Dispersion in phase separators for flow-injection extraction systems

Cylindrical phase separators with various volumes, incorporating a supported teflon membrane, are evaluated with respect to phase separation efficiency and dispersion, and are compared with grooved separators. At the flow rates normally used in analytical flow-extraction systems, the separation efficiency is better than 99% for a large range of phase-volume ratios (Q_aq/Q_org = 0.05–30), with some exceptions for the smallest separator, which had a total volume of only 5.6 μl. The dispersion is very low when the injection volumes are those common in f.i.a. (dispersion coefficient 1.0–1.3 for 47 μl) provided that the separation of organic phase is complete. Under these conditions, the volume of the unsegmented cavity is most important for the dispersion in the separator. The cylindrical separators are similar to the grooved type with respect to dispersion. Pulssation in the flows give lower dispersion in the unsegmented parts of the system.     

Design and evaluation of a sandwich phase separator for on-line liquid/liquid extraction

Sandwich phase separators with various groove dimensions were constructed and as part of a post-column extraction detector for liquid chromatography and for a flow-injection system. The construction materials are stainless steel and PTFE; no membranes are used. The groove volumes vary between 8 and 43 μl; the dimensions of the groove are not critical. Several aqueous (acetonitrile/water and methanol/water mixtures) and organic (1,2-dichloroethane and n-heptane) phases were successfully separated by gravity as well as by wetting. Measurement of statistical second moments showed the total disperson of the extraction system to be 2.5–4 s at the optimum separation efficiency (organic flow through detector/total organic flow) of 0.3–0.4.     

Design and evaluation of a new phase separator for liquid-liquid extraction in flow systems

A modified phase separator incorporating a supported teflon membrane is described. The separator has very high phase-separation efficiency even under extreme conditions of phase-volume ratio and total flow rate. The use of appropriate support is shown to give much better endurance to the membrane. Even pressures high enough to make water penetrate the membrane did not cause any damage, which makes the system much easier to handle. The long-term stability of the separator was found to be good and very little of the aqueous phase penetrated the membrane.     

Spectroelectrochemical detector for flow-injection systems and liquid chromatography

Flow-through spectroelectrochemical detectors for flow-injection systems and liquid chromatography are described. The detectors have a rectangular flow channel with a reticulated vitreous carbon working electrode followed by an open optical window. The dead volumes of the cells are 27 μl (liquid chromatography) and 80 μl (flow injection). In situ spectral monitoring of reaction products and intermediates for compounds that are both weakly and highly absorbing is demonstrated by using o-tolidine and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine. As a detector for flow-injection systems, components in two-component mixtures can be quantified. As a detector for liquid chromatography, simultaneous absorbance and electrochemical chromatograms allow more eluting compounds to be identified and quantified. Mixtures of nitro- and chloro-phenols are used to illustrate the simultaneous profiling of spectral and redox properties.     

In-line phase separator for microfluidic solvent extraction of uranium

Experiments are carried out to study the separation of liquid-liquid dispersion generated at a microfluidic junction by using an in-line phase separator. The phase separator comprises a metallic mesh sandwiched between two flow channels. Dispersion generated at the microfluidic junction is fed to the upper flow channel of the in-line phase separator. Continuous phase permeates through the metallic mesh into the lower flow channel and gets separated from the dispersed phase. The effects of operating parameters (flow rates of the aqueous and organic phases), flow channel geometry and mesh properties (pore size and thickness) on phase separation are studied. After identification of operating window in which complete phase separation is achieved, mass transfer experiments are performed to demonstrate intensified uranium extraction using a micromixer and in-line phase separator.

     

Voltammetric/amperometric detection for flow-injection systems

A dual-electrode voltammetric/amperometric detector for flow-injection systems is described. The detector provides qualitative voltammetric information without the charging currents associated with scanning the potential. Selectivity is enhanced relative to direct voltammetric detection at a single electrode because only chemically reversible redox couples are detected. A preliminary evaluation with hexacyanoferrate(III) and ascorbic acid is presented.     

Self-assembled monolayers of crown ethers for solid phase extraction in flow-injection analysis

Modification of a gold electrode with 2-[(6-mercaptohexyl)oxy]methyl-15-crown-5 yielded a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), CESAM, that preconcentrated Pb(II) from aqueous solution. With a 20 h modification, measurements by the copper underpotential deposition method showed that the fraction of the surface covered, Θ, was 0.99. Proof-of-concept was obtained for an analytical strategy in which the Pb(II)-CESAM was released into a flow stream by electrochemical oxidation of the gold thiolate and detected amperometrically. A detection limit of 6 pmol Pb(II) was estimated from the signal-to-noise ratio. Electrochemical release into a flow injection analysis system with detection by argon inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy provided detection of 0.2 nmol Pb(II) in a 200 μL injection. Analytical utility requires rapid, reproducible renewal of the CESAM. With 30-90 s modifications, Θ=0.97±0.01 and was independent of modification time over that range.     

Using on-line solid phase extraction for flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of salbutamol

In the proposed procedure, the determination of salbutamol with Folin-Ciocalteau reagent (FC) using a flow injection analysis technique (FIA) with spectrophotometric detection at 750 nm is described. The lab-made FIA system consisted of a peristaltic pump Gilson Minipulse 3 equipped with Tygon tubes, double 6-port external Vici Valco sample injector and S 2000/SAD500 fiber optic spectrophotometer. It was controlled by a PC with use of originally compiled LabVIEW^®—supported software containing the mathematical library with various statistical functions for off-line data evaluation. Concentration, volume of reagents and flow rate were optimised by a simplex method. The proposed system was used for the direct determination of salbutamol sulphate in the tablets and the human urine without preliminary pre-treatment of the sample. The negative effect of interfering substances (excipients of the tablets and matrix of the urine) is overcome by a solid phase extraction (SPE), when salbutamol is adsorbed on the solid phase in the microcolumn, which is integrated directly into the flow system. Pre-treatment of the sample takes place directly in the flowing stream. The sample throughput without carryover of on-line SPE was 60-80 samples per hour. With the SPE column (Baker—carboxylic acid), salbutamol was determined in the linear range from 1 to 15 μg ml⁻¹ (R.S.D.=1.2%), with detection limit (3σ) 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ and a frequency of 40-60 samples per hour in the water solutions. The salbutamol was determined in the linear range from 2 to 20 μg ml⁻¹ (R.S.D.=1.7%), with detection limit (3σ) 1 μg ml⁻¹ and a frequency of 30 samples per hour in the samples of the human urine.     

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.     

Design and application of a new phase separator for flow injection liquid-liquid extraction

A new versatile phase separator for flow injection solvent extraction has been designed and its analytical performance investigated. Manifolds for various instrumentation and the corresponding operating procedures have been established. Experimental results show that the newly designed phase separator possesses several advantages over the existing ones, such as long term stability, robustness, sufficient phase separation and integral in situ collection of the solvent extracts at different phase flow rate ratios. The detection limits for cobalt, gold, iodide, iron, lead, nickel, nitrate and tungsten were 1.4, 0.45, 70, 1.9, 160, 0.9, 137 and 23 ng ml⁻¹, and the relative standard deviations 2.5, 1.3, 2.2, 2.9, 4.8, 3.6, 1.4 and 3.3%, respectively.     

Simple variable-volume injector for flow-injection systems

A simple and versatile variable-volume injector is described for the introduction of samples in flow-injection systems. The device delivers precisely and reproducibly (usually r.s.d. < 0.9%) 4–62-μl volumes of sample and is simple to assemble. Examples of applications include the generation of a family of calibration graphs of varying sensitivity covering an extended concentration range for the analysis of real samples. The construction of a calibration graph from a single standard solution is also possible. This is useful in the routine analysis of samples with widely varying analyte concentrations.     

Comparison of segmentors for liquid-liquid extraction flow-injection analysis

The segmentation of two immiscible solvents in a continuous liquid—liquid extraction flow system has been studied with a computer-controlled photometric detection system (resolution time 3 msec). The T-shaped segmentors tested were made of fluoroplastic, glass (A4-T fitting) and a modified glass (A8-T fitting). The modified A8-T fitting gave the most repeatable segmentation (rsd 2%).     

Optimization of parameters for gas-diffusion flow-injection systems

The effects of flow rate, flow direction, flow ratio, pressure, membrane area, channel depth and channel shape on the optimization of gas-diffusion flow-injection systems are described in detail. A nonreacting chemical system, chlorine dioxide, was used to study the physical dispersion of the gas-diffusion systems. It was found that slow flow rates and shallow channels are optimal. Stopped-flow conditions in a nonreacting chemical system may not be worth the cost in time. For chemical systems in which the analyte is consumed, the optimized parameters included stopped flow.     

Unsteady motion in single-line flow-injection systems

Unsteady motion in single-line flow-injection systems consisting of n tubular elements with valve or hydrodynamic injection is studied theoretically. A formula for the duration of the initial period of unsteady flow is derived. This initial period is much shorter than the mean residence time of the analyte in practical systems. It can therefore be neglected in mathematical modelling of such systems. Experimental data obtained with single-line systems with valve and hydrodynamic injection confirmed the validity of the theoretical equations.     

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour in amphiphile-protic ionic liquid systems

Approximate partial phase diagrams for nine amphiphile-protic ionic liquid (PIL) systems have been determined by synchrotron source small angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and cross polarised optical microscopy. The binary phase diagrams of some common cationic (hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, CTAC, and hexadecylpyridinium bromide, HDPB) and nonionic (polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether, Brij 97, and Pluronic block copolymer, P123) amphiphiles with the PILs, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), ethanolammonium nitrate (EOAN) and diethanolammonium formate (DEOAF), have been studied. The phase diagrams were constructed for concentrations from 10 wt% to 80 wt% amphiphile, in the temperature range 25 °C to >100 °C. Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases (hexagonal, cubic and lamellar) were formed at high surfactant concentrations (typically >50 wt%), whereas at <40 wt%, only micelles or polydisperse crystals were present. With the exception of Brij 97, the thermal stability of the phases formed by these surfactants persisted to temperatures above 100 °C. The phase behaviour of amphiphile-PIL systems was interpreted by considering the PIL cohesive energy, liquid nanoscale order, polarity and ionicity. For comparison the phase behaviour of the four amphiphiles was also studied in water.     

冠醚-离子液体体系对水相中锶离子的萃取研究

本文研究了以一系列离子液体作为介质时,萃取剂二环己基18冠6（DCH18C6）对水相中Sr^2＋的萃取行为．研究结果表明,DCH18C6／离子液体体系对Sr^2＋的萃取性能优于相应的DCH18C6／JE辛醇萃取体系,一定条件下其萃取Sr^2＋的分配比可达10^3量级．同时,体系对Sr^2＋的萃取性能随着离子液体的结构不同而有所差别．在离子液体萃取体系中,随着水相初始硝酸浓度的增加,对Sr^2＋的萃取性能下降．水相中Na^＋、K^＋等离子的存在也会对体系萃取Sr^2＋产生直接影响．本文还验证了离子液体体系萃取Sr^2＋的机理,即以阳离子交换机理为主实现对Sr^2＋的萃取．     

Investigation on the extraction of strontium ions from aqueous phase using crown ether-ionic liquid systems

The extraction of strontium ions using DCH18C6 as the extractant and various ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents has been investigated. The distribution ratio of Sr²⁺ can reach as high as 10³ under certain conditions, much larger than that in DCH18C6/n-octanol system. The extraction capacity depends greatly on the structure of ionic liquids. In IIs-based extraction systems, the extraction efficiency of strontium ions is reduced by increasing the concentration of nitric acid and can also be influenced directly by the presence of Na⁺ and K⁺ in the aqueous phase. It is confirmed that the extraction proceeds mainly via a cation-exchange mechanism.     

Direct automatic determination of polyphenols in olive oils in the aqueous phase of a flow-injection liquid-liquid extraction system without phase separation

A method for the determination of polyphenols in olive in which the analytes are extracted into the aqueous phase by a liquid-liquid extraction system based on the use of a flow-injection configuration with iterative change of the flow direction is proposed. None of the typical units for this continuous separation technique are required by the proposed configuration. The analytes can be determined in the range over which polyphenols normally occur in these samples (100–900 μg ml^?1) with better precision (2.8–4.0% vs. 6%) and sampling frequency (28 h^?1 vs. 0.5 h^?1) and sample (< 1 g vs. 30 g) and reagent consumption than by the conventional method.     

Phosphorescence detection in flowing systems: selective determination of aluminium by flow-injection liquid room-temperature phosphorimetry

The concept of the micelle stabilized liquid room-temperature phosphorescence (MS-LRTP) was applied to the determination of a metal (aluminium) in a flowing system. A three-line flow-injection manifold was developed and various parameters were optimized. A linear calibration graph was obtained for 0–4 μg ml^?1 aluminium. The limit of detection was 50 ng ml^?1 and the relative standard deviations for 0.1 and 1.0 μg ml^?1 aluminium were 2.7 and 1.3% respectively. The proposed procedure is fairly selective. More than 20 common ions studied did not interfere with the determination of aluminium or could be masked by appropriate reagents. The flow-injection method proposed was applied without any preliminary separation to the determination of aluminium in simulated synthetic samples in water and in clinical samples of particular importance in the control of aluminium toxicity in renal failure patients.     

液液提取-固相萃取-气相色谱法测定牛肉中蝇毒磷残留量的研究

建立了液液提取-固相萃取-气相色谱火焰光度法(LLE-SPE-GC-FPD)测定牛肉中蝇毒磷的残留量.优化了气相色谱分离条件,研究了样品基质对蝇毒磷测定的影响,考察了Florisil固相萃取小柱和ODS固相萃取小柱的萃取效果,并选择乙酸乙酯为洗脱剂,考察了液-液提取和固相萃取的回收率.将该方法用于牛肉中蝇毒磷的测定,其检出限为0.02 μg/mL,回收率高于83%,相对标准偏差13.7%.使用气相色谱质谱仪(GC-MS)对样品中的蝇毒磷进行定性分析,其特征离子和相对丰度为362(100)、226(55)和210(40).