been studied by viscometry, 1H NMR, absorbance measurements, and birefringence determinations. Before the hydrolysis, the surfactants behaved as conventional nondegradable surfactants in terms of the effect on the viscosity of increasing surfactant concentration. As the surfactants were hydrolyzed, systems with time-dependent viscosity were obtained. The viscosity either decreased monotonically or went through a maximum as a function of time, depending on the initial surfactant concentration. Different surfactant chain lengths gave rise to different viscosity profiles. The rate of hydrolysis, and thus the time-dependency of the surfactant concentration, could be controlled by changing the pH of the solution.     

Application of a contactless conductometric detector for the simultaneous determination of small anions and cations by capillary electrophoresis with dual-opposite end injection

A contactless conductometric detection (CCD) system for capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a flexible detection cell was applied for the simultaneous determination of small anions and/or cations in rain, surface and drainage water samples. The applied frequency, the amplitude of the input signal, the electrolyte conductivity and electrode distance were found to be the most significant factors affecting the detection sensitivity. 2-(N-Morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid/histidine-based (MES/His) electrolytes were used for direct conductivity detection of anions and cations, while ammonium acetate was selected for indirect conductivity determination of alkylammonium salts. For the simultaneous separation procedure, involving dual-opposite end injection, an electrolyte consisting of 20 mM MES/His, 1.5 mM 18-crown-6 and 20 microM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide provided baseline separation of 13 anions and cations in less than 6 min. The detection limits achieved were 7-30 micrograms/l for direct conductometric detection of various common inorganic cations and anions, excluding F- (62 micrograms/l) and H2PO4- (250 micrograms/l), and 35-178 micrograms/l for indirect conductometric detection of alkyl ammonium cations. The developed electrophoretic method with conductometric detection was compared to ion chromatography.     

Extraction based on the flow-injection principle: Part 3. Fluorimetric Determination of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) by the Thiochrome Method

The thiochrome method for determination of vitamin B₁ in pharmaceutical preparations has been adapted to a continuous flow system based on the flow-injection principle. The sample volume required for an analysis is about 150 /sml. For routine purposes a concentration range of 3 × 10^-4–6 × 10^-4 mg ml^-1 is used. Results obtained with the system agree well with results obtained manually. The consumption of organic phase is 2–3 ml/sample and the sampling rate is 30/h. A sampling rate of 70/h is easily attained if necessary. The relative standard deviation is about 1%.