Optical fiber sensor for berberine based on fluorescence quenching of 2-(4-diphenylyl)-6-phenylbenzoxazole

A new optical fiber sensor was prepared for the determination of berberine in aqueous solution using a micrometer-sized flow-cell and a bifurcated optical fiber. The sensing is based on fluorescence quenching of 2-(4-diphenylyl)-6-phenylbenzoxazole (PBBO) in the PVC membrane. This process is accompanied by non-fluorescent ground-state complex formation. With this sensor, berberine can be determined in sample solutions from 2.42 × 10^–5 mol L^–1 to 6.04 × 10^–7 mol L^–1. Satisfactory reproducibility, reversibility, and short response times of less than 1 min are realized. The sensor also shows good selectivity over some common pharmaceutical species and alkali and alkali-earth metal salts, and can be used for the direct assay of berberine in commercial tablets. The results are in correspondence with those obtained by the pharmacopoeia method. Received: 4 April 1997 / Revised: 8 August 1997 / Accepted: 12 August 1997     

Optical fiber sensor for berberine based on fluorescence quenching of 2-(4-diphenylyl)-6-phenylbenzoxazole

A new optical fiber sensor was prepared for the determination of berberine in aqueous solution using a micrometer-sized flow-cell and a bifurcated optical fiber. The sensing is based on fluorescence quenching of 2-(4-diphenylyl)-6-phenylbenzoxazole (PBBO) in the PVC membrane. This process is accompanied by non-fluorescent ground-state complex formation. With this sensor, berberine can be determined in sample solutions from 2.42 × 10^–5 mol L^–1 to 6.04 × 10^–7 mol L^–1. Satisfactory reproducibility, reversibility, and short response times of less than 1 min are realized. The sensor also shows good selectivity over some common pharmaceutical species and alkali and alkali-earth metal salts, and can be used for the direct assay of berberine in commercial tablets. The results are in correspondence with those obtained by the pharmacopoeia method. Received: 4 April 1997 / Revised: 8 August 1997 / Accepted: 12 August 1997     

Infrared spectroscopic characterization of the buried interface and surfaces of bonded silicon wafers

Basic investigations have been carried out on the characterization of different processing steps in bond preparation using etched <111> faces of silicon wafers for the incidence of the infrared beam to a multiple internal reflection geometry. The method is very sensitive to the surface coverage and interface. Surface activation by RCA cleaning yields an increase of water coverage and a decrease of SiH and CH groups. The detection limit for an oxide layer between silicon wafers has been found to be about 3 nm. Received: 18 July 1997 / Revised: 15 August 1997 / Accepted: 19 August 1997     

Correlation between XPS, Raman and TEM measurements and the gas sensitivity of Pt and Pd doped SnO2 based gas sensors

Nanocrystalline thick-film SnO₂ sensors with different dopants were fabricated by an optimized screen printing process and subsequent annealing. Powders were used as starting materials which were prepared by a wet chemical process from SnCl₄. Microanalysis was performed of both, the precursors and the final sensor materials with their different annealing conditions. Gas sensing tests with CO, CH₄ and NO₂ in air with controlled humidity were correlated with results from X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As an interesting result, the distribution of the transition metal dopants Pd and Pt (as deduced from TEM and XPS data) rules out the existence of metallic clusters or even atoms in the metallic state at the surface. This finding does not allow to explain the sensor effects on SnO₂ based materials as usually done by means of spill-over effects or Fermi energy control. Received: 8 August 1997 / Revised: 24 October 1997 / Accepted: 31 October 1997     

Diminishing hazardous air pollutant emissions from pyrolysis of furan no-bake binders using methanesulfonic acid as the binder catalyst

The formation of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in thermal decomposition of furan no-bake foundry binders was investigated using analytical pyrolysis techniques. Two furan binders cured with p-xylenesulfonic acid (conventional acid catalyst used in foundries) and methanesulfonic acid (alternative catalyst proposed for diminishing HAPs) were flash pyrolyzed in a Curie-point pyrolyzer at 920 °C and slowly pyrolyzed in a thermogravimetric analyzer from 50 to 800 °C with a heating rate of 20 °C min^?1. Similar HAPs (mainly benzene, toluene, and xylenes) were identified in the emissions of the two binders. However, the HAP yields were much higher for the binder cured with p-xylenesulfonic acid than for the binder cured with methanesulfonic acid (3.74 and 1.24 mg HAPs/g binder pyrolyzed, respectively). By analyzing the HAP formation pathways, it was concluded that for the binder cured with p-xylenesulfonic acid, the aromatic HAPs were originated mainly from the acid catalyst. In addition, some HAPs (predominantly benzene) could be formed from the recombination of furan-derived fragments (e.g., C₂–C₄ radicals generated from ring-opening of furans). The results suggest that by replacing the conventionally used catalysts (arylsulfonic acids) with methanesulfonic acid, the HAP emissions from furan no-bake molds can be decreased significantly in metal casting processes.     

Development of porous and dispersed CRM

Porous and finely dispersed certified reference materials (CRM) were certified using the gas adsorption method. The special certification procedure for IUPAC isotherm classification types I, II, and IV is presented for meso- and macroporous materials with special emphasis on specific surface area, specific pore volume and pore width according to standards DIN 66 131, 66 134, and 66 135. Four CRMs (SiO₂, α-Al₂O₃, two transition aluminas) with a macro- and mesopore range are presented. Certification was made on the basis of BCR guidelines in connection with interlaboratory tests (altogether 38 participating laboratories, 44 various gas adsorption apparatus). Received: 25 April 1997 / Revised: 22 August 1997 / Accepted: 28 August 1997     

Cyclic voltammetric studies of certain industrially potential iron chelate catalysts

 For the analysis of infrared spectroscopic bands and complex patterns partial cross correlation functions of a sample spectrum with reference spectra are calculated. The chosen ranges of the spectra are based on empirical knowledge of infrared spectrum structure correlations. The normalised maxima of the partial cross correlation functions are interpreted as fuzzy truth values and are combined by fuzzy logical operators. By application of that procedure larger common substructures will be derived from the reference spectra than by a maximum common substructure search based on the complete spectra. Received: 30 October 1996/Revised: 24 February 1997/Accepted: 26 February 1997     

Determination of antimony in rain water at the nanogram level with surfactant and brilliant green

A new, simple, selective and sensitive method for the spectrophotometric determination of antimony in rain water is described. It includes preconcentrating Sb with surfactants (i.e. cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and Triton X-100 (TX-100)) into toluene and allowing the extract to react with a dye, i.e. brilliant green (BG). The value of apparent molar absorptivity is 5.55 × 10⁵ L-mol^–1· cm^–1 at λ_max = 620 nm; the detection limit is 3 ng/mL Sb in rain water at 3-fold preconcentration. Received: 6 June 1997 / Revised: 1 August 1997 / Accepted: 5 August 1997     

Phase behavior of ABC-triblock copolymers with two inherently miscible blocks

 The phase behavior of ternary poly-1,4-isoprene-block-poly-1,2-butadiene-block-polystyrene (ABC) triblock copolymers based on a compatible diblock copolymer attached to an incompatible C-block of different lengths is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis. It is shown that the system behaves like a binary diblock copolymer of a mixed AB-block and a microphase separated C-block. Received: 10 June 1997 Accepted: 19 August 1997     

Proficiency tests using four batches of green alga with controlled levels of cadmium

A set of test materials of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris with different levels of naturally bound Cd and about the same levels of other 13 essential or trace elements (BIOMA 1–4) was produced for proficiency testing of laboratories involved in elemental analysis of food. Criteria of the laboratories’ performance, such as the z-score and combination scores RSZ and SSZ were evaluated and discussed in terms of their suitability for proficiency testing using a set of test materials with the same matrix. The use of the test materials as a set of internal reference materials has also been suggested. Received: 23 May 1997 / Revised: 1 August 1997 / Accepted: 11 August 1997     

Supercritical fluid extraction combined with solid phase extraction as sample preparation technique for the analysis of β-blockers in serum and urine

A method is developed for the determination of β-blockers in serum and urine at levels of 0.5 μg/mL. The technique uses a combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) with in situ derivatization and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with subsequent gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The optimization of the SFE step shows that a static extraction period can be eliminated. The method gives good linearity (r = 0.991–0.999) and repeatability in the concentration range of 0.5 to 5 μg/mL. Relative standard deviations for oxprenolol, propanolol and metoprolol were less than 5% in serum and 5–11% in urine. Received: 23 May 1997 / Revised: 28 July 1997 / Accepted: 5 August 1997     

Development and certification of reference materials for residues of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides in beef fat ACSL CRM 1 and 2

Beef fat samples were prepared and tested as candidate reference materials for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides. The CRMs consisted of beef fat spiked with pesticide solutions. One sample (ACSL CRM 1) was prepared containing close to 0.2 mg/kg of each of the organochlorine pesticides dieldrin and heptachlor epoxide. A second sample (ACSL CRM 2) was prepared containing close to 0.8 mg/kg of each of the organophosphorus pesticides diazinon, chlorpyrifos and ethion. The spiking levels and homogeneity of the materials were verified. The coefficients of variation of 5 analyses carried out to test between-jar homogeneity for each reference material were dieldrin, 3.5%; heptachlor epoxide, 1.1%; diazinon, 2.1%; chlorpyrifos, 1.2% and ethion, 3.1%. No instability in any of these compounds was detected over a twelve month period. The candidate reference materials were found to be suitable for certification by interlaboratory testing. The certification process was based on a two-stage nested design described in ISO Guide 35. Analysis of results reported by collaborating laboratories provided an assessment of the homogeneity of the reference materials. The certified values together with their upper and lower 95% confidence limits are: ACSL CRM 1*Dieldrin*0.199 mg/kg **(0.188, **0.210 mg/kg) *Heptachlor epoxide*0.194 mg/kg **(0.176, **0.212 mg/kg) ACSL CRM 2*Diazinon*0.805 mg/kg **(0.755, **0.855 mg/kg) *Chlorpyrifos*0.790 mg/kg **(0.728, **0.852 mg/kg) *Ethion*0.813 mg/kg **(0.746, **0.879 mg/kg). A certificate for each material was prepared according to the guidelines set out in ISO Guide 31. Received: 25 April 1997 / Revised: 19 August 1997 / Accepted: 28 August 1997     

New test tools: Benzidine on cellulose and silica gel

Chromogenic reagents based on covalent and non-covalent immobilization of benzidine on cellulose and silica gels have been developed and investigated. New test tools and test methods have been elaborated for the determination of chlorine in the concentration range of 0.05–120 mg/L. Received: 6 August 1997/Revised: 13 January 1998/ Accepted: 12 February 1998     

Hydrocarbon group type analysis of petroleum heavy fractions using the TLC-FID technique

Hydrocarbon group type analysis is important in all conversion processes and in preparation of feed for these conversion processes so as to learn the selectivity of the different type of catalysts for product yield and quality. The use of the Mark 5 Iatroscan detector and the method reported here allowed for a rapid and quantitative hydrocarbon group type analysis of petroleum residues without prior separation of asphaltenes. SARA type analyses of petroleum residues have been performed by a three stage development using n-hexane, toluene and DCM (95%):MeOH (5%). The standard deviation and coefficient of variation in repeated measurements by this method were as low as 0.65 wt% or less and 3.5 wt% or less, respectively. The time required for analysis of 10 samples could be as short as 90 min. Received: 20 May 1997 / Revised: 12 August 1997 / Accepted: 16 August 1997     

Production and certification of environmental reference materials in Romania

Preparation techniques for single-element and multielement standard solutions, with special emphasis on the potential progress in this field are presented. A short review of locally available reference materials is given. Some aspects of the experience accumulated in Romania regarding the various certification approaches of reference materials are presented and the main characteristics of these certified reference materials are listed. Received: 23 May 1997 / Revised: 15 August 1997 / Accepted: 15 August 1997     

Rapid and reliable spectral variable selection for statistical calibrations based on PLS-regression vector choices

The optimum number of spectral variables necessary for analytical spectroscopy is still a subject of debate. For sensor applications using miniaturized instrumentation, a small set of significant wavelengths with robust predictive performance is especially appreciated. A fast procedure is proposed, based on pairwise selection of spectral variables suggested by the weights of the optimum PLS-regression vector. The performance of multiple linear regression models based on such choices was similar to, and sometimes improved on full spectrum based modeling. Several examples from clinical studies of blood substrate assays using attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy of biofluids are presented. Received: 5 December 1996 / Revised: 13 May 1997 / Accepted: 22 May 1997     

Humic acid-divalent cation interactions

The adsorption behavior of divalent cations M²⁺ (Cu, Ni, Co and Zn) with commercial humic acid (HAAl) and also with an extracted fraction of peat soil (HAPs) was followed in aqueous solution. The series of adsorption isotherms were fitted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles adsorbed gave: 0.55±0.02, 0.66±0.02, 0.54±0.02, 0.40±0.02 mmol per gram for HAAl and 0.63±0.03, 0.61±0.06, 0.55±0.02, 0.54±0.03 mmol/g for solid HAPs, for copper, nickel, zinc and cobalt, respectively. The same interaction followed calorimetrically gave endothermic values: 2.4±1.0, 8.4±0.9, 18.3±0.9, 10.6±0.9 kJ mol⁻¹ and 18.4±1.2, 15.9±1.4, 15.4±1.2, 15.0±1.2 kJ mol⁻¹ for HAAl and HAPs, respectively, for the same sequence. Because all Gibbs free energies were negative. Complexation must be accompanied by an increase in entropy.     

Determination of alkaline phosphatase activity in human sera by mid-FTIR spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is applied to the determination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in human sera. 4-nitrophenylphosphate was found to be an excellent ALP substrate for FT-IR spectroscopic detection. The developed method is based on the acquisition of two FT-IR spectra: one recorded immediately after mixing the sample and assay solution and the other after an incubation time of 10 min. Spectral changes in the mid IR range due to the enzymatic reaction could be correlated to the ALP activity in the sample. Experimental conditions were established such that the clinically relevant range for determination of ALP activity in human sera (50 to 900 U/L) was covered. The method was applied to the analysis of ALP activities in standard solutions as well as in human sera yielding results which agreed well with those obtained by a standard reference method. Received: 20 June 1997 / Accepted: 16 September 1997     

Evaluation by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of the different crystalline forms in syndiotactic polystyrene samples

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS) semicrystalline samples have been examined by using the spectral subtraction approach. For the crystalline forms including trans-planar chains (trigonal α and orthorhombic β) a number of conformational and structural order effects, not previously described in the literature, have been identified. A method based on the results of the spectral subtraction analysis has been developed for the determination of the crystallinity degree and compared with the standard method based on the wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns. The spectral subtraction analysis on FTIR spectra allows also an easy evaluation of the amount of α and β crystalline phases (often simultaneously present in melt-crystallized samples) although both contain chains in a same conformation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 1055–1066, 1997