Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on amine‐functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the determination of phenolic acids in vegetable oils by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection

A novel dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method based on amine‐functionalized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles was developed for the determination of six phenolic acids in vegetable oils by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Amine‐functionalized Fe₃O₄ was synthesized by a one‐pot solvothermal reaction between Fe₃O₄ and 1,6‐hexanediamine and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry. A trace amount of phosphate buffer solution (extractant) was adsorbed on bare Fe₃O₄‐NH₂ nanoparticles by hydrophilic interaction to form the “magnetic extractant”. Rapid extraction could be achieved while the “magnetic extractant” on amine‐functionalized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was dispersed in the sample solution by vortexing. After extraction, the “magnetic extractant” was collected by application of an external magnet. Some important parameters, such as pH and volume of extraction and desorption solvents, the extraction and desorption time needed were carefully investigated and optimized to achieve the best extraction efficiency. Under the optimal conditions, satisfactory extraction recoveries were obtained for the six phenolic acids in the range of 84.2–106.3%. Relative standard deviations for intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were less than 6.3 and 10.0%, respectively. Finally, the established method was successfully applied for the determination of six phenolic acids in eight kinds of vegetable oils.     

Development and Validation of High‐Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for Estimation of Lercanidipine in Rabbit Serum

Abstract

A new, simple, and sensitive reverse‐phase liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the estimation of Lercanidipine hydrochloride in rabbit serum using UV detector under isocratic conditions. After subjecting serum to simple and efficient one‐step extraction procedure, 100 µl of sample was injected onto high‐performance liquid chromatography system. The detector response was linear in the concentration range of 25–1000 ng/ml. The developed method was validated as per standard guidelines. Validation demonstrated accuracy, precision, and selectivity of the proposed method. The drug was found to be stable under various processing and storage conditions.     

Microwave‐Assisted Elimination Reaction of trans‐4‐(4‐Fluorophenyl)‐3‐chloromethyl‐1‐methylpiperidine on Alumina

Abstract

trans‐4‐(4‐Fluorophenyl)‐3‐chloromethyl‐1‐methylpiperidine 3b was subjected to elimination reaction on alumina or KF‐alumina under solvent‐free conditions and microwave irradiation. Compared with the “classical” method of heating in the presence of an organic base, the microwave‐assisted methodology provided higher yields of 4‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐3‐methylene‐1‐methylpiperidine 7b (65.5–71%) in considerably shorter reaction times (20–40 min). Furthermore, the exocyclic double bond in 7b underwent rearrangement to the endocyclic double bond to furnish compound 8. The effect of alumina and irradiation time on reaction conversion and the extent of isomerization was examined.     

Determination of Small Dialkyl Organophosphonates at Microgram/L Concentrations in Contaminated Groundwaters Using Multiple Extraction Membrane Disks

Abstract

Di-isopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) and dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), which are manufacturing by-products of. and surrogate compounds for, the nerve agents Sarin (GB) and VX, respectively, are readily quantitated at microgram per liter concentrations in contaminated groundwaters. Aqueous samples (typically 1 L) are first fortified with triethylphosphate (TEP) as a surrogate, then passed through a “sandwiched” set of three preconditioned extraction disks consisting of the following (in filtration order): (a) glass fiber filter, to remove unwanted particulate matter; (b) C₁₈-based extraction disk, to collect DIMP; and (c) carbon-based extraction disk, to collect DMMP. The glass fiber filter is discarded; the two extraction disks are dried and extracted with a small volume of methanol. After the extract is fortified with diethyl ethylphosphonate (DEEP) internal standard, it is analyzed using a gas chromatograph equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD). Quantitation of DMMP, DIMP, and TEP is performed using the method of internal standards.

The procedure was used to obtain statistically-unbiased reporting limits for a “regulatory” criterion of 0.39 μg/L and a “pump and treat” criterion of 2 μg/L for both analytes. Two standardized protocols were used to validate a detection limit of 0.20 μg/L for DMMP and 0.48 μg/L for DIMP when the regulatory criterion was used as the “target concentration.” When the “pump and treat” criterion was used as the “target concentration,” the detection limits for both DMMP and DIMP were both 2 μg/L using the same protocols as for the “regulatory” criterion. The method recovery is approximately 40–50%, based on synthetic groundwaters containing between 0.2–50 μg/L of each analyte. DIMP and DMMP are cleanly resolved from each other, the internal standard, the surrogate, and the potential interference trimethylphosphate (TMP).     

Stable Oxypyridinium Triflate (OPT) Salts for the Synthesis of Halobenzyl Ethers

A collection of new oxypyridinium triflate reagents (1a–d) for the synthesis of halobenzyl ethers from alcohols under “mix‐and‐heat” conditions is described. The reagents are stable organic salts that can be stored indefinitely and handled without special precautions, making them attractive for general use in organic synthesis. Halobenzylation of representative alcohols occurs in good to excellent yield.     

Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide‐based frozen ionic liquid for the hollow‐fiber solid‐phase microextraction of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its main metabolites

1‐Hexadecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide is a solid‐phase ionic organic material under ambient temperature and is considered as a kind of “frozen” ionic liquid. Because of their solid‐state and ultra‐hydrophobicity, “frozen” ionic liquids are able to be confined in the pores of hollow fiber, based on which a simple method was developed for the hollow‐fiber solid‐phase microextraction of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its main metabolites. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method results in good linearity (R ² > 0.9965) over the range of 0.5−50 μg/L, with low limits of detection and quantification in the range of 0.33−0.38 and 1.00−1.25 μg/L, respectively. Intra‐ and interday precisions evaluated by relative standard deviation were 3−6 and 1−6%, respectively. The spiked recoveries of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its main metabolites from real water samples were in the range of 64−113 and 79−112%, respectively, at two different concentration levels. The results suggest that “frozen” ionic liquids are promising for use as a class of novel sorbents.     

A “classical” trajectory driven nuclear dynamics by a parallelized quantum‐classical approach to a realistic model Hamiltonian of benzene radical cation

We explore the workability of a parallelized algorithm of time‐dependent discrete variable representation (TDDVR) methodology formulated by involving “classical” trajectories on each DOF of a multi‐mode multi‐state Hamiltonian to reproduce the population dynamics, photoabsorption spectra and nuclear dynamics of the benzene radical cation. To perform such dynamics, we have used a realistic model Hamiltonian consists of five lowest electronic states (X²E_1g, B²E_2g, C²A_2u, D²E_1u, and E²B_2u) which are interconnected through several conical intersections with nine vibrational modes. The calculated nuclear dynamics and photoabsorption spectra with the advent of our parallelized TDDVR approach show excellent agreement with the results obtained by multiconfiguration time‐dependent Hartree method and experimental findings, respectively. The major focus of this article is to demonstrate how the “classical” trajectories for the different modes and the “classical” energy functional for those modes on each surface can enlight the time‐dependent feature of nuclear density and its' nodal structure. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Facile preparation of a high‐capacity boronate‐affinity adsorbent based on low‐cost commercial supports for selective enrichment of cis‐diol‐containing biomolecules

Boronate‐affinity adsorbents have been regarded as favorable extraction adsorbents for the pretreatment of cis‐diol‐containing biomolecules owning to their specific selectivity, but most of them have low adsorption capacity and a tedious synthesis methods. In this study, a new boronate‐affinity material (PGMA@FPBA) with high adsorption capacity was synthesized via a “one‐pot” method based on a low‐cost commercial support. The PGMA@FPBA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements. The as‐prepared adsorbent showed good selectivity, high adsorption capacity (448 μmol/g for catechol), and fast adsorption equilibration (1 min) for cis‐diol‐containing biomolecules. Subsequently, as an example for application, the obtained PGMA@FPBA was used as a dispersive solid‐phase extraction (d‐SPE) adsorbent for enrichment of quercetin in red wine. The results indicated that the facile‐prepared boronate‐affinity adsorbent has great potential application for separation and enrichment of cis‐diol‐containing biomolecules in complex samples.     

Combination of sorption properties of polydimethylsiloxane and solid‐phase extraction sorbents in a single composite material for the passive sampling of polar and apolar pesticides in water

Passive sampling techniques have been developed as an alternative method for in situ integrative monitoring of trace levels of neutral pesticides in environmental waters. The objective of this work was to develop a new receiving phase for pesticides with a wide range of polarities in a single step. We describe the development of three new composite silicone rubbers, combining polydimethylsiloxane mechanical and sorption properties with solid‐phase extraction sorbents, prepared as a receiving phase for passive sampling. A composite silicone rubber composed of polydimethylsiloxane/poly(divinylbenzene‐co‐N‐vinylpyrrolidone) was selected by batch experiments for its high sorption properties for pesticides with octanol‐water partition coefficients ranging from 2.3 to 5.5. We named this composite material “Polar/Apolar Composite Silicone Rubber”. A structural study by scanning electron microscopy confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of the sorbent particles and the encapsulation of particles within the polydimethylsiloxane matrix. We also demonstrate that this composite material is resistant to common solvents used for the back‐extraction of analytes and has a maximal resistance temperature of 350°C. Therefore, the characteristics of the “Polar/Apolar Composite Silicone Rubber” meet most of the criteria for use as a receiving phase for the passive sampling of pesticides.     

Studies on Liquid/liquid Extraction of Copper Ion with Room Temperature Ionic Liquid

Room temperature ionic liquids are regarded as “Green solvents” for their nonvolatile and thermally stable properties. They are employed to replace traditional volatile organic solvents in organic synthesis, solvent extraction, and electrochemistry. In this work, a water immiscible room temperature ionic liquid, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C₄mim][PF₆], was used as an alternative solvent for liquid/liquid extraction of copper ions. Metal chelators, including dithizone, 8‐hydroxyquinoline, and 1‐(2‐pyridylazo)‐2‐naphthol, were employed to form neutral metal‐chelate complexes with copper ions so that copper ions were extracted from aqueous solution into [C₄mim][PF₆]. The parameters that affect the extraction of copper ions with this biphasic system were investigated. The extraction behavior in this novel biphasic system is shown to be consistent with that of traditional solvents. For example, the extraction with this biphasic system is strongly pH dependent. So, the extraction efficiency of coppers ion from an aqueous phase can be manipulated by tailoring the pH value of the extraction system. Hence, the extraction, separation and preconcentraction of copper ions can be accomplished by controlling the pH value of the extraction system. It appears that the use of ionic liquid as an alternate solvent system in liquid/liquid extraction of copper ions is very promising.     

Ochratoxin A in Wine: Its Determination and Photostability

Abstract

Due to the growing public concern regarding food safety, reliable, nondemanding and robust analytical methods are needed for quantitative determination of toxic compounds in complex matrices. Sample preparation is frequently a crucial step in determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine, and a simplified and automated procedure is described, using solid‐phase extraction coupled on‐line to high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorimetric detection (λ_ex=333 nm, λ_em=460 nm). While the limit of quantitation is frequently better compared to off‐line procedures (30 ng/L), the decisive advantages of the new procedure are the absence of all sample manipulation during preconcentration and subsequent analysis, and consequentially no risk of analyte loss or sample contamination. Furthermore, using the standard addition method, matrix interferences can be avoided and the determination of extraction efficiency is unnecessary. These improvements have important consequences for the overall uncertainty of the analytical procedure. The developed method was applied for determination of OTA in 12 selected Slovenian wines. The typical relative standard deviation (RSD) was 10%. In none of the samples, did the OTA amount exceeded 2 µg/kg, the limit regulated by the EC.

The photo‐stability of the mycotoxin in solutions was examined. During irradiation of OTA solutions, its content was quickly reduced, while three fluorescent degradation products were detected. The degradation proceeds faster in water and 12% ethanolic solutions than in organic solvents or wine. Identification of the fluorescent degradation products was attempted using LC‐MS/MS with electrospray ionization.     

In‐situ preparation of porous monolithic polymer inside hollow fiber as a micro‐solid phase extraction device for glucocorticoids in cosmetics

Glucocorticoids have a certain whitening effect on the skin. However, frequent and long‐term use of cosmetics including glucocorticoids is harmful to health. Herein, we proposed a novel micro‐solid phase extraction method for the detection of prednisolone acetate, prednisone, and prednisolone in cosmetics coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography. In this method, porous monolithic polymer micro‐extraction bars were prepared by “one‐step, one‐pot” in situ photopolymerization combined with sacrificial support in hollow fiber under water atmosphere. The crucial factors such as pH of sample solution, extraction, and elution times that influence micro‐extraction were optimized and found to be 9.0, 2 h, and 32 min, respectively. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the linear range of the calibration curves were from 5.0 to 2000 µg/L with correlation coefficients (R²) between 0.9922 and 0.9996. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 1.5 µg/L and 5.0 µg/L, respectively, and the recoveries were found to be in range of 69.0–113.3%. The analysis of precision for intraday and interday were less than 10.40 and 10.59%. The device has been successfully achieved photopolymerization under water atmosphere. The results indicated that this method is simple, accurate, and satisfactory for the pretreatment and determination of glucocorticoids in complex cosmetics samples.     

pH‐Zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography for two new lipo‐alkaloids separated from refined alkaline extraction of Kusnezoff monkshood root

An efficient and refined method for the separation of six aconitine‐type alkaloids from the alkaline prepared “Kusnezoff monkshood root” was established. It is the first study that two new lipo‐alkaloids were successfully isolated from refined sample by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography rather than synthetic method. It was of interest that a great deal of lipo‐alkaloids was produced in crude extract from the alkalization of “Kusnezoff monkshood root.” A refined sample method was proposed to enrich two types of alkaloids by liquid–liquid extraction, i.e. lipo‐alkaloids and monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids. The pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was performed with an optimized two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:5:4:5, v/v), where upper organic phase was added to 3 mmol/L triethylamine as a retainer and lower aqueous mobile phase was added to 3 mmol/L hydrochloric acid as an eluter. As a result, six aconitum alkaloids, including two lipo‐alkaloids (8‐lino‐14‐benzoylaconine, 8‐pal‐14‐benzoylaconine), three monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids (14‐benzoylmesaconine, 14‐benzoylaconine, beyzoyldeoxyaconine), and one aconine alkaloid (neoline) were acquired from the plant at the same time. The anti‐inflammatory activities of the two new lipo‐alkaloids were compared to the six alkaloids in vitro, in cyclo‐oxygen‐ase‐2 inhibition assays. The separation mechanism of six alkaloids by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was illustrated.     

Headspace Solid‐Phase Microextraction (HS‐SPME) for the Determination of Benzene,Toluene, Ethylbenzene,and Xylenes (BTEX) in Foundry Molding Sand

Abstract

The use of headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) to determine benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in foundry molding sand, specifically a “green sand” (clay‐bonded sand) was investigated. The BTEX extraction was conducted using a 75 µM Carboxen‐polydimethylsiloxane (CAR‐PDMS) fiber, which was suspended above 10 g of sample. The SPME fiber was desorbed in a gas chromatograph injector port (280°C for 1 min) and the analytes were characterized by mass spectrometry. The effects of extraction time and temperature, water content, and clay and bituminous coal percentage on HS‐SPME of BTEX were investigated. Because green sands contain bentonite clay and carbonaceous material such as crushed bituminous coal, a matrix effect was observed. The detection limits for BTEX were determined to be ≤0.18 ng g^?1 of green sand.     

Synthesis of N‐Benzylated Anilines from the Reaction of Anilines and Benzyl Chloroformate

Abstract

Reactions of benzyl chloroformate with a series of substituted anilines produced N‐carbobenzyloxy “CBZ” products along with the unexpected N‐benzylated “Bn” compounds. Reaction of aniline, 1a, gave the CBZ, or 2a, and Bn, or 3a, products in 29% and 14% yield, respectively. For 2‐nitro‐, 2‐bromo‐, and 2‐bromo‐5‐nitroanilines, the N‐benzylated compounds were produced exclusively. However, 2‐methoxy‐, 4‐bromo, 4‐iodo, and 4‐ethylanilines gave mainly CBZ products. Other compounds reported in this study gave mixtures of the two products. For 4‐chloro‐3‐nitroaniline, in addition to the Bn and CBZ products (53% and 14% yield, respectively), a N,N‐dibenzylated product was isolated in 27% yield. Collectively, the results indicated that electron‐withdrawing groups, particularly at the ortho position, directed the formation of Bn compounds, whilst electron‐donating groups, especially at the ortho and para positions, favored the synthesis of CBZ products.     

Studies on the Particle Morphology of Waterborne Cationic Polyurethane/Polyacrylate Microemulsions

Polyurethane containing tertiary nitrogen atoms was synthesized from polyol, diphenylmethane diisoccyanate (MDI) and N‐methyl diethanolamine. The polymer was converted into cationomers by quarternizing with methacrylic acid (MAA) and then dispersed in water. In this reaction, methyl methacrylate (MMA) was used to decrease viscosity; at the same time, it was the monomer in the later reaction. Finally the cationic polyurethane dispersions were further polymerized with an oil‐soluble initiator, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), water‐soluble initiator, K₂S₂O₈ (KPS) and the mixture of AIBN and KPS. The different emulsion particles with shell‐core structure, “invert” shell‐core structure and “irregular” sandwich structure were obtained; the morphological structures were characterized by TEM observation, FT‐IR and particle size analysis.     

Determination of Nitrophenols in Water Using Dynamic Liquid‐Liquid‐Liquid Microextraction under Non‐Equilibrium Consideration

To pursue optimum condition in liquid‐liquid‐liquid microextraction (LLLME), extraction parameters dominating extraction efficiency were investigated by theoretical considerations. The theoretical considerations discussed equilibrium model for equilibrium LLLME and non‐equilibrium model for dynamic LLLME. A method described here is a dynamic LLLME technique combined with high‐performance liquid‐chromatography ultraviolet absorbance detection (HPLC/UV) to determine traces of nitrophenols in water. Analytical parameters such as organic phase, acceptor phase volume, sample agitation, extraction time, acceptor phase NaOH concentration, donor phase HCl concentration, salt addition, and absorption wavelength were identified as variable settings. Relative standard deviation (RSD, 1.8‐4.4%), coefficient of estimation (R², 0.9994‐0.9999), and detection limit (0.032‐0.065 ng mL^?1) were achieved under the variable settings. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of a lake water sample, and the relative recoveries of nitrophenols from spiked water sample were up to 92.5%. The variable settings of LLLME close to optimization was responsible for an acceptable extraction efficiency.     

Determination of Antioxidant Capacity by Using Xanthine Oxidase Bioreactor Coupled with Flow‐through H2O2 Amperometric Biosensor

A new flow system for antioxidant capacity (AOC) estimation, consisting of a bioreactor, containing immobilized xanthine oxidase (XOD), coupled with a H₂O₂ amperometric biosensor, based on Os‐wired horseradish peroxidase, was developed. The H₂O₂, resulting from the enzymatic reaction between xanthine (XA) and XOD, was amperometrically monitored at ?0.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl_sat, in order to avoid the electrochemical interferences. Two protocols were used to perform the AOC evaluation: “steady‐state”, when the antioxidant (AOX) was injected in the XA flow, and “transient state”, when XA and AOX were simultaneously injected in the carrier flow. The AOC of some commercial beverages were evaluated and compared with those obtained with 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical and Folin–Ciocalteu methods.     

Introduction of measurement uncertainty estimation into analytical instrument software: mission impossible?

In this paper we argue that introduction of ISO GUM based uncertainty estimation into analytical equipment software is a “mission possible” and is wholly realistic at this stage of development of the art. A possible general scheme of implementation of uncertainty estimation into analytical instrument software is presented based on the example of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) but is also applicable to most other analytical instruments. This implementation would be very beneficial for the analysts/practitioners as the uncertainty would be handled within their everyday software environment.