Development of a multichannel flow-through chemiluminescence microarray chip for parallel calibration and detection of pathogenic bacteria

Pathogen detection is important for health and safety reasons. Several outbreaks all over the world have shown the need for rapid, qualitative, quantitative, and, particularly, multianalyte detection systems. Hence, a multichannel flow-through chemiluminescence microarray chip for parallel detection of pathogenic bacteria was developed. The disposable chip made of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymer was devised as a support for a multiplexed sandwich immunoassay. Calibration and measurement was possible in one experiment, because the developed chip contains six parallel flow-through microchannels. Polyclonal antibodies against the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Legionella pneumophila were immobilized on the chip by microcontact printing in order to use them as specific receptors. Detection of the captured bacteria was carried out by use of specific detection antibodies labelled with biotin and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)–streptavidine conjugates. The enzyme HRP generates chemiluminescence after adding luminol and hydrogen peroxide. This signal was observed by use of a sensitive CCD camera. The limits of detection are 1.8 × 10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ for E. coli O157:H7, 7.9 × 10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ for L. pneumophila, and 2.0 × 10⁷ cells mL⁻¹ for S. typhimurium. The overall assay time for measurement and calibration is 18 min, enabling very fast analysis.      

Quantitation of bacteria through adsorption of intracellular biomolecules on carbon paste and screen-printed carbon electrodes and voltammetry of redox-active probes

A new electrochemical method for the quantitation of bacteria that is rapid, inexpensive, and amenable to miniaturization is reported. Cyclic voltammetry was used to quantitate M. luteus, C. sporogenes, and E. coli JM105 in exponential and stationary phases, following exposure of screen-printed carbon working electrodes (SPCEs) to lysed culture samples. Ferricyanide was used as a probe. The detection limits (3s) were calculated and the dynamic ranges for E. coli (exponential and stationary phases), M. luteus (exponential and stationary phases), and C. sporogenes (exponential phase) lysed by lysozyme were 3 × 10⁴ to 5 × 10⁶ colony-forming units (CFU) mL⁻¹, 5 × 10⁶ to 2 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ and 3 × 10³ to 3 × 10⁵ CFU mL⁻¹, respectively. Good overlap was obtained between the calibration curves when the electrochemical signal was plotted against the dry bacterial weight, or between the protein concentration in the bacterial lysate. In contrast, unlysed bacteria did not change the electrochemical signal of ferricyanide. The results indicate that the reduction of the electrochemical signal in the presence of the lysate is mainly due to the fouling of the electrode by proteins. Similar results were obtained with carbon-paste electrodes although detection limits were better with SPCEs. The method described herein was applied to quantitation of bacteria in a cooling tower water sample. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Determination of viable <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> using antibody-coated paramagnetic beads with fluorescence detection

A rapid and convenient assay system was developed to detect viable Escherichia coli in water. The target bacteria were recovered from solution by immunomagnetic separation and incubated in tryptic soy broth with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside, which induces formation of β-galactosidase in viable bacteria. Lysozyme was used to lyse E. coli cells and release the β-galactosidase. β-Galactosidase converted 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-galactoside to 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), which was measured by fluorescence spectrophotometry using excitation and emission wavelengths of 355 and 460 nm, respectively. Calibration graphs of 4-MU fluorescence intensity versus E. coli concentration showed a detection range between 8 × 10⁴ and 1.6 × 10⁷ cfu mL⁻¹, with a total analysis time of less than 3 h. The advantage of this method is that it detects viable cells because it is based on the activity of the enzyme intrinsic to live E. coli.     

Enantioselective piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor for d-methamphetamine based on a molecularly imprinted polymer

A piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) sensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been developed for enantioselective and quantitative analysis of d-(+)-methamphetamine (d(+)-MA). The sensor was produced by bulk polymerization and the resulting MIP was then coated on the gold electrode of an AT-cut quartz crystal. Conditions such as volume of polymer coating, curing time, type of PQC, baseline solvent, pH, and buffer type were found to affect the sensor response and were therefore optimized. The PQC-MIP gave a stable response to different concentrations of d(+)-MA standard solutions (response time = 10 to 100 s) with good repeatability (RSD = 0.03 to 3.09%; n = 3), good reproducibility (RSD = 3.55%; n = 5), and good reversibility (RSD = 0.36%; n = 3). The linear range of the sensor covered five orders of magnitude of analyte concentration, ranging from 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻¹ μg mL⁻¹, and the limit of detection was calculated as 11.9 pg d(+)-MA mL⁻¹ . The sensor had a highly enantioselective response to d(+)-MA compared with its response to l(−)-MA, racemic MA, and phentermine. The developed sensor was validated by applying it to human urine samples from drug-free individuals spiked with standard d(+)-MA and from a confirmed MA user. Use of the standard addition method (SAM) and samples spiked with d(+)-MA at levels ranging from 1 × 10⁻³ to 1 × 10⁻² μg mL⁻¹ showed recovery was good (95.3 to 110.9%).     

An electrochemiluminescence sensor for determination of durabolin based on CdTe QD films by layer-by-layer self-assembly

This work reported for the first time the use of flow injection electrochemiluminescence (FI-ECL) sensor for the determination of durabolin in an aqueous system based on CdTe quantum dot (QD) films. Aqueous CdTe colloidal solutions were prepared using thioglycolic acid as a capping agent. Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern, UK) was employed to characterize the size of CdTe QDs. The UV–vis and photoluminescence spectra of samples were systematically characterized. Indium tin oxide (ITO) slide glass was modified with CdTe QDs by layer-by-layer self-assembly. CdTe QD films were packed into a homemade cell and used as a recognizer of the FI-ECL sensor to determine durabolin. The intensive anodic ECL emission was obtained at a starting potential of +1.3 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in a carbonate bicarbonate buffer solution with a pH of 9.93 at an ITO electrode. The ECL intensity was correlated linearly with the concentration of durabolin over the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸–1.0 × 10⁻⁵ g mL⁻¹, and the detection limit was 2.5 × 10⁻⁹ g mL⁻¹. The relative standard deviation for the determination of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹ durabolin was 1.04% (n = 11). This simple and sensitive sensor revealed good reproducibility for ECL analysis. As a result, the new FI-ECL sensor had been successfully applied to the determination of durabolin in food samples. This strategy could be easily realized and opened new avenues for the applications of QDs in ECL biosensing.     

LC–MS–MS determination of ibuprofen, 2-hydroxyibuprofen enantiomers,and carboxyibuprofen stereoisomers for application in biotransformation studies employing endophytic fungi

The purpose of this study was the development and validation of an LC–MS–MS method for simultaneous analysis of ibuprofen (IBP), 2-hydroxyibuprofen (2-OH-IBP) enantiomers, and carboxyibuprofen (COOH-IBP) stereoisomers in fungi culture medium, to investigate the ability of some endophytic fungi to biotransform the chiral drug IBP into its metabolites. Resolution of IBP and the stereoisomers of its main metabolites was achieved by use of a Chiralpak AS-H column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size), column temperature 8 °C, and the mobile phase hexane–isopropanol–trifluoroacetic acid (95: 5: 0.1, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL min⁻¹. Post-column infusion with 10 mmol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate in methanol at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min⁻¹ was performed to enhance MS detection (positive electrospray ionization). Liquid–liquid extraction was used for sample preparation with hexane–ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v) as extraction solvent. Linearity was obtained in the range 0.1–20 μg mL⁻¹ for IBP, 0.05–7.5 μg mL⁻¹ for each 2-OH-IBP enantiomer, and 0.025–5.0 μg mL⁻¹ for each COOH-IBP stereoisomer (r ≥ 0.99). The coefficients of variation and relative errors obtained in precision and accuracy studies (within-day and between-day) were below 15%. The stability studies showed that the samples were stable (p > 0.05) during freeze and thaw cycles, short-term exposure to room temperature, storage at −20 °C, and biotransformation conditions. Among the six fungi studied, only the strains Nigrospora sphaerica (SS67) and Chaetomium globosum (VR10) biotransformed IBP enantioselectively, with greater formation of the metabolite (+)-(S)-2-OH-IBP. Formation of the COOH-IBP stereoisomers, which involves hydroxylation at C3 and further oxidation to form the carboxyl group, was not observed.     

Flavonol Derivatives for Determination of Cr(III) and W(VI)

 Simple, rapid, sensitive and selective methods for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with flavonol derivatives in the presence of surface-active agents are proposed. In the pH ranges 3.4–4.2 and 1.9–2.5, the molar absorptivities of Cr(III)-morin-emulsifier S (EFA) and W(VI)-morin-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) systems are 1.13×10⁵ and 2.13×10⁴ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 435 and 415 nm, respectively. The Cr(III)-quercetin-PVP and W(VI)-quercetin-cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) systems are formed in the pH ranges 4–4.6 and 2.2–2.8 with molar absorptivities 1.02×10⁵ and 9.02×10⁴ L. mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 441 and 419 nm, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin in the presence of EFA and PVP are 0.03–0.46 and 0.71–8.1 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The corresponding ranges with quercetin are 0.04–0.54 and 0.14–2.1 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI), respectively. The r.s.d (n = 10) for the determination of 0.25 and 3.7 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin and their detection limits are 0.88 and 0.99% and 0.016 and 0.63 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. Using quercetin, the r.s.d (n = 10) for 0.22 and 1.2 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) and their detection limits are 0.92 and 0.91% and 0.015 and 0.08 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The critical evaluation of the proposed methods is performed by statistical analysis of the experimental data. The proposed methods are applied to determine Cr in steel, non-ferrous alloys, wastewater and mud filtrate and to the determination of W in steel. Received March 8, 1999. Revision January 21, 2000.     

Development of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of ursolic acid in rat plasma and tissue: application to the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study

A fast and sensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of ursolic acid (UA) in rat plasma and tissues. Glycyrrhetinic acid was used as the internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed on a 3.5 μm Zorbax SB-C18 column (30 mm × 2.1 mm) with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and aqueous 10 mM ammonium acetate using gradient elution. Quantification was performed by selected ion monitoring with (m/z)⁻ 455 for UA and (m/z)⁻ 469 for the IS. The method was validated in the concentration range of 2.5 − 1470 ng mL⁻¹ for plasma samples and 20 − 11760 ng g⁻¹ for tissue homogenates. The intra- and inter-day assay of precision in plasma and tissues ranged from 1.6% to 7.1% and 3.7% to 9.0%, respectively, and the intra- and inter-day assay accuracy was 84.2 − 106.9% and 82.1 − 108.1%, respectively. Recoveries in plasma and tissues ranged from 83.2% to 106.2%. The limits of detections were 0.5 ng mL⁻¹ or 4.0 ng g⁻¹. The recoveries for all samples were >90%, except for liver, which indicated that ursolic acid may metabolize in liver. The main pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were T _max = 0.42 ± 0.11 h, C _max = 1.10 ± 0.31 μg mL⁻¹, AUC = 1.45 ± 0.21 μg h mL⁻¹ and K _a = 5.64 ± 1.89 h⁻¹. The concentrations of UA in rat lung, spleen, liver, heart, and cerebellum were studied for the first time. This method is validated and could be applicable to the investigation of the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of UA in rats.     

Determination of vanadium(V) with CdTe quantum dots as fluorescent probes

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were modified with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and synthesized in aqueous medium. The optimum fluorescence intensity was found to be at pH 6.24 with a CdTe QDs concentration of 4.96 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The quenched fluorescence intensity of CdTe QDs is linearly proportional to V(V) concentration from 10 to 200 ng mL⁻¹ with correlation coefficient R = 0.9985. The limit of detection for V(V) was 2.07 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of trace amounts of V(V) in water samples with recovery of 96.5–101.8%, and the results were in good agreement with those of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Chemiluminescence determination of chromium(III) and total chromium in water samples using the periodate-lucigenin reaction

A new chemiluminescence (CL) method combined with flow injection technique is described for the determination of Cr(III) and total Cr. It is found that a strong CL signal is generated from the reaction of Cr(III), lucigenin and KIO₄ in alkaline condition. The determination of total Cr is performed by pre-reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by using H₂SO₃. The CL intensity is linearly related to the concentration of Cr in the range 4.0 × 10⁻¹⁰–1.0 × 10⁻⁶ g mL⁻¹. The detection limit (3s _b) is 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ g mL⁻¹ Cr and the relative standard deviation is 1.9% (5.0 × 10⁻⁸ g mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) solution, n = 11). The method was applied to the determination of Cr(III) and total Cr in water samples and compared satisfactorily with the official method.     

Simple sensor for simultaneous determination of dihydroxybenzene isomers

A simple sensor based on bare carbon ionic liquid electrode was fabricated for simultaneous determination of dihydroxybenzene isomers in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.0). The oxidation peak potential of hydroquinone was about 0.136 V, catechol was about 0.240 V, and resorcinol 0.632 V by differential pulse voltammetric measurements, which indicated that the dihydroxybenzene isomers could be separated absolutely. The sensor showed wide linear behaviors in the range of 5.0 × 10⁻⁷–2.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ for hydroquinone and catechol, 3.5 × 10⁻⁶–1.535 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ for resorcinol, respectively. And the detection limits of the three dihydroxybenzene isomers were 5.0 × 10⁻⁸, 2.0 × 10⁻⁷, 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹, respectively (S/N = 3). The proposed method could be applied to the determination of dihydroxybenzene isomers in artificial wastewater and the recovery was from 93.9% to 104.6%.     

A sensitive liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for simultaneous determination of dehydroevodiamine and limonin from Evodia rutaecarpa in rat plasma

A liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric (LC–MS) method has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of dehydroevodiamine and limonin from Evodia rutaecarpa in rat plasma. After addition of the internal standard, domperidone, plasma samples were extracted by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and separated on an Apollo C₁₈ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), with methanol–0.01% formic acid water (60:40, v/v) as mobile phase, within a runtime of 12.0 min. The analytes were detected without interference in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode with positive electrospray ionization. The linear range was 1.0–500 ng mL⁻¹ for dehydroevodiamine and 2.0–1,000 ng mL⁻¹ for limonin, with lower limits of quantitation of 1.0 and 2.0 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precision were within 6.0% and 10.9%, respectively, for both analytes, and the accuracy (relative error, RE, %) was less than 4.8% and 6.5%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of dehydroevodiamine and limonin in rat plasma after oral administration of dehydroevodiamine, limonin, and an aqueous extract of Evodiae fructus. The results indicated there were obvious differences between the pharmacokinetic behavior after oral administration of an aqueous extract of Evodiae fructus compared with single substances.     

Simultaneous and sensitive determination of procaine and its metabolite for pharmaceutical quality control and pharmacokinetic research by using a graphite paste electrode

A simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for simultaneous electrochemical determination of procaine and its metabolite (p-aminobenzoic acid, PABA) for pharmaceutical quality control and pharmacokinetic research was developed using a graphite paste electrode. The differential pulse voltammetric results revealed that procaine and p-aminobenzoic acid, respectively, showed well-defined anodic oxidation peaks on a carbon paste electrode with a current peak separation of 155 mV at a scan rate of 100 mV s⁻¹. This well separation of the current peaks for these two compounds in voltammetry enables us to simultaneously determine them. Good linearity (r > 0.998) between oxidation peak current and concentration was obtained in the range of 5.0 × 10⁻⁷–5.0 × 10⁻⁵ M for procaine and 5.0 × 10⁻⁷–2.0 × 10⁻⁵ M for PABA in pH 4.50 acetate buffer solution. The detection limit for both analytes is 5 × 10⁻⁸ M (S/N = 3:1). The present voltammetric method has been successfully used to determine trace p-aminobenzoic acid in procaine hydrochloride injection and procaine in plasma with a linear relationship of current to its concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁵ M (correlation coefficient of 0.9981) with a low detection limit of 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ M (S/N = 3:1). This validated method is promising to the study of pharmacokinetics in Sprague–Dawley rat and rabbit plasma after an intravenous administration of procaine hydrochloride injection.     

Growth and characterization of Mn- and Co-doped ZnO nanowires

A flow injection chemiluminescence method is proposed for the determination of cobalt, based on the strong catalytic effect of Cobalt(II) (1,10-phenanthroline)₃ complex on the lucigenin-periodate reaction in alkaline medium. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the chemiluminescence signal responded linearly to the concentration of cobalt(II) in the 1.0 × 10⁻⁹–3.0 × 10⁻⁷ g mL⁻¹ range with a detection limit of 4.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ g mL⁻¹ cobalt(II). The relative standard deviation for the determination of 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ g mL⁻¹ of cobalt was 2.3% in eleven replicated measurements. The method was successfully applied to the determination of cobalt(II) in pharmaceutical preparations.     

A new amperometric H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> biosensor based on nanocomposite films of chitosan–MWNTs,hemoglobin, and silver nanoparticles

A new H₂O₂ biosensor was fabricated on the basis of nanocomposite films of hemoglobin (Hb), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)–chitosan (Chit) dispersed solution immobilized on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The immobilized Hb displayed a pair of well-defined and reversible redox peaks with a formal potential (E ^θ′) of −22.5 mV in 0.1 M pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants (k _s) in the Chit–MWNTs film was evaluated as 2.58 s⁻¹ according to Laviron’s equation. The surface concentration (Γ*) of the electroactive Hb in the Chit–MWNTs film was estimated to be (2.48 ± 0.25) × 10⁻⁹ mol cm⁻². Meanwhile, the Chit–MWNTs/Hb/AgNPs/GCE demonstrated excellently electrocatalytical ability to H₂O₂. Its apparent Michaelis–Menten constant (K _M^app) for H₂O₂ was 0.0032 mM, showing a good affinity. Under optimal conditions, the biosensors could be used for the determination of H₂O₂ ranging from 6.25 × 10⁻⁶ to 9.30 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.47 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the biosensor possessed rapid response to H₂O₂ and good stability, selectivity, and reproducibility.     

Analysis of the flame retardant metabolites bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP) and diphenyl phosphate (DPP) in urine using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Organophosphate triesters tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and triphenyl phosphate are widely used flame retardants (FRs) present in many products common to human environments, yet understanding of human exposure and health effects of these compounds is limited. Monitoring urinary metabolites as biomarkers of exposure can be a valuable aid for improving this understanding; however, no previously published method exists for the analysis of the primary TDCPP metabolite, bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP), in human urine. Here, we present a method to extract the metabolites BDCPP and diphenyl phosphate (DPP) in human urine using mixed-mode anion exchange solid phase extraction and mass-labeled internal standards with analysis by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The method detection limit was 8 pg mL⁻¹ urine for BDCPP and 204 pg mL⁻¹ for DPP. Recoveries of analytes spiked into urine ranged from 82 ± 10% to 91 ± 4% for BDCPP and from 72 ± 12% to 76 ± 8% for DPP. Analysis of a small number of urine samples (n = 9) randomly collected from non-occupationally exposed adults revealed the presence of both BDCPP and DPP in all samples. Non-normalized urinary concentrations ranged from 46–1,662 pg BDCPP mL⁻¹ to 287–7,443 pg DPP mL⁻¹, with geometric means of 147 pg BDCPP mL⁻¹ and 1,074 pg DPP mL⁻¹. Levels of DPP were higher than those of BDCPP in 89% of samples. The presented method is simple and sufficiently sensitive to detect these FR metabolites in humans and may be applied to future studies to increase our understanding of exposure to and potential health effects from FRs.     

Chemiluminescence determination of atenolol in biological fluids by a europium-sensitized permanganate-sulfite system

A simple flow injection chemiluminescence (CL) method was developed for the determination of atenolol using Eu³⁺ as the probe. It was found that the weak CL generated by the KMnO₄-Na₂SO₃ reaction can be significantly enhanced by the atenolol-Eu³⁺ complex. The experimental conditions were optimized. The CL intensity was linearly related to atenolol concentration in the range from 8.0 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ g mL⁻¹. The detection limit (3s _b) was 3 × 10⁻⁹ g mL⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation for 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ g mL⁻¹ atenolol solution was 2.4% (n = 11). The method has high sensitivity, wide linear range, inexpensive instrumentation, and has been applied to the determination of atenolol in spiked human urine and plasma samples with recoveries within the range 95.5–104.0%. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic form at Electronic supplementary material: Discussion of the reaction mechanism and additional figures are available online as electronic supplementary material (ESM) at . Correspondence: Jianxiu Du, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, P.R. China     

Organosilica composite for preconcentration of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions

A new adsorbent is proposed for the solid-phase extraction of phenol and 1-naphthol from polluted water. The adsorbent (TX-SiO₂) is an organosilica composite made from a bifunctional immobilized layer comprising a major fraction (91%) of hydrophilic diol groups and minor fraction (9%) of the amphiphilic long-chain nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (polyoxyethylated isooctylphenol) (TX). Under static conditions phenol was quantitatively extracted onto TX-SiO₂ in the form of a 4-nitrophenylazophenolate ion associate with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The capacity of TX-SiO₂ for phenol is 2.4 mg g⁻¹ with distribution coefficients up to 3.4 × 10⁴ mL g⁻¹; corresponding data for 1-naphthol are 1.5 mg g⁻¹ and 3 × 10³ mL g⁻¹. The distribution coefficient does not change significantly for solution volumes of 0.025–0.5 L and adsorbent mass less than 0.03 g; 1–90 μg analyte can be easily eluted by 1–3 mL acetonitrile with an overall recovery of 98.2% and 78.3% for phenol and 1-naphthol, respectively. Linear correlation between acetonitrile solution absorbance (A ₅₄₀) and phenol concentration (C) in water was found according to the equation A ₅₄₀ = (6 ± 1) × 10⁻² + (0.9 ± 0.1)C (μmol L⁻¹) with a detection range from 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (0.9 μL g⁻¹) to 2 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (19 μL g⁻¹), a limit of quantification of 1 μL g⁻¹ (preconcentration factor 125), correlation coefficient of 0.936, and relative standard deviation of 2.5%. A solid-phase colorimetric method was developed for quantitative determination of 1-naphthol on adsorbent phase using scanner technology and RGB numerical analysis. The detection limit of 1-naphthol with this method is 6 μL g⁻¹ while the quantification limit is 20 μL g⁻¹. A test system was developed for naked eye monitoring of 1-naphthol impurities in water. The proposed test kit allows one to observe changes in the adsorbent color when 1-naphthol concentration in water is 0.08–3.2 mL g⁻¹.     

Molecularly imprinted on-line solid-phase extraction combined with chemiluminescence for the determination of pazufloxacin mesilate

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction (MISPE) with flow-injection chemiluminescence (CL) was developed for the determination of pazufloxacin mesilate (PZFX). The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by using PZFX as the imprinting molecule. A glass tube packed the particles of the MIP was employed as MISPE micro-column, which was connected into the sampling loop of the eight-way injection valve for on-line selective preconcentration and extraction of PZFX. The eluent of acetonitrile:acetic acid (9:1, v:v) was used as carrier for eluting the adsorbed PZFX to react with the mixture of cerium(IV) and sodium sulfite in the flow cell to produce strong CL. The relative intensity of CL was linear to PZFX concentration in the range from 2.5 × 10⁻⁹ to 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ g mL⁻¹. The limit of detection was 7 × 10⁻¹⁰ g mL⁻¹ (3 σ) and the relative standard deviation for 5 × 10⁻⁸ g mL⁻¹of PZFX solution was 3.7% (n = 7). This method has been applied to the determination of PZFX in human urine.     

Fabrication of gold nanoparticles/polypyrrole composite-modified electrode for sensitive hydroxylamine sensor design

A highly sensitive hydroxylamine (HA) electrochemical sensor is developed based on electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles with diameter of 8 nm on the pre-synthesized polypyrrole matrix and formed gold nanoparticles/polypyrrole (GNPs/PPy) composite on glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior and electrocatalytic activity of the composite-modified electrode are investigated. The GNPs/PPy composite exhibits a distinctly higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of HA than GNPs with twofold enhancement of peak current. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergic effect of the highly dispersed gold metal particles and PPy matrix. The overall numbers of electrons involved in HA oxidation, the electron transfer coefficient, catalytic rate constant, and diffusion coefficient are investigated by chronoamperometry. The sensor presents two wide linear ranges of 4.5 × 10⁻⁷–1.2 × 10⁻³ M and 1.2 × 10⁻³–19 × 10⁻³ M with the detection limit of 4.5 × 10⁻⁸ M (s/n = 3). In addition, the proposed electrode shows excellent sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and stability properties.