Equilibrium constant of the gamma-sultone and extraction constant of sodium and potassium ions from water into benzene in presence of 18-crown-6 and bromocresol green

An extraction procedure for the spectrophotometric determination of sodium or potassium involving a 1:1:1 metal ion: crown ether: sulfonephthalein dye monoanion ion associate has been described in the literature. In a recent paper from this laboratory the total dye content of the organic phase resulting from partitioning bromocresol green (HBCG) alone between water and benzene was determined from back extraction into an aqueous phosphate buffer. In benzene, bromocresol green is present to a large extent as a colorless lactone form, or gamma-sultone. The sultone equilibrium constant, K(dist) (sultone)=[sultone](o)/[BCG(-)](w)gamma(BCG(-))(w)a(H(+)) was found to be 373+/-42 mol(-1) dm(3). In the present study, sodium was extracted from water into benzene with 18-crown-6 and BCG(-), yielding K(dist) (sultone)=232 mol(-1) dm(3) and the conventional extraction constant, K(ex), of (5.49+/-0.49)x10(3) mol(-2) dm(6). Corresponding values from potassium extraction data are 256 mol(-1) dm(3) and (4.80+/-0.51)x10(6) mol(-2) dm(6), respectively. In the absence of ethanol, the calibration plot of sodium closely followed Beer's law, but that of potassium curved downward, approaching linearity in 15% ethanol. High 18-crown-6, low bromocresol green concentrations are analytically favorable for the extraction of potassium from the 15% aqueous ethanol mixture. All plots from the back-extractions (a measure of the total dye content in the benzene phase) were linear. Ethanol markedly reduced the reagent blank, when C(MCl)=0, as a result of the sultone being partitioned less favorably into benzene.     

Voltammetric determination of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode

A very sensitive and selective procedure was developed for the determination of niclosamide based on square-wave voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical reduction of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode. Niclosamide was first irreversibly reduced from NO2 to NHOH at -0.659 V in aqueous buffer solution of pH 8.5. Reversible and well defined peaks at -0.164 V and -0.195 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) were obtained that are responsible for two electron peaks between NHOH and NO. Following optimisation of the voltammetric parameters, pH and reproducibility, a linear calibration curve over the range 5 x 10(-8)-1 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) was achieved. The detection limit was found to be 2.05 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3) niclosamide. For eight successive determinations of 5 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3) niclosamide, a relative standard deviation of 2.4% was obtained. This voltammetric method was applied to the direct determination of niclosamide in tablets. The results of the analysis suggest that the proposed method has promise for the routine determination of niclosamide in the products examined.     

Cyclodextrin and modified cyclodextrin complexes of E-4-tert-butylphenyl-4'-oxyazobenzene: UV-visible, 1H NMR and ab initio studies

alpha-Cyclodextrin, beta-cyclodextrin, N-(6(A)-deoxy-alpha-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)-N'6(A)-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)urea and N,N-bis(6(A)-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)urea (alphaCD, betaCD, 1 and 2) form inclusion complexes with E-4-tert-butylphenyl-4'-oxyazobenzene, E-3(-). In aqueous solution at pH 10.0, 298.2 K and I = 0.10 mol dm(-3)(NaClO(4)) spectrophotometric UV-visible studies yield the sequential formation constants: K(11) = (2.83 +/- 0.28) x 10(5) dm(3) mol(-1) for alphaCD.E-(-), K(21) = (6.93 +/- 0.06) x 10(3) dm(3) mol(-1) for (alphaCD)(2).E-3(-), K(11) = (1.24 +/- 0.12) x 10(5) dm(3) mol(-1) for betaCD.E-(-), K(21) = (1.22 +/- 0.06) x 10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) for (betaCD)(2).E-(-), K(11) = (3.08 +/- 0.03) x 10(5) dm(3) mol(-1) for .E-3(-), K(11) = (8.05 +/- 0.63) x 10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) for .E-3(-) and K(12) = (2.42 +/- 0.53) x 10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) for .(E-3(-))(2). (1)H ROESY NMR studies show that complexation of E-3(-) in the annuli of alphaCD, betaCD, 1 and 2 occurs. A variable-temperature (1)H NMR study yields k(298 K)= 6.7 +/- 0.5 and 5.7 +/- 0.5 s(-1), DeltaH = 61.7 +/- 2.7 and 88.1 +/- 4.2 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS = -22.2 +/- 8.7 and 65 +/- 13 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the interconversion of the dominant includomers (complexes with different orientations of alphaCD) of alphaCD.E-3(-) and (alphaCD)(2).E-3(-), respectively. The existence of E-3(-) as the sole isomer was investigated through an ab initio study.     

Simultaneous determination of trace amounts of cadmium, nickel and cobalt in water samples by adsorptive voltammetry using ammonium 2-amino-cyclopentene dithiocarboxylate as a chelating agent

This paper reports the use of an adsorptive voltammetric technique for the simultaneous detection of Cd(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) using ammonium 2-amino-cyclopente dithiocarboxylate as a selective complexing agent. Scans containing three resolved peaks corresponding to these metals were obtained in synthetic and real samples. The reduction current peaks of the metals that were distinctly separated by 200 mV or more, allowing their determination over a wide range of concentrations. These metals can be quantified at concentrations above 1.33x10(-8) mol dm(-3) Cd(II), 8.51x10(-9) mol dm(-3) Ni(II) and 3.39x10(-10) mol dm(-3) Co(II). The influence of pH, ligand concentration, scan rate, accumulations time and applied potential was investigated. The R.S.D. at a concentration level of 1.78x10(-7) mol dm(-3) of Cd(II), 3.40x10(-7) mol dm(-3) and Ni(II) and 1.7x10(-9) mol dm(-3) of Co(II) was 2.5% for Cd(II), 2.7% for Ni(II) and 3.3% for Co(II). The method was applied to various water samples.     

Synergistic effect of Ni(II) and Co(II) ions on the sulfite induced autoxidation of Cu(II)/tetraglycine complex

The synergistic effect of Ni(II) and Co(II) on the sulfite induced autoxidation of Cu(II)/tetraglycine was investigated spectrophotometrically at 25.0 degrees C, pH = 9.0, 1 x 10(-5) mol dm(-3) < or = [S(IV)] < or = 8 x 10(-5) mol dm(-3), [Cu(II)]= 1 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3), 1 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) < or = [Ni(II)] or [Co(II)] < or = 1 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3), [O2] approximately 2.5 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3), and 0.1 mol dm(-3) ionic strength. In the absence of added nickel(II) or cobalt(II), the kinetic traces of Cu(III)G4 formation show a large induction period (about 3 h). The addition of trace amounts of Ni(II) or Co(II) increases the reaction rate significantly and the induction period drastically decreases (less than 0.5 s). The effectiveness of Cu(III)G4 formation becomes much higher. The metal ion in the trivalent oxidation state rapidly oxidizes SO3(2-) to SO3*-, which reacts with oxygen to produce SO5*-. The strongly generated oxidants oxidize Cu(II)G4 to Cu(III).     

Polarographic study of acrolein and its determination by flow injection with amperometric detection at a mercury electrode

A study of the electrochemical behavior of acrolein at a dropping mercury electrode using different polarographic techniques is described. Theoretical studies of the reversibility of the wave of acrolein were carried out using two different polarographic techniques: direct current tast and differential pulse. Differential pulse polarography may be used to determine acrolein concentration in a Britton-Robinson buffer solution of pH 10 in the ranges 2 x 10(-7)10(-8) and 5 x 10(-8)-10(-4) mol dm(-3) and a coefficient of variation of 1.7% for a concentration of 10(-5)mol dm(-3). A flow injection method with amperometric detection at a potential of -1.4V using a mercury electrode is also described. Before each injection, any drop hanging from the tip of the capillary needs to be dislodged and a new electrode drop dispensed; three different drop sizes were tested. A linear relationship between peak intensity and acrolein concentration was obtained in the range 10(-5)-10(-7) mol dm(-3), with a detection limit of 9.8 x 10(-8) mol dm(-) 3 and a coefficient of variation of 2.9% for a 2 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3) concentration. Several organic and inorganic species were tested in order to ascertain whether they interfered with the signal for acrolein. The proposed methods were applied to the determination of acrolein in seawater samples.     

Simple method of paroxetine determination using a single channel FIA with no in-line reaction process.

A flow-injection analysis (FIA) of paroxetine hydrochloride (PRX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) currently used as an antidepressant drug, is described. A 0.1 mol dm(-3) acetate buffer at pH 3.07 was found to be thebest solvent. The analyte was detected at 293 nm. The calibration equation was linear over the range of 1.07 x 10(-6) to 5.35 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 3.2 x 10(-7) and 9.5 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3), respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of PRX in pharmaceutical preparations. The results were compared with those obtained by a conventional batchwise UV-spectrophotometry.     

Hydrolysis of ionized deoxycholic acid in the aqueous phase and rate analysis for transfer of neutralized deoxycholic acid into the benzene phase across the benzene/water interface

Sodium deoxycholate in water dissociates into sodium cation and deoxycholate anion in the aqueous phase, and then, the latter anions partially hydrolyze to form deionized deoxycholic acids. The acids move into the benzene phase, when liquid benzene is placed upon the aqueous phase, and finally the partition equilibrium is reached. The above processes were traced by pH change in the aqueous phase by a pH meter or the change in [OH-] with time, from which the rate for transfer of neutralized acid to the organic phase was analyzed. From the trace, the rate constants for hydrolysis of acid anion ( kf), neutralization of acid ( kb), transfer of neutralized acid from the aqueous phase to the organic phase ( kin*), and its back-transfer from the organic phase to the aqueous phase ( kut*) were evaluated; kf = 2.18 x 10 (-4) mol (-1) dm (3) min (-1), kb = 1.24 x 10 (5) mol (-1) dm (3) min (-1), kin* = 4.06 x 10 (-1) min (-1) cm (-2), and kout*) = 8.00 x 10 (-2) min (-1) cm (-2). The above values are supported by the partition constant of deoxycholic acid between the benzene phase and the aqueous phase.     

Association interaction and voltammetric determination of 1-aminopyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene at cyclodextrin and DNA based electrochemical sensors

The aim of this work was voltammetric determination of 1-aminopyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene using carbon paste electrodes modified with cyclodextrin derivatives and double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA). The detection schemes based on a preconcentration and differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) determination at beta-cyclodextrin and gamma-cyclodextrin modified carbon paste electrode (beta-CD/CPE, gamma-CD/CPE), neutral beta-cyclodextrin polymer and carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin polymer modified screen-printed electrode (beta-CDP/SPE, beta-CDPA/SPE) and dsDNA modified screen-printed electrode (DNA/SPE) are proposed for the trace determination of studied analytes within the concentration range from 2 x 10(-8) to 4 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3) and from 2 x 10(-7) to 4 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) with the limits of quantification down to 10(-8) mol dm(-3). Depending on pH, 1-aminopyrene interacts with both surface attached CD and DNA by electrostatic bonds and supramolecular complexation while 1-hydroxypyrene associates with the CD hosts via complexation. The 1-aminopyrene interaction with dsDNA was confirmed by fluorimetric measurements in the solution phase using a competing DNA-TO-PRO-3 dye complex. In addition, the effect of temperature on this association was investigated using an electrically heated DNA-modified carbon paste electrode (DNA/CPE).     

Determination of silver(I) by electrothermal-AAS in a microdroplet formed from a homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction system using tetraspirocyclohexylcalix[4]pyrroles.

A simple and efficient method for the selective separation and preconcentration of Ag+ using homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction was developed. Tetraspirocyclohexylcalix[4]pyrrole (TSCC4P) was synthesized and investigated as a suitable selective complexing ligand for Ag+. Zonyl FSA (FSA) was applied as a phase-separator agent under mild pH conditions. Under the optimal conditions ([TSCC4P] = 3.4 x 10(-4) M, [THF] = 25.0% v/v, [FSA] = 1.25% w/v, and pH = 4.5), 5 microg of Ag+ in 6.0 ml aqueous phase could be extracted quantitatively into 20 microl of the sedimented phase. The maximum concentration factor was 300-fold. The limit of detection of the proposed method was 0.005 ng/ml. The reproducibility of the proposed method was at most 3.5%. The influence of the pH, type and volume of the water-miscible organic solvent, concentration of FSA, concentration of the complexing ligand and the effect of different diverse ions on the extraction and determination of Ag+ were investigated. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of Ag+ in different water samples.     

Flow-injection determination of trace amounts of dopamine by chemiluminescence detection

A flow-injection analysis (FIA) for the determination of dopamine has been developed. The method is based on the inhibition effect of dopamine on the iron(II)-induced chemiluminescence (CL) of 10,10'-dimethyl-9,9'-biacridinium dinitrate (lucigenin). The presence of a non-ionic surfactant, polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether (Brij 35), caused an increase in the inhibition effect. The present method allows the determination of dopamine over the range 1x10(-8)-2x10(-7) mol dm(-3). The relative standard deviation was 0.7% for eight determinations of 6x10(-8) mol dm(-3) dopamine. The detection limit (S/N=3) was 2x10(-9) mol dm(-3) with the sampling rate of 40 samples h(-1). The effect of other catecholamines and compounds of similar structure on the lucigenin CL reaction was studied: quinone, hydroquinone, norepinephrine, pyrocatechol and l-dopa suppressed the CL intensity.     

Spectrophotometric determination of sulfide in the presence of sulfite and thiosulfate via the precipitation of bismuth(III) sulfide.

A photometric method has been developed for the determination of sulfide at 10(-5) mol dm(-3) levels, which is based on the reaction of sulfide with a given excess amount of bismuth(III) to form a precipitate of bismuth(III) sulfide and on the spectrophotometric measurement of the residual bismuth(III) at 335 nm after extracting with bismuthiol II reagent from an aqueous solution containing acetate buffer into benzene. The presence of sulfite and thiosulfate up to 0.002 mol dm(-3) did not cause any interference in the determination of sulfide, because both sulfite and thiosulfate do not produce any precipitate with bismuth(III). A linear calibration plot with a negative slope was obtained for sulfide over the range of 5.00 x 10(-7) - 3.00 x 10(-5) mol dm(-3) (16.0 - 960 ppb). An experimental calibration plot was in accord with the theoretical plot, taking into account the known excess of bismuth(III), showing that the reaction of sulfide with bismuth(III) proceeded to completion. The relative standard deviation of results from 10 replicate determinations of standard sulfide (2.00 x 10(-5) mol dm(-3)) was 0.44%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of sulfide in hotspring water samples without any pretreatment.     

Synthesis of functionalized CdTe/CdS QDs for spectrofluorimetric detection of BSA

Luminescent quantum dots (QDs)-semiconductor nanocrystals are a promising alternative to organic dyes for fluorescence-based applications. We have developed procedures to use CdS to encapsulate CdTe and synthesize a new kind of functionalized CdTe/CdS QDs for the quantitative and selective determination of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Maximum fluorescence intensity was produced at pH 6.83, with excitation and emission wavelengths at 336 and 524 nm, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the straight line equation: DeltaF=6.84+62.29C (10(-6) mol dm(-3)) was found between the relative fluorescence intensity and the concentration of BSA in the range of 0-1.2 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3), and the limit of detection was 5.4 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3). Based on this approach, a novel quantitative method for the determination of BSA is presented in this paper.     

Solvent extraction of arsenic(V) with dispersed ultrafine magnetite particles.

The solvent extraction of arsenic(V) was investigated using heptane containing ultrafine magnetite particles and hydrophobic ammonium salt. Arsenic(V) was favorably extracted from aqueous solutions of pH ranging over 2-7, where the distribution ratio (10(3)) was independent of the pH. Although the addition of alkyl ammonium salt improved the phase separation, no notable influence was observed on the extraction of arsenic(V). Oleic acid suppressed the distribution ratio of arsenic(V) when the concentration exceeded 10(-2) M. Sulfate did not interfere with the extraction, while the presence of more than 10(-3) M phosphate decreased the distribution ratio. Metal cations including calcium(II), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II) and lanthanum(III) did not give any serious interference up to the 10(-4) M level. According to equilibrium and kinetic studies, the extraction of arsenic(V) can be interpreted by the adsorption of H2AsO4- onto the surface of dispersed magnetite particles. The relationship between the amount of arsenic(V) extracted in the organic phase and that remaining in an aqueous phase followed a Langmuir-type equilibrium equation. The maximum uptake capacity was determined to be 4.8 x 10(-4) mol/g-magnetite (36 mg As/g). The arsenic(V) extracted in the organic phase was quantitatively recovered by back-extraction with an alkaline solution.     

Homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction method for the selective spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amounts of tryptophan

Twenty-one amino acids were derivatized with fluorescamine (FLA) under basic conditions (pH 9) and the extraction of the amino acid-FLA derivatives was investigated using a homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction with perfluorooctanoic acid (HPFOA) based on phase separation under strongly acidic conditions. Under the optimum concentration conditions for the reagents ([PFOA]T = 3 x 10(-3) mol dm-3, [acetone]T = 3 vol.%, [HCl]T = 1.8 mol dm-3), the concentration factor was approximately 1000-fold (i.e., 30 microliters of the sedimented liquid phase was produced from 33 ml of the homogeneous aqueous solution). The percentage extraction (E) was determined for the 21 amino acid-FLA derivatives; the value for the tryptophan (Trp)-FLA derivative was 80.9%, whereas the other derivatives were not almost extracted (E < 0.4%). The Trp-FLA derivative was selective for the extraction using the homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction method with HPFOA. After the sedimented liquid phase containing Trp-FLA has been placed on a polytetrafluoroethylene filter-paper, the fluorescence intensity was determined using a spectrofluorimeter with filter-paper as the solid-sample holder. The calibration graph of Trp was linear over the range 1.0 x 10(-8)-1.5 x 10(-6) mol dm-3. The relative standard deviation for the central value of the calibration graph was 4.5% (five determinations) and the detection limit (S/N = 3) was 8.9 x 10(-9) mol dm-3. When the proposed method was applied to the highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of Trp in animalin-L syrup, the results were satisfactory.     

Optical sensor for the visual detection of mercury using mesoporous silica anchoring porphyrin moiety

A low cost, solid optical sensor for the rapid detection of low concentrations of Hg2+ in aqueous media was prepared by the monolayer functionalization of mesoporous silica with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphinetetrasulfonic acid (TPPS), anchored by N-trimethoxysilylpropyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (TMAC). The detection is based on the color change of TPPS from orange to green as a result of the formation of a charge-transfer complex with Hg2+. The intensity of the charge-transfer band varies linearly with Hg2+ in the concentration range from zero to 2.5 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3). The lower detection limit observed for Hg2+ concentration is 1.75 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3). The material exhibits good chemical and mechanical stability, and did not show any degradation of TPPS for a period of eight months. The sensor was applied for the analysis of various environmental samples. The effects of pH, sample volume, reaction time, amount of material, and the presence of foreign ions on the detection method are discussed.     

Binding of sodium dodecyl sulfate to linear and star homopolymers of the nonionic poly(methoxyhexa(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) and the polycation poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate): electromotive force, isothermal titration calorimetry, surface tension, and small-angle neutron scattering measurements

We investigated the binding of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to various linear and star polymers of the nonionic methoxyhexa(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PMHEGMA) and the ionic 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA), the latter being a polycation at low pH. The dodecyl sulfate ion selective electrode (EMF), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and surface tension (ST) were applied to gain detailed information about interactions. In all cases there is evidence of significant binding of SDS over an extensive SDS concentration range spanning from ca. 10(-6) to 0.1 mol dm(-3). At pH 3, the polymer PDMAEMA is a strong polycation and here the binding is dominated by electrostatic 1:1 charge neutralization with the anionic surfactant. At their natural pH of 8.6, PMHEGMA and PDMAEMA polymers are essentially nonionic and bind SDS in the form of polymer-bound aggregates in the concentration range of ca. 1 x 10(-3) to 3 x 10(-2) mol dm(-3). All the polymers also bind SDS to a lesser extent at concentrations below 1 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) reaching as low as 10(-7) mol dm(-3). This low concentration binding process involves the polymer and nonassociated SDS monomers. As far as we are aware, this is the first example that such a low concentration noncooperative binding process could be observed in SDS/neutral polymer systems by EMF and ST. We also showed that the nonionic surfactant hexa(ethylene glycol) mono-n-dodecyl ether (C12EO6) and the cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TAB) interact with star PDMAEMA. We believe that the interaction of C12EO6 and CTAB is of similar noncooperative type as the first SDS binding process in the range from ca. 10(-5) to 0.3 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3). At the high concentration binding limit Csat of SDS, the above polymers become fully saturated with bound SDS micelles. We applied small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to determine the structure and aggregation numbers of the star polymer/bound SDS micelles and calculated the stoichiometry of such supramolecular complexes. The SANS data on PDMAEMA star polymers in the presence of C12EO6 showed only a limited monomer binding in contrast to linear PDMAEMA, which showed monomer C12EO6 binding at low concentrations but micellar aggregates at 6 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3).     

A facile spectrophotometric method for cobalt determination using alpha-benzilmonoxime in sodium dodecylsulfate micellar solutions.

Alpha-benzilmonoxime in sodium dodecylsulfate micellar media has been used for the spectrophotometric determination of cobalt at pH 9.0. The linear range of calibration is 0.05-1.50 microg cm(-3) of cobalt at 380 nm with molar absorptivity of 3.72 x 10(4) dm3 mol(-1) cm(-1), which is about 1.5-times greater than that of the alpha-benzilmonoxime extraction based method. The relative standard deviations, recoveries, detection limit and effects of diverse ions on the determination of cobalt were studied. These analytical results were satisfactory. The method was successfully applied to the determination of cobalt in the various samples.     

Photophysics and charge dynamics of Q-PbS based mixed ZnS/PbS and PbS/ZnS semiconductor nanoparticles

The surface of ZnS and PbS has been modified by interfacing PbS on ZnS and ZnS on PbS nanoparticles. This produced core-shell nanocomposites ZnS/PbS and PbS/ZnS with tunable electronic properties. In both structures PbS particles are present in cubic form with an average diameter of about 6 nm. The addition of Pb2+ (3 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3)) to Q-ZnS (1.5 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3)) in the basic pH range produces size-quantized fluorescent PbS particles coated by metal hydroxides. In these particles the relaxation kinetics of charge carriers has been followed using a picosecond single-photon counting technique. At 1.5 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3) Pb2+ an interfacial relaxation of charge from ZnS to PbS phase could be observed in subnanosecond time domain. An increase in [Pb2+] from 2 x 10(-4) to 1 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) enhanced the average emission lifetime from 9.4 to 19.4 ns. Composite PbS/ZnS particles are produced at high [ZnS] only. These particles had emission lifetime in mus time range. The extent of charge separation and the dynamics of charge carriers could be manipulated by the surface modification of these nanostructures.