Preparation of pentylated organotin standards for use in trace analysis with gas chromatography

A method for the preparation and purification of pentylated derivatives is described for nine organotin compounds that are relevant in environmental analysis (tributyltin acetate, dibutyltin dichloride, butyltin trichloride, triphenyltin chloride, diphenyltin dichloride, phenyltin trichloride, tricyclohexyltin hydroxide (cyhexatin), dicyclohexyltin dibromide and bis (trineophyltin) oxide (fenbutatinoxide)). The compounds are synthesized on a 100 mg scale and purified by column chromatography. Purity checks were performed with gas chromatography with mass selective detection. The mass spectrum of pentyltrineophyltin is presented.     

Speciation and determination of tin(IV) and organotin compounds in sea-water by hydride generation-atomic-absorption spectrometry with an electrically heated long absorption cell

A method is described for the determination of nanogram or subnanogram amounts of Sn(IV) and the halides of methyltin, dimethyltin, trimethyltin, n-butyltin, dibutyltin, and tributyltin. These compounds are volatilized from water samples by hydride generation, collected on a chromatographic stationary phase, desorbed in order of increasing boiling point, and detected by atomic-absorption spectrometry with atomization in a long electrothermally heated alumina tube furnace. The absolute detection limits are in the range 0.4-1.5 ng with a reproducibility of 4-15% for inorganic tin and organotin compounds.     

Fast and effective low‐temperature freezing extraction technique to determine organotin compounds in edible vegetable oil

Most organotin compounds that have been widely used in food packaging materials and production process show serious toxicity effects to human health. In this study, a simple and low‐cost method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of four organotins in edible vegetable oil samples was developed. Four organotins including dibutyltin dichloride, tributyltin chloride, diphenyltin dichloride, and triphenyltin chloride were simultaneously extracted with methanol using the low‐temperature precipitation process. After being concentrated, the extracts were purified by matrix solid‐phase dispersion using graphitized carbon black. The experimental parameters such as extraction solvent and clean‐up material were optimized. To evaluate the accuracy of the new method, the recoveries were investigated. In addition, a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was also proposed for comparison. The procedures of extracting and purifying samples for the analysis were simple and easy to perform batch operations, also showed good efficiency with lower relative standard deviation. The limits of detection of the four organotins were 0.28–0.59 μg/L, and the limits of quantification of the four organotins were 0.93–1.8 μg/L, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous analysis of the four organotins in edible vegetable oil. Some analytes were detected at the level of 2.5–28.8 μg/kg.     

Evaluation of different derivatization methods for the multi-element detection of Hg, Pb and Sn compounds by gas chromatography-microwave induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometry in environmental samples

A multi-element, element-specific detector for gas chromatography (GC) based on atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) with a microwave induced plasma (MIP) source was tested on some environmental samples. As derivatization procedure, direct aqueous phase ethylation and chelation/extraction followed by Grignard reaction were tested on the following ions: methylmercury, ethylmercury, phenylmercury, mercury(II), trimethyllead, dimethyllead, lead(II), trimethyltin, dimethyltin, triethyltin, tripropyltin, tributyltin, dibutyltin, butyltin, and tin(IV). For mercury species a direct aqueous phase phenylation was successfully tested. The different methods of derivatization are compared, and the performance (sensitivity, linearity) of the GC-MIP-AES system is discussed. Some examples of application to environmental samples (biological tissues) are given.     

The small‐scale preparation and NMR characterization of isotopically enriched organotin compounds

Synthetic methods for the small‐scale laboratory preparation of isotopically enriched dibutyltin dichloride, dibutyltin di‐iodide, tributyltin chloride, tributyltin iodide, diphenyltin dichloride, triphenyltin chloride and triphenyltin iodide have been successfully established. Organotin iodides were prepared from redistribution reactions between tin(IV) iodide and the corresponding tetraorganotin, with the exception of dibutyltin di‐iodide, which was prepared directly from the reaction between tin metal and iodobutane. The development of novel procedures for the dealkylation/dearylation of tetraorganotins by acid hydrolysis produced superior yields of tributyltin chloride and diphenyltin dichloride in comparison with redistribution reactions. Organotin iodide redistribution reaction products were converted to their chloride analogues via the fluoride salts using an aqueous ethanolic solution of potassium fluoride. The insolubility of organotin fluoride salts was exploited to isolate and purify the isotopically enriched compounds, and to prevent losses during the purification procedure. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic study of ‘natural abundance’ and isotopically enriched organotin compounds gave proton (¹H) and carbon‐13 (¹³C) spectra for butyltins, Bu_4−nSnX_n, and phenyltins, Ph_4−nSnX_n (X = I, Cl), allowing the assignment of ­¹H and ¹³C chemical shifts, and ¹¹⁹Sn–¹³C and ¹¹⁷Sn–¹³C coupling constants. The ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analysis of ¹¹⁷Sn‐enriched organotin compounds has allowed the assignment of certain resonances and tin–carbon coupling constants which were previously unobservable. The spectral patterns show that Δ(¹H) and Δ(¹³C) values are sensitive to structural changes, and that ¹³C shielding decreases with an increase in the electronegativity of the substituent. The tin–carbon coupling constants are also sensitive to structural changes, and for alkyl and aryl compounds the couplings decrease in the order ¹J > ³J > ²J > ⁴J. The ¹³C chemical shift values and the magnitude of tin–carbon coupling constants are shown to be solvent‐dependent. The ¹³C spectra of the isotopically enriched compounds show that the degree of isotopic enrichment and the nature of the isotope used (magnetic or non‐magnetic) are reflected in the spectral pattern obtained. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spindle-inhibiting effects of organotin compounds. II. Induction of chromosomal supercontraction by di- and tri-alkyl and -aryl compounds

Spindle-inhibiting effects of chemical compounds may be studied indirectly by quantitation of chromosomal contraction. The effects of the trimethyltin (TMT), dimethyltin (DMT), tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), triphenyltin (TPhT) and diphenyltin (DPht) moieties as the chloride on chromosomal contraction was studied by measurement of the average length of chromosome No. 1 from asynchronous cultures of human peripheral lymphocytes. TMT, TBT, TPhT and DPhT appear to be very strong inducers of chromosomal supercontraction, indicating that these compounds conceivably are spindle inhibitors, whilst DMT and DBT seem to be ineffective. The different effects of aryl versus alkyl and trivalent versus divalent organic substituents of tin on chromosome length may relate to different modes of action.     

Determination of butyltin compounds in sediments using an improved aqueous ethylation method

We have determined tributyltin and dibutyltin species in various environmental sediment samples (marine, harbour and river sediment) using the in situ aqueous ethylation-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry method subsequent to extraction by methanol containing O.5M HCl. The present technique provides a significantly lower detection limit than previous methods, so that tributyltin can for the first time be measured in some of the samples. Thus, the method described is well suited for the determination of tributyltin and dibutyltin compounds in sediments with low levels of butyltin species (e.g., Main River, 1.7 ng of tributyltin as Sn/g dry sediment).     

Determination of mono-, di- and tri-substituted butyltin,phenyltin and methyltin compounds as free halides using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection

A simple chromatographic procedure has been developed for the sensitive determination of mono-, di- and tri-substituted butyltin, phenyltin, and methyltin compounds as halides. The organotin compounds were separated on a DB-1 capillary column and detected by flame photometric detection (FPD) equipped with a 611.5 nm filter. Pretreatment of the capillary column with an ethyl acetate solution of hydrobromic acid, or doping of standard solutions with hydrobromic acid, was found to be necessary if reproducibly sharp peaks of organotin halides were to be obtained. Column treatment and acid doping did not cause any background problems or undesirable degradation of the organotin compounds. Three different standard solutions in ethyl acetate had to be Jrepared, because undesirable degradation of the organotin halides was observed when all the compounds were dissolved in the same solution. The first, standard solution I, contained tri-n-butyltin chloride (TBTCI) and trimethyltin chloride (TMTCI), the second, standard solution II, contained triphenyltin chloride (TPTCI), and the third, standard solution III, contained hydrogen bromide and the other organotin compounds: di-n-butyltin chloride (DBTCI), mono-n-butyltin chloride (MBTCI), dimethyltin chloride (DMTCI), monomethyltin chloride (MMTCI), diphenyltin chloride (DPTCI), and monophenyltin chloride (MPTCI). An ethyl acetate solution containing hydrobromic acid (20 × 10^?3 mol/I) was used for column treatment.     

Cyclic poly(lactide)s via the ROPPOC method catalyzed by alkyl‐ or aryltin chlorides

A comparison of tributyltin chloride, dibutyltin dichloride, and butyltin trichloride as catalysts of ring‐opening polymerizations (ROPs) of l‐lactides at 160 °C in bulk reveals increasing reactivity in the above order, but only the least reactive catalysts, Bu₃SnCl, yield a uniform reaction product, namely cyclic poly(L‐lactide)s with weight average molecular weights (M_w's) in the range of 40,000–80,000. A comparison of dimethyltin , dibutyltin , and diphenyltin dichlorides resulted in the following order of reactivity: Me₂SnCl₂ < Bu₂SnCl₂ < <Ph₂SnCl₂. In this series also, the most reactive catalyst yields cyclic polylactides, but the extent of cyclization varies with the molecular weight. The formation of cyclic polylactides is explained by ROP combined with simultaneous polycondensation involving end‐to‐end cyclization (ROPPOC method). ROP of meso‐lactide at 80 or 60 °C yields even‐numbered linear chains as main products, a result supporting the ROPPOC mechanism. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 952–960     

Application of a heated electrospray interface for on-line connection of the AAS detector with HPLC for detection of organotin and organolead compounds

A heated electrospray interface that affords high sensitivity and long-term signal stability for AAS detection of metal-containing analytes in organic or organic-water solvents after HPLC separation is described. The vitreous body of the electrospray interface is externally heated above the boiling point of the solvent and quartz furnace AAS is used for detection. Interface working conditions were optimized with a full experimental design for the detection of tin- (tetramethyl-, tetraethyl-, tetrabutyl-, and tetrapentyltin, tributyltin chloride, dibutyltin dichloride, and butyltin trichloride) and lead- (tetraethyl- and tetraphenyllead) containing compounds in the column eluate. The heated electrospray interface enables use of a wide range of flow rates - from 50 to 1000 micro L min(-1). The measurement sensitivity and detection limit achieved were compared with those obtained by use of the thermospray interface and post-column conversion of the organotin compounds to gaseous hydrides. The detection limits for the low-molecular weight species of the homologous series (2.8+/-0.1 ng (140+/-5 ng mL(-1)) for tetramethyltin and 3.1+/-0.2 ng (155+/-10 ng mL(-1)) for tetraethyltin) were obtained approximately one order of magnitude lower than those obtained by use of the thermospray interface. With this HPLC-ES-QFAAS system the tributyltin content of BCR reference material 477, mussel tissue, was analyzed. This system was also applied to analysis of tetraethyllead in gasoline samples.     

Organotin stability during storage of marine waters and sediments

Summary The stability of organotin compounds in water and sediment samples during storage and pre-treatment is of paramount importance. This study presents experiments with butyltin compounds showing that the storage of filtered natural seawater in the dark at pH 2 in pyrex glass bottles is suitable to preserve the stability of tributyltin (TBT) over 4 months both at 20–25°C and 4°C. The other butyltin compounds (mono- and dibutyltin) are stable at 4°C but display some losses at 25°C. A poor recovery of butyltins in turbid water hampered the assessment of the stability on a quantitative basis: however, it could be demonstrated on a qualitative basis that the butyltin stability is uneasily achieved in water samples with high suspended matter. Finally, wet storage and freezing are found to be suitable to preserve the tributyltin stability in sediments, as well as ovendrying (at 50°C), freeze-drying and air-drying. Mono- and dibutyltin are generally subject to changes during the storage of sediments using the different methods.     

Tartaric acid extraction of organotin compounds from sediment samples

A new extraction method for the determination of tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) in sediments based on extraction with tartaric acid and methanol has been developed. Tin species were extracted from sediment samples using focused microwave technology, then ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt₄) and analyzed by isotope dilution (ID) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The advantages of such methodology in comparison with other established extraction methods for the routine speciation analysis of organotin compounds are discussed with respect to sulfur interferences co-extracted from complex matrices.Interferences from elemental sulfur are normally found with acetic acid extraction, but with tartaric acid extraction these interferences were eliminated, demonstrating selective extraction.The accuracy of the analytical procedure was established by analyzing a certified reference material (CRM) (PACS-2, marine sediment) and comparing the results to the certified values. Good agreement between determined and certified values for butyltin compounds was obtained. Finally, some complex sediment samples collected from San Vicente's Bay, Chile, were analyzed with the proposed methodology, demonstrating its potential value for monitoring butyltins in environmental samples with high concentrations of sulfur compounds.     

Spermatocyte chromosome alterations in truncatella subcylindrica (L., 1767) (Mollusca,Mesogastropoda) following exposure to dibutyltin(IV) and tributyltin(IV) chlorides

In order to analyze chromosomes for possible numerical and structural alterations in response to exposure to organotin(IV) compounds, gastropod Truncatella subcylindrica specimens were treated with dibutyltin(IV) and tributyltin(IV) chloride solutions with different exposure times. Experimental evidence suggests that tributyltin(IV) chloride is more toxic to this organism than dibutyltin(IV) dichloride at low concentrations. Furthermore, the toxicity responses to these organotin(IV) derivatives seem to be proportional to both concentration and exposure time. The following structural lesions have been identified by comparative analysis of spermatocyte chromosomes from untreated specimens and specimens treated with organotin(IV) compounds: (1) breakages; (2) bridging; (3) irregular outline; and (4) light areas after staining with acetic orcein. In this respect, dibutyltin(IV) and tributyltin(IV) chlorides seem to have an effect similar to that of colchicine.     

Can mono- or di-butyltin chlorides produce tributyltin chloride at elevated temperatures? Implications for applications in chemical vapour deposition

The thermolysis of the butyltin chlorides at 200-300 °C in the liquid phase has been investigated by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy. The stabilities follow the order: Bu₂SnCl₂ > Bu₃SnCl > BuSnCl₃. Only tributyltin chloride showed any evidence of redistribution, giving dibutyltin dichloride, together with metallic tin, butane, and but-1-ene, which would be formed by decomposition of tetrabutyltin. Dibutyltin dichloride decomposed to give mainly butane with no other apparent liquid organotin compound. Butyltin trichloride gave butane, some butene, and metallic tin, and showed no evidence of forming tributyltin chloride by the redistribution reaction, which would have environmental implications for its use in the CVD coating of glass.     

Speciation of butyltin compounds in marine sediments by preconcentration on C60 and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method for the speciation of butyltin compounds by solid phase extraction and direct injection using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is described. The compounds were complexed with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and retained on a C60 sorbent column. The neutral chelates of butyltin compounds were eluted with ethyl acetate containing NaBPr4 as derivatising reagent. The main analytical figures of merit of the proposed method for 10 ml of sample are: linear range 0.2-35 ng/g expressed as Sn; limits of detection, 0.07, 0.09 and 0.10 ng/g as Sn for monobutyltin, dibutyltin and tributyltin, respectively. No interferences from metal ions such as Zn2+, Fe3+, Sb3t, Pb2+, Ni2+ and Mn2+ were observed in the determination of organotin compounds. The validation of method was performed out by the analysis of a standard reference sediment (CRM 462). The method was also applied to the determination of butyltin compounds in marine sediment samples.     

Evaluation of extraction techniques for butyltin compounds in sediment

There have been many methods available for the determination of butyltin compounds in sediment. The variations of these methods are not in the methods of determination but rather in the extraction of these compounds from the complex matrices. All of these methods have not been critically compared or evaluated, mainly because of the lack of a suitable reference sediment for butyltin compounds. Recently, the National Research Council of Canada has introduced a reference sediment (PACS-1) which contains certified values of butyltin compounds. The present study compares the recoveries of ten extraction techniques for butyltin species using ethylation derivatization and GC AA as the method of determination. Of these ten methods, only four were found satisfactory for extraction of the dibutyltin and tributyltin species. None of the methods evaluated, however, could quantitatively extract monobutyltin from sediment.     

Analysis of ultratrace triorganotin compounds in aquatic organisms by using capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A microwave-assisted extraction used to extract trace triorganotin from aquatic organisms and a sensitive analytical method for the determination of ultratrace triorganotin (namely trimethyltin, triethyltin, tripropyltin and tributyltin) with capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were firstly described in this study. The extraction method is simple, effective and can be used to extract trace triorganotin in aquatic organisms within several min. The analytical method has a much lower detection limit of 0.2-0.7 ng Sn/mL for triorganotin compounds, and can be used to determine trace triorganotin in aquatic organisms directly without any derivatization and preconcentration. Using above methods, we have successfully determined trimethyltin, triethyltin, tripropyltin and tributyltin in dried Mya arenaria Linnaeus and Corbicula fluminea within 17 min with a recovery of 93-104% and a RSD (relative standard deviation, n = 6) of 2-5%. Our results showed that dried M. arenaria Linnaeus contained an extremely high tributyltin of 5.1 μg Sn/g dried weight, indicating that it may be a good biomarker for the organotin pollution in ocean.     

Breakage of λ-DNA by inorganic tin and organotin compounds as environmental pollutants

In proportion to the environmental pollution problems caused by organotin compounds, the genotoxicities of tin compounds in the environments have become of interest so as to estimate their safety in recent years. In this work, isolated λ-DNA (double-strand DNA) was incubated with inorganic tin(II) and tin(IV) and five organotin compounds [n-butyltin trichloride, di(n-butyltin) dichloride, methyltin trichloride, dimethyltin dichloride and trimethyltin chloride] in reaction systems both with and without hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content. The tin compounds tested in this study did not induce DNA breakage in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) and tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄) caused DNA breakage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM), and the DNA damage activity of inorganic tin was much more potent in divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) than in tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄). Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) induced DNA breakage in a concentration-dependent fashion at concentrations greater than 0.1 mM of SnCl₂ in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM). DNA breakage was not caused by n-butyltin compounds and methyltin compounds either in the presence or in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.     

Voltammetric speciation of butyltin compounds

A sensitive and selective procedure for the determination of tributyltin chloride (TBT), dibutyltin dichloride (DBT) and monobutyltin trichloride (MBT) based on solid phase extraction (SPE) with ENVI-Carb non-porous carbon as column material followed by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (AdSV) in the presence of tropolone is reported. The determination limits achieved using a 500 mL water sample were 210 ng L^–1 (as Sn) for TBT, 30 ng L^–1 (as Sn) for DBT and 40 ng L^–1 (as Sn) for MBT. The method was used to determine the levels of butyltin species in surface water from the yacht harbour at Zewen on the Mosel River and in the tap water supply in Trier.Dedicated to Professor Dr. K. Doerffel and Professor Dr. H. Kriegsmann on the occasion of their 70th birthdays     

Organotin speciation in textile and plastics by microwave-assisted extraction HPLC-ESI-MS

The HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was applied for the determination of tributyltin chloride (TBT), triphenyltin chloride (TPhT), triethyltin chloride (TET) in textile and plastic samples. The separation was performed in the isocratic mode on ion exchange SCX column with a mobile phase containing methanol-ammonium acetate (50 mmol l(-1))-acetic acid (90/9.98/0.02, v/v/v). Sensitive detection of three organotin compounds by ESI-MS was performed on the basis of multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Limits of detection were 0.4, 20, 4 ng ml(-1) for TBT, TPhT, and TET, respectively. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of organotin compounds was finished in 60% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution. Under the experimental conditions used, recoveries of three organotin compounds obtained for spiked textile and plastic samples are in the range of 55-95% and the R.S.D.s are 3-9%.