Characterization of Metallo Bis(terpyridine) Diblock Polymers by Nonaqueous Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

A method of nonaqueous capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has been developed to characterize block (co)polymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(styrene) containing metallo bis(terpyridine) complexes as bridging units. Specific CZE separation conditions had to be applied, with barium perchlorate dissolved in N-methylformamide (NMF) as background electrolyte and OV-1701-OH deactivated capillaries. For detection UV absorption was measured at a wavelength of 316 nm. Metallo diblock polymers with molecular weights up to 30,000 Da could be analyzed by the proposed nonaqueous CZE method. Experiments performed with polymeric compounds containing Fe, Ni or Ru as central metal ions showed that their electrophoretic mobilities were independent of the type of metal ion. Therefore, the data on the size of the polymeric compounds could be obtained using just one set of calibration standards. Polydispersities of the samples calculated from the experimental results were in correlation with the polydispersities of the polymers used in the synthesis of the metallo diblock polymers. Several polymeric samples contained metallo mono(terpyridine) complexes as impurities. These by-products could be separated from the main product. With symmetrical diblock polymers only one by-product was detected, while with an asymmetric diblock polymer two types of mono-complexes were found. The amount of the mono-complexes present as impurities was dependent on the type of central metal ion (Ni > Fe >> Ru).     

Topology evolution and gelation mechanism of agarose gel

Kinetics as well as the evolution of the agarose gel topology is discussed, and the agarose gelation mechanism is identified. Aqueous high melting (HM) agarose solution (0.5% w/v) is used as the model system. It is found that the gelation process can be clearly divided into three stages: induction stage, gelation stage, and pseudoequilibrium stage. The induction stage of the gelation mechanism is identified using an advanced rheological expansion system (ARES, Rheometric Scientific). When a quench rate as large as 30 deg C/min is applied, gelation seems to occur through a nucleation and growth mechanism with a well-defined induction time (time required for the formation of the critical nuclei which enable further growth). The relationship between the induction time and the driving force which is determined by the final setting temperature follows the 3D nucleation model. A schematic representation of the three stages of the gelation mechanism is given based on turbidity and rheological measurements. Aggregation of agarose chains is promoted in the polymer-rich phase and this effect is evident from the increasing mass/length ratio of the fiber bundles upon gelation. Continuously increasing pore size during gelation may be attributed to the coagulation of the local polymer-rich phase in order to achieve the global minimum of the free energy of the gelling system. The gel pore size determined using turbidity measurements has been verified by electrophoretic mobility measurements.     

Filamentous growth in activated sludge

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Bulking and foaming in activated sludge have been associated with filamentous overgrowth. FilamentousNocardia amarae and nonfilamentousPseudomonas...     

High-speed liquid and thin-layer chromatography of polychlorinated biphenyls.

High-speed liquid chromatography in the system silica gel/dry n-hexane and ultraviolet spectrometry have been used to study the composition of various types of commercially available mixtures of chlorinated biphenyls. Special attention has been paid to the analysis of highly chlorinated products. In addition to data previously published, retention times are recorded for 11 individual polychlorinated biphenyls. The results of high-speed liquid chromatography are compared with those obtained in several normal and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatographic systems.     

Liquid-liquid extraction of cadmium(II) from aqueous thiocyanate solutions with liquid anion-exchangers

An investigation has been made on the system liquid anion-exchanger-Cd(II)-NCS⁻. The influence of the acidity and thiocyanate concentration of the aqueous phase on the extraction has been studied. Using various methods of analysis, it has been shown that the complex anion present in the organic extracts is Cd(NCS) ₄ ²⁻ . Details are given concerning the removal of traces of Zn(II) from Cd(II)-containing solutions, and the quantitative separation of Cd(II) from Cr(III).     

Amperometric detection of amino acids with a passivated copper electrode

The amperometric behaviour of a copper electrode towards amino acids is studied by means of a rotating disc electrode. A theoretical model describing the anodic background current in a buffer solution and the increase of the current caused by amino acids is checked experimentally. The influences of the amino acid concentration, the rotation speed of the electrode and the composition of the buffer solution are studied. It is proved that chemical dissolution of a passivating film on the electrode surface, which is enhanced by the complexation reaction between the amino acid and copper(II) ions, is the principle of the phenomena observed. The applicability to flow systems is demonstrated.     

Contactless conductivity detection of synthetic polymers in non-aqueous size-exclusion electrokinetic chromatography

A capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CCD) system has been applied for the detection of neutral synthetic polymers in capillary size-exclusion electrokinetic chromatography (SEEC). Polystyrene standards, that were used as a model compounds, were separated on a capillary column packed with porous 10 microm silica particles with an electrokinetically driven mobile phase, and detected by CCD and UV detection simultaneously. Mass-calibration curves for polystyrene were constructed. Satisfactory results were obtained for the linearity, the run-to-run repeatability (<0.2% for the relative retention and <4% for the peak area) and the robustness of the detector. One of the major issues in this preliminary study was to investigate the origin of the peaks observed for the polystyrene standards. The effect of the molar mass of the polystyrenes on the sensitivity was small. Therefore, the signals obtained could not be explained as the result of an increased viscosity and a decreased solution conductivity of the solute zone. An alternative hypothesis is suggested, and recommendations for further research are given.     

Retroaldol-aldol isomerization of perhydroazulenic hydroxyketones

The retroaldol-aldol isomerization of the epimeric hydroxyketones $\text{3}$ and $\text{5}$ was found to yield predominantly $\text{4}$ and $\text{6}$, respectively, under kinetic conditions in the presence of chelating lithium cations. In hydroxylic medium $\text{4}$ is the preferred kinetic product. Under equilibration conditions $\text{4}$ and $\text{5}$ predominate.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of traces of molybdenum in natural water in the presence ofα-benzoinoxime

The electrochemical behavior of the molybdenum complex of -benzoinoxime was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and linear scan voltammetry, after adsorptive accumulation of the complex onto a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The signal corresponds to the reduction of molybdenum in the complex adsorbed at the HMDE surface. Under optimal conditions, the adsorptive stripping voltammetric procedure gave an extremely low detection limit of 0.1 nM (9.6ng/l) Mo(VI) following stirred accumulation for 5 min at 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The reduction cur rent-[Mo(VI)] relationships were linear up to 25 and 100 nM. Repetitive determinations of 10 nM solutions gave relative standard deviations of 2.2 and 3.5%, for 1 and 5-min accumulation periods, respectively. Most of the ions investigated did not interfere with the determination of molybdenum, except for tungsten. Excellent selectivity against copper was observed. The proposed procedure was applied to the direct determination of molybdenum in natural water.     

Lewis-Base Adducts of Group 11 Metal(I) Compounds. LXXVI Structural Studies in the Copper(I) Halide : Norbornadiene System

The structural characterizations of some copper(I) halide (CuX) adducts with norbornadiene (nbd) are recorded. CuCl : nbd (1:1)₄ (a redetermination), (2:1)_2(|), are systems both based around Cu₄Cl₄ cubane-type cluster arrays. CuBr : nbd (7:3)_(|)( 0.5 MeOH), a complex polymer with 3-symmetry, is believed to be the complex previously described as an adduct of 2:1 stoichiometry. Attempts to obtain an iodide counterpart have resulted in the definition of an ephemeral adduct CuI : MeCN (3:2)_(|). 0.5 C₇H₈ in which, remarkably, the nbd is uncoordinated; the complex is a polymer, related to the [AgX(quinoline)]_(|) (X = Cl, Br) saddle polymer.