Automated apparatus for the rapid determination of liquid–liquid and solid–liquid phase transitions

An automated apparatus developed for the determination of liquid–liquid and solid–liquid equilibrium temperatures with a resolution of 1 mK and a traceable accuracy of 0.01 K is described. The amount of light transmitted through six sample cells placed in a computer controlled thermostat is recorded at heating or cooling rates from 0.075 to 15 K h⁻¹. The construction does not require expensive optic equipment like lasers, glass fibre optics or photomultipliers, but is based on light emitting diodes (LED) as light sources and light dependent resistors (LDR) or photodiodes as detectors. As shown by the discussed examples, the instrument has a wide range of possible applications from the investigation of simple one-component and binary systems to the study of the complicated phase behavior of surfactant solutions.     

Determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in urine by the combination of stir membrane liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction and liquid chromatography

A stir membrane liquid phase microextraction procedure working under the three-phase mode is proposed for the first time for the determination of six anti-inflammatory drugs in human urine. The target compounds are isolated and preconcentrated using a special device that integrates the extractant and the stirring element. An alkaline aqueous solution is used as extractant phase while 1-octanol is selected as supported liquid membrane solvent. After the extraction, all the analytes are determined by liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet detection (UV). The analytical method is optimized considering the main involved variables (e.g., pH of donor and acceptor phases, extraction time, stirring rate) and the results indicate that the determination of anti-inflammatory drugs at therapeutic and toxic levels is completely feasible. The limits of detection are in the range from 12.6 (indomethacin) to 30.7 μg/L (naproxen). The repeatability of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 5) varies between 3.4% (flurbiprofen) and 5.7% (ketoprofen), while the enrichment factors are in the range from 35.0 (naproxen) to 72.5 (indomethacin).     

Alkylsulfate-based ionic liquids in the liquid–liquid extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons

The (liquid + liquid) equilibrium data (LLE) for the extraction of toluene from heptane with different ionic liquids (ILs) based on the alkylsulfate anion (R-SO₄) was determined at T = 313.2 K and atmospheric pressure. The effect of more complex R-SO₄ anions on capacity of extraction and selectivity in the liquid–liquid extraction of toluene from heptane was studied. The ternary systems were formed by {heptane + toluene + 1,3-dimethylimidazolium methylsulfate ([mmim][CH₃SO₄]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogensulfate ([emim][HSO₄]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([emim][CH₃SO₄]), or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([emim][C₂H₅SO₄])}. The degree of quality of the experimental LLE data was ascertained by applying the Othmer–Tobias correlation. The phase diagrams for the ternary systems were plotted, and the tie lines correlated with the NRTL model compare satisfactorily with the experimental data.     

Measuring the optical chirality of molecular aggregates at liquid–liquid interfaces

Some new experimental methods for measuring the optical chirality of molecular aggregates formed at liquid–liquid interfaces have been reviewed. Chirality measurements of interfacial aggregates are highly important not only in analytical spectroscopy but also in biochemistry and surface nanochemistry. Among these methods, a centrifugal liquid membrane method was shown to be a highly versatile method for measuring the optical chirality of the liquid–liquid interface when used in combination with a commercially available circular dichroism (CD) spectropolarimeter, provided that the interfacial aggregate exhibited a large molar absorptivity. Therefore, porphyrin and phthalocyanine were used as chromophoric probes of the chirality of itself or guest molecules at the interface. A microscopic CD method was also demonstrated for the measurement of a small region of a film or a sheet sample. In addition, second-harmonic generation and Raman scattering methods were reviewed as promising methods for detecting interfacial optical molecules and measuring bond distortions of chiral molecules, respectively.     

Molecular simulation of the phase behaviour of ternary fluid mixtures: the effect of a third component on vapour–liquid and liquid–liquid coexistence

The Gibbs ensemble algorithm is implemented to determine the vapour–liquid and liquid–liquid phase coexistence of dilute ternary fluid mixtures interacting via a Lennard–Jones potential. Calculations are reported for mixtures with a third component characterised by different intermolecular potential energy parameters. Comparison with binary mixture data indicates that the choice of energy parameter for the third component affects the composition range of vapour–liquid substantially. The addition of a third component lowers the energy of liquid phase while slightly increasing the energy of the vapour phase.     

Cyclic voltammetry of the transfer of anionic surfactant across the liquid–liquid interface manifests electrochemical instability

Experimental evidence for the presence of the instability window in the polarized potential range of the phase-boundary potential has been obtained in cyclic voltammograms in the presence of the transfer of anionic surfactants across the 1,2-dichloroethane–water interface. Irregular current spikes and fluctuations appeared in the vicinity of the half-wave potential for the transfer of decyl sulfonate and dodecyl sulfate ions. Chaotic current became more pronounced with increasing the concentration of the ionic surfactant. This trend was in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction based on the recently proposed concept of the electrochemical instability.     

Ionic liquid based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the extraction of pesticides from bananas

This paper describes a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure using room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection capable of quantifying trace amounts of eight pesticides (i.e. thiophanate-methyl, carbofuran, carbaryl, tebuconazole, iprodione, oxyfluorfen, hexythiazox and fenazaquin) in bananas. Fruit samples were first homogenized and extracted (1 g) with acetonitrile and after suitable evaporation and reconstitution of the extract in 10 mL of water, a DLLME procedure using 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C₆MIM][PF₆]) as extraction solvent was used. Experimental conditions affecting the DLLME procedure (sample pH, sodium chloride percentage, ionic liquid amount and volume of disperser solvent) were optimized by means of an experimental design. In order to determine the presence of a matrix effect, calibration curves for standards and fortified banana extracts (matrix matched calibration) were studied. Mean recovery values of the extraction of the pesticides from banana samples were in the range of 69–97% (except for thiophanate-methyl and carbofuran, which were 53–63%) with a relative standard deviation lower than 8.7% in all cases. Limits of detection achieved (0.320–4.66 μg/kg) were below the harmonized maximum residue limits established by the European Union (EU). The proposed method, was also applied to the analysis of this group of pesticides in nine banana samples taken from the local markets of the Canary Islands (Spain). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of RTILs as extraction solvents for DLLME of pesticides from samples different than water.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction combined with liquid chromatography for the determination of chlorophenoxy acid herbicides in aqueous samples

A novel sample preparation method “Dispersive liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction” (DLLLME) was developed in this study. DLLLME was combined with liquid chromatography system to determine chlorophenoxy acid herbicide in aqueous samples. DLLLME is a rapid and environmentally friendly sample pretreatment method. In this study, 25 μL of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane was added to the sample solution and the targeted analytes were extracted from the donor phase by manually shaking for 90 s. The organic phase was separated from the donor phase by centrifugation and was transferred into an insert. Acceptor phase was added to this insert. The analytes were then back-extracted into the acceptor phase by mixing the organic and acceptor phases by pumping those two solutions with a syringe plunger. After centrifugation, the organic phase was settled and removed with a microsyringe. The acceptor phase was injected into the UPLC system by auto sampler. Fine droplets were formed by shaking and pumping with the syringe plunger in DLLLME. The large interfacial area provided good extraction efficiency and shortened the extraction time needed. Conventional LLLME requires an extraction time of 40–60 min; an extraction time of approximately 2 min is sufficient with DLLLME. The DLLLME technique shows good linearity (r² ≥ 0.999), good repeatability (RSD: 4.0–12.2% for tap water; 5.7–8.5% for river water) and high sensitivity (LODs: 0.10–0.60 μg/L for tap water; 0.11–0.95 μg/L for river water).     

Optimization of parameters for the alcoholic-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of estrogens in water

Extraction and determination of estrogens in water samples were performed using alcoholic-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (AA-DLLME) and high-performance liquid chromatography (UV/Vis detection). A Plackett–Burman design and a central composite design were applied to evaluate the AA-DLLME procedure. The effect of six parameters on extraction efficiency was investigated. The factors studied were volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time, pH, amount of salt and agitation rate. According to Plackett–Burman design results, the effective parameters were volume of extraction solvent and pH. Next, a central composite design was applied to obtain optimal condition. The optimized conditions were obtained at 220 μL 1-octanol as extraction solvent, 700 μL ethanol as dispersive solvent, pH 6 and 200 μL sample volume. Linearity was observed in the range of 1–500 μg L^?1 for E2 and 0.1–100 μg L^?1 for E1. Limits of detection were 0.1 μg L^?1 for E2 and 0.01 μg L^?1 for E1. The enrichment factors and extraction recoveries were 42.2, 46.4 and 80.4, 86.7, respectively. The relative standard deviations for determination of estrogens in water were in the range of 3.9–7.2 % (n = 3). The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of estrogens in environmental water samples.     

Estimation of spinodals from the density profile of the vapor–liquid interface

An extension of a recently proposed method for the calculation of the spinodals in pure fluid systems from the interfacial properties is elaborated, which requires the density profile as only input. The foundation of this approach is the so-called Fuchs-transformation which gives an estimate for the tangential pressure profile from the density profile. Using molecular dynamics simulation data for argon and carbon dioxide as well as lattice Boltzmann simulation data for the argon-like Shan–Chen fluid, the accuracy of the approach is analyzed. The Fuchs-transformation is qualitative, however it is possible to estimate the temperature–density projection of the spinodal. Depending on the underlying correlation function for the interfacial density profile reasonable results are obtained for the liquid and the vapor spinodal. The advantage of this method is that equilibrium data can be used to estimate the spinodal which is experimentally impossible to access because it is a highly non-equilibrium property. In the final consequence of this approach only the coexistence vapor and liquid densities are required to estimate the temperature–density projection of the spinodals.     

Modeling of liquid–liquid equilibrium of polyethylene glycol-salt aqueous two-phase systems—the effect of partial dissociation of the salt

The modified NRTL model proposed in the previous paper [Y.-T., Wu, D.-Q. Lin, Z.-Q. Zhu, L.-H. Mei, Fluid Phase Equilibria 124 (1996) 67–79.] is further extended to include the effect of partial dissociation of salts in polyethylene glycol (PEG)–salt aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS), and is used to calculate the liquid–liquid equilibrium phase diagrams such as PEG–(NH₄)₂SO₄ and PEG–MgSO₄ ATPS. The phase diagrams of PEG–uni-bivalent salt ATPS can be correctly represented in the cases of both complete dissociation and partial dissociation of the salt, while those of PEG–MgSO₄ ATPS can only be described in the case of partial dissociation of the salt. The analysis shows that the salts may have different existing states in the ATPS. The effect of partial dissociation of the salts on the phase diagrams should be considered, especially for systems such as PEG–MgSO₄ ATPS.     

Phase separation of gas–liquid and liquid–liquid microflows in microchips

Phase separation of gas–liquid and liquid–liquid microflows in microchannels were examined and characterized by interfacial pressure balance. We considered the conditions of the phase separation, where the phase separation requires a single phase flow in each output of the microchannel. As the interfacial pressure, we considered the pressure difference between the two phases due to pressure loss in each phase and the Laplace pressure generated by the interfacial tension at the interface between the separated phases. When the pressure difference between the two phases is balanced by the Laplace pressure, the contact line between the two phases is static. Since the contact angle characterizing the Laplace pressure is restricted to values between the advancing and receding contact angles, the Laplace pressure has a limit. When the pressure difference between the two phases exceeds the limiting Laplace pressure, one of the phases leaks into the output channel of the other phase, and the phase separation fails. In order to experimentally verify this physical picture, microchips were used having a width of 215 μm and a depth of 34 μm for the liquid–liquid microflows, a width of 100 μm and a depth of 45 μm for the gas–liquid microflows. The experimental results of the liquid–liquid microflows agreed well with the model whilst that of the gas–liquid microflows did not agree with the model because of the compressive properties of the gas phase and evaporation of the liquid phase. The model is useful for general liquid–liquid microflows in continuous flow chemical processing.     

Comparison of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and hollow fiber liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of fentanyl,alfentanil, and sufentanil in water and biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and hollow fiber liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (HF-LLLME) combined with HPLC–DAD have been applied for the determination of three narcotic drugs (alfentanil, fentanyl, and sufentanil) in biological samples (human plasma and urine). Different DLLME parameters influencing the extraction efficiency such as type and volume of the extraction solvent and the disperser solvent, concentration of NaOH, and salt addition were investigated. In the HF-LLLME, the effects of important parameters including organic solvent type, concentration of NaOH as donor solution, concentration of H₂SO₄ as acceptor phase, salt addition, stirring rate, temperature, and extraction time were investigated and optimized. The results showed that both extraction methods exhibited good linearity, precision, enrichment factor, and detection limit. Under optimal condition, the limits of detection ranged from 0.4 to 1.9 μg/L and from 1.1 to 2.3 μg/L for DLLME and HF-LLLME, respectively. For DLLME, the intra- and inter-day precisions were 1.7–6.4% and 14.2–15.9%, respectively; and for HF-LLLME were 0.7–5.2% and 3.3–10.1%, respectively. The enrichment factors were from 275 to 325 and 190 to 237 for DLLME and HF-LLLME, respectively. The applicability of the proposed methods was investigated by analyzing biological samples. For analysis of human plasma and urine samples, HF-LLLME showed higher precision, more effective sample clean-up, higher extraction efficiency, lower organic solvent consumption than DLLME.     

Evolution of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has become a very popular environmentally benign sample-preparation technique, because it is fast, inexpensive, easy to operate with a high enrichment factor and consumes low volume of organic solvent. DLLME is a modified solvent extraction method in which acceptor-to-donor phase ratio is greatly reduced compared with other methods. In this review, in order to encourage further development of DLLME, its combination with different analytical techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) will be discussed. Also, its applications in conjunction with different extraction techniques such as solid-phase extraction (SPE), solidification of floating organic drop (SFO) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) are summarized. This review focuses on the extra steps in sample preparation for application of DLLME in different matrixes such as food, biological fluids and solid samples. Further, the recent developments in DLLME are presented. DLLME does have some limitations, which will also be discussed in detail. Finally, an outlook on the future of the technique will be given.     

The influence of the temperature on the liquid–liquid equlibria of the mixture limonene + ethanol + H2O

In this work, experimental liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) of the limonene + ethanol + water system are presented. The LLE of this system has been measured at 293.15, 303.15, 313.15 and 323.15 K. The equilibrium data presented are correlated using NRTL and UNIQUAC equations. Finally, the reliability of these models is tested by comparison with experimental results.     

Modelling of high-pressure phase equilibria using the Sako–Wu–Prausnitz equation of state: II. Vapour–liquid equilibria and liquid–liquid equilibria in polyolefin systems

Phase equilibria in binary and ternary polyolefin systems are calculated using the cubic equation of state proposed by Sako–Wu–Prausnitz (SWP). Calculations were done for high-pressure phase equilibria in ethylene/polyethylene (LDPE) systems and for liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) in systems containing either high-density polyethylene or poly(ethylene-co-propylene). The calculations for the copolymer/solvent systems are compared with those using the SAFT EOS. The two equations of state can describe UCST, LCST as well as U-LCST behaviour with similar accuracy. Whereas, the binary interaction parameter is temperature-independent for SAFT, it is found to be a function of temperature for the SWP model. Moreover, the influence of an inert gas on the LCST of the polyethylene/hexane system is investigated using the SWP EOS. The polydispersity of the different polyethylenes is considered in the phase equilibrium calculations using pseudocomponents chosen by the moments of the experimental molecular weight distributions.     

Mechanism of the emergence of the photo-EMF upon silicon liquid crystal–single crystal contact

The effect light has on a silicon liquid crystal–single crystal contact at different temperatures of the surface doping of silicon, and when BaTiO₃ nanoparticles are added to the composition of a liquid crystal, is studied. The mechanism of the emergence of the photo-EMF in the liquid crystal–silicon structure is explained.