Cross-linking epoxide resins with hydrolysates of chrome-tanned leather waste

Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to investigate the reaction of diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A (DGEBA) of mean molecular mass 348–480 Da, with collagen hydrolysate of chrome-tanned leather waste in a solvent-free environment. The reaction leads to biodegradable polymers that might facilitate recycling of plastic parts in products of the automotive and/or aeronautics industry provided with protective films on this basis. The reaction proceeds in a temperature interval of 205–220°C, at temperatures approx. 30–40°C below temperature of thermal degradation of collagen hydrolysate. The found value of reaction enthalpy, 519.19 J g⁻¹ (= 101.24 kJ mol⁻¹ of epoxide groups) corresponds with currently found enthalpy values of the reaction of oxirane ring with amino groups. Reaction heat depends on the composition of reaction mixture (or on mass fraction of diglycidyl ethers in the reaction mixture); proving the dependence of kinetic parameters of the reaction (Arrhenius pre-exponential factor A (min⁻¹) and activation energy E _a (kJ mol⁻¹)) did not succeed. Obtained values of kinetic parameters are on a level corresponding to the assumption that reaction kinetics is determined by diffusion.     

Determination of <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr in contaminated environmental samples by tuneable bandpass dynamic reaction cell ICP–MS

A rapid method for the extraction and determination of ⁹⁰Sr in natural water, plant and sediment samples was developed using extraction chromatography and dynamic reaction cell ICP–MS, with O₂ as a reaction gas. While isobaric interference from the stable isotope ⁹⁰Zr was efficiently removed by this method, interferences produced from in-cell reactions with Fe⁺ and Ni⁺ required suppression by tuneable bandpass, and in sediments, additional chromatographic separation. Method detection limits were 0.1 pg g⁻¹ (0.5 Bq g⁻¹), 0.04 pg g⁻¹(0.2 Bq g⁻¹), and 3 pg L⁻¹ (5 Bq L⁻¹) for sediments, plant and water samples, respectively, and ⁹⁰Sr concentrations determined by ICP–MS were in good agreement with activities determined by Cerenkov counting and with certified reference values. While mass spectrometric determination does not rival detection limits achievable by radiometric counting, radiometric determination of ⁹⁰Sr, a pure beta-emitter, is hindered by long analysis times (several weeks); the comparatively fast analysis achieved via ICP–MS enables same-day preparation and analysis of samples, making this an important technique for the environmental monitoring of areas contaminated by radioactivity.     

A thermogravimetic kinetic study of uncatalyzed diesel soot oxidation

Isothermal and non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments (TG) with real and synthetic (Printex U) soot were performed at different O₂ concentrations (5–22%O₂/N₂), sample masses (0.5–10 mg), heating (5–20 °C min⁻¹) and flow rates (80–100 mL min⁻¹). The significance of the experimental and calculation uncertainties (i.e. experimental parameter dependencies, calculation method and mass transfer limitations), which are related to TG for the extraction of chemical kinetics, was explored. Finally, an intrinsic kinetic equation for soot oxidation is proposed.     

Bi-Enzyme Alcohol Biosensors Based on Genetically Engineered Alcohol Oxidase and Different Peroxidases

We report on the development of a bi-layer bi-enzyme biosensor architecture using different peroxidases and alcohol oxidase from Hansenula polymorpha C-105 as biological recognition elements. The sensor architecture comprises a first layer containing either horseradish peroxidase or royal palm tree peroxidase crosslinked with an Osmium complex-modified redox hydrogel. On top, a second layer was formed by electrochemically induced precipitation of a cathodic electrodeposition paint simultaneously entrapping alcohol oxidase isolated from a genetically modified strain of Hansenula polymorpha C-105. The sensor architecture was optimized with respect to effective electron transfer and stability of the enzyme. The main characteristics of the biosensors are an apparent maximal current I_max^app of 572–940 nA, an apparent Michaelis constant K_M^app of 9.5 mM, a sensitivity of 60–98 nA mM⁻¹ and an improved operational stability represented by a deactivation constant of 1.5–2.0 × 10⁻⁴min⁻¹.     

The use of sulfated tin oxide as solid superacid catalyst for heterogeneous transesterification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> oil

This work presents the use of sulfated tin oxide enhanced with SiO₂ (SO₄²⁻/SnO₂-SiO₂) as a superacid solid catalyst to produce methyl esters from Jatropha curcas oil. The study was conducted using the design of experiment (DoE), specifically a response surface methodology based on a threevariable central composite design (CCD) with α = 2. The reaction parameters in the parametric study were: reaction temperature (60°C to 180°C), reaction period (1 h to 3 h), and methanol to oil mole ratio (1: 6 to 1: 24). Production of the esters was conducted using an autoclave nitrogen pressurized reactor equipped with a thermocouple and a magnetic stirrer. The maximum methyl esters yield of 97 mass % was obtained at the reaction conditions: temperature of 180°C, reaction period of 2 h, and methanol to oil mole ratio of 1: 15. The catalyst amount and agitation speed were fixed to 3 mass % and 350–360 min⁻¹, respectively. Properties of the methyl esters obtained fell within the recommended biodiesel standards such as ASTM D6751 (ASTM, 2003).     

Determination of chromium in whole blood by DRC–ICP–MS: spectral and non-spectral interferences

Quantification of chromium in whole blood has been performed by ICP–quadrupole MS. The spectrometer was equipped with a dynamic reaction cell (DRC) with ammonia as reaction gas. The rejection parameter q (RPq) of the DRC and the flow rate of ammonia (NH₃) were optimized and set at 0.7 and 0.6 mL min⁻¹, respectively. Blood was diluted 1:51 (v/v) with an aqueous solution containing 0.1 mg L⁻¹ NH₄OH, 0.1 g L⁻¹ EDTA, 5 mg L⁻¹ n-butanol, and 0.1‰ Triton X100. Non-spectral matrix effects observed when using the DRC were confirmed by use of vanadium. External calibration with blank and standard solutions prepared in purified water led to biased results for quality control samples. Standard addition calibration was therefore used and its validity verified. By comparing the slopes and calculating residues, it was proved that the plot obtained with standard additions and the plot obtained from blood samples of different concentrations were aligned down to 0.05 μg L⁻¹ after dilution.     

Determination of the food carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in human hair by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Summary A method for the determination of the food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in human hair has been developed and validated. Hair samples (200 mg) were dissolved in NaOH (1 M) and PhIP was isolated by successive solid-phase extraction on a polystyrene-divinylbenzene column and on a silica-based mixed-mode column with C₈ and-SO₃ ⁻ functional groups. Quantification was performed by gas chromatography-electron-impact ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry in selected-ion-monitoring mode. The method was validated for determination of PhIP in the concentration range 0.5–25 ng g⁻¹ hair with [²H₃]PhIP as internal standard. The limit of quantification was 0.26 ng g⁻¹ hair. Within-day and between-day precision were in the ranges 1–27% and 2–15% relative standard deviation, respectively. The hair sample used for method validation was found to contain 0.26 ng PhIP g⁻¹ hair.     

Optimization of biodiesel production via transesterification of soybean oil using α-MoO3 catalyst obtained by the combustion method

A catalyst based on MoO₃ was synthesized by a simple and fast pilot-scale combustion reaction method and applied to the conversion of soybean oil to biodiesel via transesterification. For that, the statistical analysis of the catalyst amount and temperature, factors that influence the process, was evaluated by means of central composite design 2². MoO₃ was characterized in terms of structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD), textural characterization Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), density by helium pycnometry (DE), particle size analysis (DG) and acidity tests by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), chemical analysis by X-ray fluorescence (EDX), morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and catalytic properties. The transesterification products were characterized by gas chromatography (GC), acidity index (AI) and kinematic viscosity (KV). The results indicate the catalyst formation with a surface area of 1.36 m²g^?1, and density of 4.5 g/cm³ which consists of a single crystalline phase of orthorhombic configuration, with total NH₃ acidity of 33.61 μ.mol/g. Morphological characterization revealed that the catalyst is formed by irregular plates of various sizes and shapes, with a wide sizes range of agglomerated particles. In the soybean oil transesterification reactions, the catalyst was active showing 96.9% conversion to ethyl esters. The experimental design was meaningful and predictive, with a reliability level of 95%. The statistical analysis identified temperature as a significant variable for the adopted planning. To conclude, a new single-phase catalyst (α-MoO₃) has been developed and successfully applied to the biodiesel Synthesis from soybean oil. These results have a positive and promising impact for biodiesel production by transesterification of soybean oil against ethanol.     

Evaluation and application of argon and helium microstrip plasma for the determination of mercury by the cold vapor technique and optical emission spectrometry

The suitability of a 2.45-GHz atmospheric pressure, low-power microwave microstrip plasma (MSP) operated with Ar and He for the determination of Hg by continuous-flow cold vapor (CV) generation, using SnCl₂/HCl as the reducing agent, and optical emission spectrometry (OES) using a small CCD spectrometer was studied. The areas of stability for a discharge in the Ar and in the He MSP enclosed in a cylindrical channel in a quartz wafer were investigated. The excitation temperatures as measured for discharge gas atoms (Ar I, He I), and the electron number densities at 35–40 W and 15–400 mL min⁻¹ were found to be at the order of 3,200–5,500 K and 0.8 × 10¹⁴–1.6 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻³, respectively. The relative intensity of the Hg I 253.6-nm line and the signal-to-background ratio as a function of the forward power (35–40 W) as well as of the flow rate of the working gas (15–400 mL min⁻¹) were evaluated and discussed. For the selected measurement conditions, the Ar MSP was established to have the lower detection limit for Hg (0.6 ng mL⁻¹) compared with the He MSP. The linearity range is up to 300 ng mL⁻¹ and the precision is on the order of 1–3%. With the optimized CV Ar MSP-OES method a determination of Hg in spiked domestic and natural waters at concentration levels of 20–100 μg L⁻¹ and an accuracy of 1–4% could be performed. In an NIST domestic sludge standard reference material, Hg (3.64 μg g⁻¹) could be determined with a relative standard deviation of 4% and an agreement better than 4%.     

Heterogeneous reactions of gaseous methanesulfonic acid with NaCl and sea salt particles

Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) has been identified as one of the most important intermediate products of DMS reactions in the atmosphere. Although considerable amounts of MSA have been found in the marine boundary layer, little is known about the interaction of gaseous MSA with sea salt particles. To understand the fate of MSA in the atmosphere and its potential importance in atmospheric chemistry, the heterogeneous reactions of gaseous MSA with micron-scale NaCl and sea salt particles were studied using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The CH₃SO₃Na and CH₃SO₃ ⁻ were the major products of the condensed phase of the reaction of gaseous MSA with NaCl and with sea salt particles. The steady-state uptake coefficient was determined to be (5.94±2.32)×10⁻⁷ (1 σ) for the reaction of gaseous MSA with NaCl particles and (2.23±1.25)×10⁻⁷ (1 σ) for the reaction of gaseous MSA with sea salt particles. The heterogeneous reaction of MSA with NaCl particles was found to be first-order for MSA. The reaction mechanisms were discussed. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40490265) and the National Basic Research Priorities Program (Grant No. 2002CB410802)     

Glycine-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of nanostructured Co x Ni1−x –Al layered triple hydroxides as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors

Nanostructured Co _x Ni_1−x –Al layered triple hydroxides (Co _x Ni_1−x –Al LTHs) have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using glycine as chelating agent. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The morphologies of Co _x Ni_1−x –Al LTHs varied with the Co content and its effect on the electrochemical behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge techniques. Electrochemical data demonstrated that the Co _x Ni_1−x –Al LTHs with Co/Ni molar ratio of 3:2 owned the best performance and delivered a maximum specific capacitance of 1,375 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ and a good high-rate capability. The capacitance retained 93.3% of the initial value after 1,000 continuous charge–discharge cycles at a current density of 2 A g⁻¹.     

Characterization and kinetic study of sunflower oil and biodiesel

In this study, the physico-chemistry characterization and kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of sunflower oil and its biodiesel were carried out. Sunflower biodiesel was synthesized by the methanol route and basic homogeneous catalysis. The physicochemical characterization of the sunflower oil and biodiesel were performed according to standards set out in the ANP resolution, and both are in accordance to the specifications. The chromatographic analysis was obtained by GC-FID. The yield of conversion of 97.4 wt% of sunflower oil in methyl esters confirms the efficiency of the conversion of the fatty acids into esters. The thermal analysis was performed on a thermobalance, using heating rates of 5, 10, and 20 °C min⁻¹. In these three rates, we observed a single well-defined step of mass loss that describes the volatilization and decomposition of the sunflower oil and the biodiesel. The kinetic study was performed using equations of approximation and integration methods such as Coats–Redfern, Van Krevelen, and Horowitz–Metzger. The kinetic parameters reaction order (n) and apparent activation energy (E _a), obtained by applying these method were correlated.     

Sol–gel synthesis of Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>CaSiO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and its in vitro biological behaviors

In this work we prepared the hybrid material (SG) by the sol–gel method through the reaction between tetraethylortosilicate (TEOS) and acetylacetonatepropyltrimethoxysilane (ACACSIL). We also immobilized the acetylacetonate on silica surface (GR) by the grafting method through the reaction between a commercial silica and ACACSIL. Infrared thermal analysis showed that these materials were thermally stable until 200 °C. SG is a microporous material and has surface area of 500 m² g⁻¹, average porous volume of 0.09 cm³ g⁻¹ and organic content of 1 mmol g⁻¹. GR is a mesoporous material and has surface area of 300 m² g⁻¹, average porous volume of 0.7 cm³ g⁻¹ and organic content of 0.4 mmol g⁻¹. Iron(III) was coordinated to SG and GR resulting in the SG–Fe and GR–Fe silicas which were tested as catalysts on the aerobic epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene. SG–Fe yielded 100% of conversion and 94% of selectivity in epoxide whereas GR–Fe silica led to a maximum conversion of 50% and 100% of selectivity.     

Granulation of activated sludge in a laboratory upflow sludge blanket reactor

The creation of anoxic granulated biomass has been monitored in a laboratory USB (Upflow Sludge Blanket) reactor with the volume of 3.6 L. The objective of this research was to verify the possibilities of post-denitrification of residual NO₃-N concentrations in treated wastewater (denitrification of 10-20 mg L⁻¹ NO₃-N) and to determine the maximum hydraulic and mass loading of the granulated biomass reactor. G-phase from biodiesel production and methanol were both tested as external organic denitrification substrates. The ratio of the organic substrate COD to NO₃-N was 6. Only methanol was proven as a suitable organic substrate for this kind of reactor. However, the biomass adaptation to the substrate took over a week. The cultivation of anoxic granulated biomass was reached at hydraulic loading of over 0.35 m h⁻¹. The size of granules was smaller when compared with results found and described in literary reports (granules up to 1 mm); however, settling properties were excellent and denitrification was deemed suitable for the USB reactor. Sludge volume indexes of granules ranged from 35-50 mL g⁻¹ and settling rates reached 11 m h⁻¹. Maximum hydraulic and mass loadings in the USB reactor were 0.95 m3 m⁻² h⁻¹ and 6.6 kg m⁻³ d⁻¹. At higher loading levels, a wash-out of the biomass occurred. Presented at the 35th International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 26–30 May 2008.     

Relation between immersion enthalpy and the acidity of clay pillared minerals

Total acidity for a series of modified clays obtained from a natural vermiculite is determined through temperature programmed desorption (TPD) using ammonia as probe molecule. Results obtained for the acidity range from 15.1 to 68.5 meq/100 g. Immersion enthalpies of the clays in benzene, water and aqueous solutions of NH₃ 0.058 M and NaHCO₃ 0.053 M are determined. The results obtained show that immersion enthalpies in benzene and water are between −6.26 and −25.6 J g⁻¹ and −2.10 and 5.55 J g⁻¹, respectively and are smaller than the values obtained for the immersion enthalpies in the solutions. Immersion enthalpy values in NH₃ solution are greater than the obtained using NaHCO₃. Linear relations between the total acidity of the clays and the immersion enthalpies in the basic solutions are determined. An interaction factor using ammonia is calculated since the relation between the immersion enthalpy in ammonia solution and in water and it may be deduced that the relation with the total acidity is of second order tendency between them.     

Determination of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) in commercially available meat products and fish by high performance liquid chromatography—Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS-MS)

Summary Ten heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) (1)–(10) were analyzed in commercially available meat products and fish. After sample preparation by Extrelut treatment and subsequent solid phase extraction applying propylsulphonic and C₁₈ silica cartridges, HPLC-ESI-MS-MS using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and d₃-PhIP and d₃-MeIQx as internal and external standards, respectively, revealed the widely distributed presence of PhIP (8) and MeIQx (4), ranging from 0.1 to 5.3 ng g⁻¹ and 0.1 to 5.2 ng g⁻¹, respectively. Lower amounts were found for 4,8-DiMeIQx (5) and 7,8-DiMeIQx (6), ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 ng g⁻¹ and 0.1 to 0.2 ng g⁻¹, respectively. The other HAA under study, i.e. IQ, MeIQ, 4,7,8-TriMeIQx, Glu-P-1, and Glu-P-2 were not determinable under the experimental conditions used (determination limit 0.1 ng g⁻¹).     

Differential kinetic thermal lens determination of aniline and 4-nitroaniline

Thermal lens spectrometry was used for the differential kinetic determination of aniline (over the concentration range of 8 × 10⁻⁴–3.2 × 10⁻³ M) and 4-nitroaniline (2 × 10⁻⁴–1.6 × 10⁻³ M) present in combination in a single sample based on the oxidation reaction with periodate ions in an acidic medium (this determination is not possible with the spectrophotometric monitoring of the rate of reaction). The thermal lens procedure (λ_e = 488.0 nm; 80 mW) was characterized by good performance characteristics in the determination of aniline (c _min = 3 × 10⁻⁴ M; c _d = 8 × 10⁻⁴ M) and 4-nitroaniline (c _min = 7 × 10⁻⁵ M; c _d = 2 × 10⁻⁴ M), simplicity, and rapidity.     

Synthesis and supercapacitance of flower-like Co(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> hierarchical superstructures self-assembled by mesoporous nanobelts

A facile hydrothermal strategy was first proposed to synthesize flower-like Co(OH)₂ hierarchical microspheres. Further physical characterizations revealed that the flower-like Co(OH)₂ microspherical superstructures were self-assembled by one-dimension nanobelts with rich mesopores. Electrochemical performance of the flower-like Co(OH)₂ hierarchical superstructures were investigated by cyclic voltammgoram, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Electrochemical data indicated that the flower-like Co(OH)₂ superstructures delivered a specific capacitance of 434 F g⁻¹ at 10 mA cm⁻² (about 1.33 A g⁻¹), and even kept it as high as 365 F g⁻¹ at about 5.33 A g⁻¹. Furthermore, the SC degradation of about 8% after 1,500 continuous charge–discharge cycles at 5.33 A g⁻¹ demonstrates their good electrochemical stability at large current densities.     

Determination of total Sb,Se, Te,and Bi and evaluation of their inorganic species in garlic by hydride-generation–atomic-fluorescence spectrometry

A sensitive and simple analytical method has been developed for determination of Sb(III), Sb(V), Se(IV), Se(VI), Te(IV), Te(VI), and Bi(III) in garlic samples by using hydride-generation–atomic-fluorescence spectrometry (HG–AFS). The method is based on a single extraction of the inorganic species by sonication at room temperature with 1 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ and washing of the solid phase with 0.1% (w/v) EDTA, followed by measurement of the corresponding hydrides generated under two different experimental conditions directly and after a pre-reduction step. The limit of detection of the method was 0.7 ng g⁻¹ for Sb(III), 1.0 ng g⁻¹ for Sb(V), 1.3 ng g⁻¹ for Se(IV), 1.0 ng g⁻¹ for Se(VI), 1.1 ng g⁻¹ for Te(IV), 0.5 ng g⁻¹ for Te(VI), and 0.9 ng g⁻¹ for Bi(III), in all cases expressed in terms of sample dry weight.     

Preconcentration technique for manganese by adsorption onto a tantalum wire for tungsten tube atomizer electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry

A multi-pumping flow system for the spectrophotometric determination of nitrite and nitrate is described. The determination of nitrite is based on the Griess-Ilosvay reaction. Nitrate can be determined after its on-line reduction to nitrite using hydrazine sulphate in alkaline medium. Calibration was linear up to 3 mg NO₂ ⁻ L⁻¹ with a limit of detection (3s_b/S) of 0.013 mg NO₂ ⁻ L⁻¹ an injection throughput of 55 injections h⁻¹ and a repeatability (RSD) of 0.5% for the direct determination of nitrite. Two calibration graphs within the ranges 0.039–7 mg NO₃ ⁻ L⁻¹ and 0.026–5 mg NO₂ ⁻ L⁻¹ were run for the determination of nitrate and nitrite under reducing conditions, respectively. A limit of detection of 0.039 mg NO₃ ⁻ L⁻¹ was obtained. An injection throughput of 27 injections h⁻¹ and an RSD lower than 1.5% were achieved. The method was successfully applied to the determination of nitrite and nitrate in water samples. Correspondence: Víctor Cerdà, Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemossa Km7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain