Transition metals in atmospheric aqueous samples, analytical determination and speciation

Summary Two rain water samples were analyzed with respect to the determination of the species which are present at the given conditions. The parameters determined were: pH, E_h, electrolytical conductivity, concentration of anions (SO ₄ ^2– , NO ₃ ^– , Cl^–, NO ₂ ^– , HCOO^–, CH₃COO^–), of main cations (Na⁺, K⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ , Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺), and of transition metals (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn). The methods used were filtration and ultrafiltration, voltammetry, sorption on various sorbents and ion chromatography. Furthermore, E_h-pH-diagrams were taken into account and the partition of the species was calculated by means of stability constants. The transition elements species in the atmospheric aqueous solutions are discussed.     

Preparation of Thallium Hexacyanoferrate Film and Mixed‐Film Modified Electrodes with Cobalt(II) Hexacyanoferrate

Thallium hexacyanoferrate films have been prepared from various aqueous electrolyte solutions using consecutive cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammograms recorded the direct deposition of thallium hexacyanoferrate films from the mixing of Tl³⁺ and [Fe(CN)₆]^3? ions from solutions of seven cations: Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, H⁺, and Tl⁺. An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) and cyclic voltammetry were used to study the in situ growth of the thallium hexacyanoferrate films. The thallium hexacyanoferrate film shows a single redox couple with a formal potential between +0.6 V and +1.2 V, and shows a cation effect (H⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, and Tl⁺). A mixed film and a two‐layered modified electrodes composed of a thallium hexacyanoferrate film with cobalt(II) hexacyanoferrate film were prepared.     

Simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) as 2-(5′-bromo-2′-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol complexes by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry at a carbon paste electrode

A simple and precise square-wave adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (SW-AdCSV) method has been described for simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in water samples using a carbon paste electrode. In 0.1 mol L⁻¹ acetate buffer (pH 5) containing 50 μmol L⁻¹ of 2-(5′-bromo-2′-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP), Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) were simultaneously determined as metal-complexes with 5-Br-PADAP following preconcentration onto the carbon paste electrode by adsorptive accumulation at +1.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl). Insignificant interference from various cations (K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Al³⁺, Bi³⁺, Sb³⁺, Se⁴⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, V⁵⁺, Ti⁴⁺ and NH₄⁺), anions (HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO³⁻, SO₄²⁻ and PO₄³⁻) and ascorbic acid was noticed. Limits of detection of 0.066, 0.108 and 0.093 μg L⁻¹ and limits of quantitation of 0.22, 0.36 and 0.31 μg L⁻¹ Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III), respectively, were achieved by the described method. The described stripping voltammetry method was successfully applied for simultaneous determination of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(III) in ground, tap and bottled natural water samples.     

Ultrasensitive Detection of Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript> Using a Microcantilever Sensor Modified with L-Cysteine Self-Assembled Monolayer

A microcantilever was modified with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of L-cysteine for the sensitively and selectively response to Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution. The microcantilever undergoes bending due to sorption of Cu(II) ions. The interaction of Cu(II) ions with the L-cysteine on the cantilever is diffusion controlled and does not follow a simple Langmuir adsorption model. A concentration of 10^?10 M Cu(II) was detected in a fluid cell using this technology. Other cations, such as Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, did not respond with a significant deflection, indicating that this L-cysteine-modified cantilever responded selectively and sensitively to Cu(II).     

The conformational changes of 5SrRNA from lupin seeds in presence of Na+, K+, Cu2+, Pb2+ cations by adiabatic scanning differential calorimetry

The results of calorimetric studies of 5SrRNA solutions isolated from lupin seeds both in the absence and in the presence of different concentration of the cations Na⁺ K⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺ were reported. Using the deconvolution method proposed by Freire and Biltonen the elementary transitions were distinguished and discussed.     

Effect of alkali cations,halides and thiocyanate on the Mn(Hg)/Mn(II) electrode reactions

The title subject has been studied by galvanostatic single-pulse, chronopotentiometric and equilibrium measurements on the Mn(Hg)/Mn(II) electrode (mainly saturated managanese amalgams) in one molar alkali chloride (LiCl, KCl and CsCl) and potassium iodide and thiocyanate solutions of pH 4 to 5 at 25°C. The Mn(Hg)/Mn(II) reactions are found to occur in two consecutive steps with monovalent ions as intermediate in all these solutions. The rates of both the ion-transfer step Mn(Hg)/Mn(I) and the electron-transfer step Mn(I)/Mn(II) appear independent of the cations Li⁺ and K⁺ and of the anions Cl^?, I^? and SCN^?, when differences in bulk activities of electroactive species are corrected for. The Cs⁺ ion, however, seems to retard the reactions more than expected from bulk activity changes, and this can be explained by Cs⁺ specific adsorption or by variations in the properties of the inner layer with the cation.     

Studies on the ion-exchange behaviour of chromium ferrocyanide

The sorption of univalent, bivalent and trivalent ions has been studied on chromium ferrocyanide gel. The studies reveal a high sorption capacity for Cs⁺, Tl⁺, Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Th⁴⁺. The sorption of monovalent cations show purely ion-exchange mechanism while the uptake of bivalent and trivalent cations is non-equivalent in nature. Single elution of Rb⁺, Cs⁺ and Tl⁺ has been performed from the columns of this exchanger and the recovery is almost complete in all the cases. Cu²⁺ and Ag⁺ get completely adsorbed on the gel column and their elution is not possible probably due to the formation of some new solid phases. Depending on the K_d values of the metal ions, a large number of separations of radiochemical as well as analytical importance can be performed on the columns of this exchanger material.     

Effect of environmental conditions on the sorption of radiocobalt from aqueous solution to treated eggshell as biosorbent

Carbonate hydroxylapatite (CHAP), prepared from eggshell waste, was used to remove ⁶⁰Co(II) from aqueous solutions. The sorption of ⁶⁰Co(II) on CHAP as a function of contact time, pH, ionic strength and foreign ions in the absence and presence of humic acid and fulvic acid under ambient conditions was studied. The sorption of ⁶⁰Co(II) on CHAP was strongly dependent on pH and ionic strength. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH ⁰, ΔS ⁰, ΔG ⁰) of ⁶⁰Co(II) sorption on CHAP were calculated from the temperature-dependent sorption isotherms, and the results indicated that the sorption process of ⁶⁰Co(II) on CHAP was endothermic and spontaneous. At low pH, the sorption of ⁶⁰Co(II) was dominated by outer-sphere surface complexation and ion exchange with Na⁺/H⁺ on CHAP surfaces, whereas inner-sphere surface complexation was the main sorption mechanism at high pH. Experimental results also indicated that CHAP was a suitable low-cost adsorbent for pre-concentration and solidification of ⁶⁰Co(II) from large volumes of aqueous solutions.     

Layered hydrous manganese dioxide saturated with alkaline-earth cations: Synthesis and sorption properties

Layered compounds based on hydrous manganese dioxides (hereafter, Mn-phases) saturated with alkaline-earth cations were synthesized at 3–6°C. These phases are analogues of manganese minerals from oceanic iron-manganese sediments (vernadite, birnessite, buserite-I, an asbolan-like phase, and a hybrid phase). All the Mn-phases, as a rule, had poorly ordered structures. The sorption properties of these phases were studied with respect to alkali-metal cations (Na⁺, K⁺), an s-metal cation (Ba²⁺), a p-metal cation (Pb²⁺), and d-metal cations (Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺). The exchange capacities of the Mn-phases were 0.45–1.06 mg-equiv/g for the alkali cations and 0.94–5.78 mg-equiv/g for the other cations. The phase composition of the Mn-phase did not affect the alkali cation sorption but affected the divalent cation sorption. The divalent cation exchange capacity increased from well-ordered birnessite to poorly ordered vernadite.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic sorption study of radiocobalt by magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

A novel composite adsorbent, magnetite/hydroxyapatite (Fe₃O₄/HAP) composites, was prepared by biowaste chicken eggshell for the purpose of removing radiocobalt from aqueous solutions. It highlighted that more than 92% Co(II) could be removed by using the developed composites under the experimental conditions. The maximum sorption capacity of Co(II) on Fe₃O₄/HAP composites was 6.9 × 10⁻⁴ mol/g. The coexisted foreign ions, e.g., ClO₄ ⁻, NO₃ ⁻, Cl⁻, Na⁺ and K⁺, did not interfere the elimination of Co(II) from aqueous solutions, while Mg²⁺ did. The sorption process was found to be controlled well by pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion models, and the equilibrium data were simulated by Langmuir model very well with high correlation coefficients. The thermodynamic parameters confirmed the spontaneity and endothermic nature of Co(II) sorption processes. After sorption, the Fe₃O₄/HAP composites could be effectively and fleetly separated from aqueous solutions by magnetic separation technique in large scale. The Fe₃O₄/HAP composites are suitable materials in the preconcentration of Co(II) from large volumes of aqueous solutions.     

Recovery of Pd(II) and Ru(III) from aqueous waste using inorganic ion-exchanger

The applicability of mica minerals and zeolites for the efficient removal of valuable platinum group metals (PGMs), Pd(II) and Ru(III) from aqueous waste by sorption has been investigated. The sorption of PGMs Pd(II) onto mica-mineral, muscovite and Ru(III) onto natrolite as zeolite have been studied as a function of (i) exchanger composition, (ii) temperature at which sorption process takes place and (iii) the presence of competing cations such as Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺. These three factors have remarkable effect on the sorption process. The synthesized gel was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy.     

An Electrochemical Investigation of Complexation of Pb(II) by a Well‐Characterized Fulvic Acid in Model Systems – Effect of Competition with Major Cations and Trace Metals

Effect of competition of major cations, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and trace metals, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺, on the stability of the Pb(II)‐fulvic acid (FA) complexes in model systems at constant pH and ionic strength was investigated by square‐wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The results show that the trace metals compete with the target trace metal, Pb(II), for binding sites of the FA even when they are present in the same concentration as that of Pb(II), whereas the major cations compete with Pb(II) only when they are present in massive excess.     

Ground state Pi-electron triplet molecules of potential use in the synthesis of organic ferromagnets

2,3,6,7,10,11-Tris(N,N′-diethylethylenediamino)triphenylene (HET) has been synthesized by a route involving hexabromination of triphenylene, reaction with ethylenediamine, hexa-acetylation, and reduction with diborane. Cyclic voltammetry shows that HET can be reversibly oxidized to a mono-cation HET⁺, a dication HET²⁺, a trication HET³⁺, and a tetraction HET⁴⁺. Beyond that the oxidation is irreversible. The dication HET²⁺ is a ground-state triplet species. This fact, and the low oxidation potential required to produce it, make it of interest in testing proposed mechanism for preparing organic ferromagnetic materials.     

Sorption characteristics of Am(III), Sr(II) and Cs(I) on bentonite and granite

The ability of the back-fill and the host rock materials to take up radioisotopes like ²⁴¹Am, ^85,89Sr and ¹³⁷Cs has been examined as a function of contact time, pH, amount of sorbent, sorbate concentration, and the presence of complementary cations. A batch technique using actual borehole water from the granite formation has been utilized. In general, the uptake of nuclides by bentonite is much higher than that with granite. The sorption order of nuclides on bentonite is Am>Cs>Sr. The presence of complementary cations, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ depresses the sorption of Cs and Sr on bentonite. The sorption data have been interpreted in terms of Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm equations. Utilizing the Langmuir isotherm equation, the monolayer capacity, V _m ,and the binding constant, K, have been evaluated. The change in free energy for the sorption of nuclides on bentonite has also been calculated.     

Comparison of Fibrous Carboxylic Ion Exchangers in Water Treatment to Remove Heavy Metal Ions

Treatment of drinking water to remove heavy metal ions Pb^{2 +}, Cu^{2 +}, Cd^{2 +}, Co^{2 +}, Ni^{2 +}, and Zn^{2 +} with commercial fibrous carboxylic ion exchangers FIBAN Kh-1, K-3, K-4, and K-5 was studied. Features of metal ion sorption from two-component solutions were determined. A comparative evaluation of the sorption selectivity of FIBAN fibrous ion exchangers with respect to heavy metal ions was made.     

A competitive transport across polymeric membranes. Study of complexation and separation of ions

The removal and separation of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) from nitrate aqueous solutions were studied by competitive transport across cellulose triacetate plasticized membranes modified with polyelectrolytes: polyethyleneimine (PEI) and polyethyleneglycol (PEG). Competitive transport of trace ions from aqueous solutions across polymer inclusion membranes containing a mixture of the three polymers (cellulose triacetate as the support) and tris(2-ethylhexyl-phosphate) (TEHP) as the plasticizer provide the selectivity order: Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Zn(II). A long-term transport experiment was carried out to demonstrate the durability of polymer inclusion membranes. A separation of bivalents cations (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺) and monovalent cations (K⁺ and Na⁺) is achieved.     

Cu(II) Hexacyanoferrate(III) Modified Carbon Paste Electrode; Application for Electrocatalytic Detection of Nitrite

Copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) film‐modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) has been prepared from various electrolytic aqueous solutions using consecutive cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammograms showed the direct deposition of CuHCF films from the mixing of Cu²⁺ and Fe(CN)₆^3? ions and each time with one of the six cations: H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Mg²⁺, and Al³⁺. The CuHCF film showed a single redox couple that exhibited a cation effect (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and NH₄⁺) and anion effect (Cl^?, NO₃^?, SO₄^2?, ClO₄^?, and BrO₃^?) in the cyclic voltammograms. Voltammetric studies have indicated that in presence of nitrite, the cathodic peak current of CuHCF increases, followed by a decrease in the corresponding anodic current. This indicated that nitrite was reduced by the redox mediator immobilized on the electrode surface via an electrocatalytic mechanism. The process of reduction and its kinetics were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry techniques. The electrocatalytic ability about 800 mV can be seen. The rate constant of the catalytic reduction of nitrite was found to be 7.9×10⁵ cm³ mol^?1 s^?1. Linearity range obtained was 5×10^?5?8.4×10^?3 by cyclic voltammetry and 8×10^?6?1.3×10^?3 and 4×10^?3?2×10^?2 by differential pulse voltammetry.     

Sorption of Cs<Superscript>+</Superscript> and Sr<Superscript>2+</Superscript> by ion exchanger based on titanium phosphate

Sorption capacity of a composite ion exchanger based on titanium phosphate for Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ cations was studied. The effect of pH and concentration of salts and, in particular, sodium chloride in solution on the sorption efficiency and distribution coefficient was analyzed. The diffusion coefficients were calculated for the Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ cations and the time of half-exchange of the Na⁺ cation for the Cs⁺ and Sr²⁺ cations was found.     

Cation binding by 2<Superscript>1</Superscript>,3<Superscript>1</Superscript>-diphenyl-l <Superscript>2</Superscript>,4<Superscript>2</Superscript>-dioxo-7,10,13-trioxa-1,4(3,1)-diquinoxalina-2 (2,3),3(3,2)-diindolizinacyclopentadecaphane and its acyclic analog

The binding of cations Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺, Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, NH₄ ⁺ (group I), H⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺, Ga³⁺ (group II), and Ca²⁺, Pb²⁺ (group III) by 2¹,3¹-diphenyl-l ²,4²-dioxo- 7,10,13-trioxa-l,4(3,1)-diquinoxalina-2(2,3),3(3,2)-diindolizinacyclopentadecaphane (1), which contains two indolizine and two quinoxaline fragments and 3,6,9-trioxaundecanes spacer, and by its acyclic analog (2) was studied using cyclic voltammetry in MeCN/0.1 M Bu₄NBF₄. It was concluded that the ions of group I are not bound by these compounds, the ions of group II exhibit the reversible redox-switched binding by the carbamoyl groups of the quinoxaline fragments, whereas the ions of group III are bound not only by the initial compounds and radical cations 1 and 2, but also by dication 1. This binding of the Ca²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions stabilizes dication 1.     

Substitution-Inert Metal Complex Mobile Phases in Non-Suppressed Cation Chromatography

Substitution-inert metal complexes, [Co(edda)(H₂O)₂]⁺, (Co(edda)(en)]⁺, [Co(edda)(dmen)]⁺, [Co(en)₂-(gly)]²⁺, [Co(en)₂(acac)]²⁺, and [Co(trien)(gly)]²⁺ in their nitrate salt solutions are used as eluents in nonsuppressed cation chromatography (where edda = ethylenediamine-N,N′-diacetic acid, en = ethylenediamine, dmen = N,N′-dime-thylethylenediamine, gly = glycine, acac = acetylacetone, and trien = triethylenetetraamine). It is found that all the mono- and di-valent charged complexes can be used to separate alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, respectively. The separations for monovalent cations are sometimes comparable to those using ultrapure HNO₃ solutions. However, the divalent Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions cannot be resolved using the metal complex eluents. On the other hand, a selected, direct non-suppressed IC separation of zinc(II) and cadmium(II) ions is demonstrated for the first time using a substitution-inert metal complex eluent and a conductivity detector. Comparisons of these eluents with those reported previously, i. e. HNO₃ and ethylenediammonium salt solution are made and explanations are proposed to account for the different selectivities observed where possible. The future development of this technique is also briefly discussed.