Validation of methodology for determination of the mercury methylation potential in sediments using radiotracers

Experiments to determine the mercury methylation potential were performed on sediments from two locations on the river Idrijca (Slovenia), differing in ambient mercury concentrations. The tracer used was the radioactive isotope ¹⁹⁷Hg. The benefit of using this tracer is its high specific activity, which enables spikes as low as 0.02 ng Hg²⁺ g⁻¹ of sample to be used. It was therefore possible to compare the efficiency of the methylation potential experiments over a range of spike concentrations from picogram to microgram levels. The first part of the work aimed to validate the experimental blanks and the second part consisted of several series of incubation experiments on two different river sediments using a range of tracer additions. The results showed high variability in the obtained methylation potentials. Increasing Hg²⁺ additions gave a decrease in the percentage of the tracer methylated during incubation; in absolute terms, the spikes that spanned four orders of magnitude (0.019–190 pg g⁻¹ of sediment slurry) resulted in MeHg formation between 0.01 and 0.1 ng MeHg g⁻¹ in Podroteja and Kozarska Grapa. Higher spikes resulted in slightly elevated MeHg production (up to a maximum of 0.27 ng g⁻¹). The values of methylation potential were similar in both sediments. The results imply that the experimental determination of mercury methylation potential strongly depends on the experimental setup itself and the amount of tracer added to the system under study. It is therefore recommended to use different concentrations of tracer and perform the experiments in several replicates. The amount of mercury available for methylation in nature is usually very small. Therefore, adding very low amounts of tracer in the methylation potential studies probably gives results that have a higher environmental relevance. It is also suggested to express the results obtained in absolute amounts of MeHg produced and not just as the percentage of the added tracer.     

Functionalization of one or two methyl groups in the [Cp*<Subscript>2</Subscript>RuBr]<Superscript>+</Superscript>Br<Superscript>−</Superscript> complex in the reaction with bromine

The reaction of [Cp*₂RuBr]⁺Br⁻ with bromine in CH₂Cl₂ (CD₂Cl₂) in an inert atmosphere at room temperature produces the complexes [Cp*Ru(Br)C₅Me₄CH₂Br]⁺Br₃ ⁻ (syn conformer), [Cp*Ru(Br)C₅Me₃(CH₂Br)₂]⁺ (syn and anti conformers), and [Ru(Br)(C₅Me₄CH₂Br)₂]⁺ (syn conformer). All complexes were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy; the former complex, by elemental analysis. These complexes were also prepared by the reaction of [Cp*RuC₅Me₄CH₂]⁺BF₄ ⁻ with bromine in CH₂Cl₂. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2712–2718, December, 2005.     

A new chelating resin containing 2-aminothiophenol: Synthesis characterization and determination of mercury in waste water using <Superscript>203</Superscript>Hg radiotracer

A new stable chelating resin was synthesized by incorporating 2-aminothiophenol into Merrifield polymer through C-N covalent bond and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and thermal study. The sorption capacity of the newly formed resin for Hg²⁺ as a function of pH has been studied using ²⁰³Hg radioisotope. The resin exhibits no affinity to alkali or alkaline earth metal ions and common anions. The separation of mercury(II) in presence of different alkali and alkaline earth metal ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺), common anions (ClO₄ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻) and other diverse ions (Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺) has been checked. In column operation it has been observed that Hg²⁺ content of the waste water can be removed at usual pH of natural water. Mercury was determined by isotope dilution method and the concentration of Hg²⁺ in the waste water spiked with ²⁰³Hg was found to be 0.05 to 0.09 μg/ml.     

A Simple Fluorometric Method Using Chlorophyll a for Determination of Hg2+ Ion

A simple and green analytical procedure based on chlorophyll a is presented for the determination of Hg²⁺ ion. Chlorophyll a was extracted and purified from the leaves of pea and is employed as a reagent for analysis of Hg²⁺ ion. It displays remarkable fluorescence emission at 674 nm when excited at 412 nm. The emission intensity decreased significantly on exposure to various concentrations of Hg²⁺ ion. This forms the basis for the determination of Hg²⁺ ion. The proposed method was evaluated for sensitivity and selectivity. The linear concentration range was found to be 2.0–10 μM with r² = 0.997 and the limit of detection for Hg²⁺ ion was 1.3 μM. Ions including Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ru³⁺, Er³⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, NH₄⁺, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, CH₃COO⁻ and SO₄²⁻ did not interfere with the measurement of Hg²⁺ ion even at 500-fold excess. Since chlorophyll a is widely available in the leaves of most plants, and the extraction and purification process is simple, this technique can provide an alternative, sensitive and economical way to determine Hg²⁺ ion.     

Crystal-chemical analysis of the structures of minerals with [Hg<Subscript>2</Subscript>]<Superscript>2+</Superscript> dumbbells

An analysis of the structures of minerals with [Hg₂]²⁺ dumbbells including poyarkovite [Hg₂]₃Cl₂O₂, shakhovite [Hg₂]₂Sb(OH)₃O₃, vasilyevite Hg₂₀O₆I₃Br₂Cl(CO₃), and kelyanite [Hg₂]₆[SbO₆]BrCl₂ was carried out. The determining factor in structure formation is the ordering of the centers of the cluster groups of mercury and large anions by systems of equidistant parallel planes with d _hkl ～ 2.5–4.5 Å. The different combinations of atoms and fragments in the structure are ordered by their own pseudotranslation lattices; this probably reflects the stages of crystallization. The crystal structures under study are examples of balance between the local interatomic interactions and the forces that create long-range order for different stoichiometries, masses, and sizes of components.     

Copper Incorporated [Me2(15)dieneN4] Macrocyclic Complex for Fabrication of PVC based Membrane Electrode for Copper

Copper (II) complex of 2,4-dimethyl-1,5,9,12-tetraazacyclopentadeca-1,4-diene, [Me₂(15)dieneN₄] was synthesized and used in the fabrication of Cu²⁺ – selective ISE membrane in PVC matrix. The membrane having Cu(II) macrocyclic complex as electroactive material along with sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as anion discriminator. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix was prepared for the determination of Cu²⁺. The best performance was observed by the membrane having Cu(II) complex–PVC–NaTPB–DBP with composition 1:5:1:3. The sensor worked well over a concentration range 1.12 × 10⁻⁶ M–1.0 × 10⁻¹ M between pH 2.1–6.2 and a fast response time 10±2 s and a lifetime of 6 months. Their performance in partially non-aqueous medium was found satisfactory. Electrodes exhibited excellent selectivity for Cu²⁺ ion over other mono-, di-, trivalent cations. It can also be used as indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Cu²⁺ against EDTA as well as in the determination of Cu²⁺ in real samples.     

Aluminum Solvate Complexes Forming in Acidic Methanol-Acetone Mixtures Studied by <Superscript>27</Superscript>Al NMR Spectroscopy

²⁷Al NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the study of coordination and solvation in both aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. In this study, the complexes coexisting upon dissolution of AlCl₃ in acidic acetone + methanol solutions are shown to consist essentially of mixed hexacoordinated species of the general formula [Al(CH₃OH)_6−n (CH₃COCH₃) _n ]³⁺ (n=1,2 and 3), all exhibiting distinctly different ²⁷Al shielding effects. The relative populations of the various mixed species are found to be highly dependent upon the acetone:methanol mole ratio that in the more acetone-rich mixtures with aluminum become appreciably coordinated by acetone. The results demonstrate that the key factor for the formation of acetone-containing species in acidic methanolic solutions is having the CH₃COCH₃:CH₃OH mole ratio at 3:1.     

Effects of La<Superscript>3+</Superscript> on inward K<Superscript>+</Superscript> channels at plasma membrane in guard cells

The effects of La³⁺ on inward K⁺ channels at plasma membrane in vicia guard cells are investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp recording mode. It is shown that La³⁺ on both sides of plasma membrane blocks inward K⁺ currents in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating that La³⁺ binding sites may exist on both sides of plasma membrane in guard cells in vicia. The dose response is fitted by the Michaelis-Menten relation characterized by an inhibitor constant K _i of 2.56±0.25 μmol · L⁻¹ (outside membrane) and (1.18±0.11)×10⁻¹⁵ mol · L⁻¹ (inside membrane). Intracellular La³⁺ has much stronger inhibitory effect on inward K⁺ currents than extracellular La³⁺ does, suggesting there may exist stronger binding sites inside membrane than outside membrane. Since ion channel activities of guard cells directly affect plant stomatal movement and water status, our results imply that rare earth elements might have potential practical values in regulating plant water status and strengthening plant drought endurance.     

Local structure and photoluminescent characteristics of Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> in ZnO–SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glasses

The photoluminescence properties of xZnO–(100−x)SiO₂ (x = 0, 5, 10, 20) containing 1% Eu₂O₃ prepared by a sol–gel method were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the relative proportion of f–f transitions to charge transfer (CT) absorption decreased with the increase of ZnO concentration. The intensity of ⁵D₀–⁷F_J transitions of Eu³⁺ ions was enhanced with the increase of ZnO content due to local structure changes and decreased quantities of Eu³⁺ ions clusters. The results of fluorescence line narrow (FLN) spectra indicated that Eu³⁺ ions occupied one site in SiO₂ glass and two sites in ZnO–SiO₂ glasses. The second-order crystal field parameters were calculated. B₂₀ and B₂₂ for site 1 increased with excitation energy, while ones hardly changed for site 2.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc-HEDTA/HYNIC-MPP4 complex for 5-HT<Subscript>1A</Subscript> receptor imaging

5-HT_1A receptor is associated with a variety of pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Accordingly, we have synthesized a new 5-HT_1A receptor ligand (HYNIC-MPP4) and labeled it with ^99mTc using N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA) as coligand. ^99mTc-HEDTA/HYNIC-MPP4 was prepared under pH 6 at room temperature. Biodistribution of 99mTc-HEDTA/HYNIC-MPP4 in normal mice showed that this complex had moderate brain uptake (0.60% ID·g⁻¹ at 2 min p.i.) and good retention. The hippocampus had the highest radioactivity uptake at 2 min p.i. (1.84% ID⋆g⁻¹). The ratio of Hipp/CB was 3.1 at 2 min p.i. and increased to 4.4 at 60 min p.i. After blocking with 8-hydroxy-2-(dipropylamino) tetralin, the uptake of hippocampus was decreased significantly from 1.84% ID·g⁻¹ to 0.53% ID·g⁻¹ at 2 min p.i., while the cerebellum had no significant decrease. This ^99mTc complex could be a potent agent for 5-HT_1A receptor imaging. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20401004) and the Analysis and Test fund of Beijing Normal University     

Non-chromatographic screening method for the determination of mercury species. Application to the monitoring of mercury levels in Antarctic samples

A simple non-chromatographic method for the determination of mercury (Hg²⁺), methylmercury (MeHg⁺), dimethylmercury (Me₂Hg), and phenylmercury (PhHg⁺) employing atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) as detection technique was developed. Mercury species showed a particular behavior in the presence of several reagents. In a first stage SnCl₂ was employed for Hg²⁺ determination; in a second step, [Hg²⁺ + PhHg⁺] concentration was determined using SnCl₂ and UV radiation. MeHg⁺ decomposition was prevented adding 2-mercaptoethanol. In a third stage, [Hg²⁺ + PhHg⁺ + MeHg⁺] concentration was determined using K₂S₂O₈. Finally, the four species were determined employing NaBH₄. Reagents concentration and flow rates were optimized. The extraction technique of mercury species involved the use of 2-mercaptoethanol as ion-pair reagent. The limits of detection for Hg²⁺, PhHg⁺, MeHg⁺, and Me₂Hg were 1, 40, 68, and 99 ng L⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation of 1.5, 3.1, 4.7 and 5.8%, respectively. Calibration curve was linear with a correlation factor equal to 0.9995. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the mercury species in two Antarctic materials: IRMM 813 (Adamussium colbecki) and MURST-ISS-A2 (Antarctic Krill).     

Solid phase extraction of trace amount of mercury from natural waters on silver and gold nanoparticles

Silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles impregnated in nylon membrane filters have been proposed as a new solid phase for preconcentration of mercury from natural waters. Water samples were treated with KMnO₄ to convert all mercury species to inorganic Hg²⁺ and this was followed by the reduction of Hg²⁺ with NaBH₄ to elemental Hg⁰. The determination of Hg was carried out by thermal evaporation of mercury from membrane filters using Zeeman mercury analyzer RA–915+ (Lumex, Russia). This process does not involve any additional sample treatment and sharply reduces risk of samples contamination. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.04 ng (absolute mass). Relative LOD was 0.4 ng L⁻¹ for 100 mL of water. The method was validated through the analysis of CRM NRCC Tort–2 (Lobster hepatopancreas) and the found value (0.30 ± 0.07 μg g⁻¹) was in good agreement with the certified value (0.27 ± 0.06 μg g⁻¹). High efficiency of Hg accumulation from aqueous phase to membrane filters can be attributed to a large surface area of nanoparticles.     

Theoretical study of the mechanism for C-H bond activation in spin-forbidden reaction between Ti<Superscript>+</Superscript> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The mechanism of the spin-forbidden reaction Ti⁺(⁴F, 3d²4s¹) + C₂H₄→TiC₂H₂ ⁺ (²A₂) + H₂ on both doublet and quartet potential energy surfaces has been investigated at the B3LYP level of theory. Crossing points between the potential energy surfaces and the possible spin inversion process are discussed by means of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) calculations. The strength of the SOC between the low-lying quartet state and the doublet state is 59.3 cm⁻¹ in the intermediate complex IM1-⁴B₂. Thus, the changes of its spin multiplicity may occur from the quartet to the doublet surface to form IM1-²A₁, leading to a sig-nificant decrease in the barrier height on the quartet PES. After the insertion intermediate IM2, two distinct reaction paths on the doublet PES have been found, i.e., a stepwise path and a concerted path. The latter is found to be the lowest energy path on the doublet PES to exothermic TiC₂H₂ ⁺(²A₂) + H₂ products, with the active barrier of 4.52 kcal/mol. In other words, this reaction proceeds in the following way: Ti⁺+C₂H₄→⁴IC→IM1-⁴B₂→^4,2ISC→IM1-²A₁→[²TS_ins]→IM2→[²TS_MCTS]→IM5→TiC₂H₂ ⁺(²A₂)+H₂. Supported by ‘Qinglan’ Talent Engineering Funds by Tianshui Normal University.     

Simultaneous determination of trace levels of ethylmercury and methylmercury in biological samples and vaccines using sodium tetra(<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-propyl)borate as derivatizing agent

Because of increasing awareness of the potential neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercury compounds, analytical techniques are required for determination of low concentrations of ethylmercury (EtHg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in biological samples. An accurate and sensitive method has been developed for simultaneous determination of methylmercury and ethylmercury in vaccines and biological samples. MeHg and EtHg were isolated by acid leaching (H₂SO₄–KBr–CuSO₄), extraction of MeHg and EtHg bromides into an organic solvent (CH₂Cl₂), then back-extraction into Milli-Q water. MeHg and EtHg bromides were derivatized with sodium tetrapropylborate (NaBPr₄), collected at room temperature on Tenax, separated by isothermal gas chromatography (GC), pyrolysed, and detected by cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS). The repeatability of results from the method was approximately 5–10% for EtHg and 5–15% for MeHg. Detection limits achieved were 0.01 ng g⁻¹ for EtHg and MeHg in blood, saliva, and vaccines and 5 ng g⁻¹ for EtHg and MeHg in hair. The method presented has been shown to be suitable for determination of background levels of these contaminants in biological samples and can be used in studies related to the health effects of mercury and its species in man. This work illustrates the possibility of using hair and blood as potential biomarkers of exposure to thiomersal.     

[1-B<Subscript>10</Subscript>H<Subscript>9</Subscript>N<Subscript>2</Subscript>]<Superscript>−</Superscript> and [1-CB<Subscript>9</Subscript>H<Subscript>10</Subscript>]<Superscript>−</Superscript> anions: an attempt of quantum chemical calculations

Comparative quantum chemical calculations of structural parameters, chemical shifts of ¹¹B NMR spectra, and atomic charges in 10-vertex boron hydride anions [1-CB₉H₁₀]⁻ and [1-B₁₀H₉N₂]⁻ were performed using the restricted Hartree-Fock method with the 6-31++G(D,P) basis set. Dedicated to Academician G. A. Abakumov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1853–1855, September, 2007.     

Synthesis and supercapacitance of flower-like Co(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> hierarchical superstructures self-assembled by mesoporous nanobelts

A facile hydrothermal strategy was first proposed to synthesize flower-like Co(OH)₂ hierarchical microspheres. Further physical characterizations revealed that the flower-like Co(OH)₂ microspherical superstructures were self-assembled by one-dimension nanobelts with rich mesopores. Electrochemical performance of the flower-like Co(OH)₂ hierarchical superstructures were investigated by cyclic voltammgoram, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Electrochemical data indicated that the flower-like Co(OH)₂ superstructures delivered a specific capacitance of 434 F g⁻¹ at 10 mA cm⁻² (about 1.33 A g⁻¹), and even kept it as high as 365 F g⁻¹ at about 5.33 A g⁻¹. Furthermore, the SC degradation of about 8% after 1,500 continuous charge–discharge cycles at 5.33 A g⁻¹ demonstrates their good electrochemical stability at large current densities.     

Comparison of Pyrolysis and Microwave Acid Digestion Techniques for the Determination of Mercury in Biological and Environmental Materials

 Microwave digestion reduction-aeration and pyrolysis combined with cold vapour atomic absorption and cold vapour atomic fluorescence are compared for the determination of total mercury in several biological and environmental matrices. The biological samples were digested in a mixture of HNO₃/H₂O₂, the environmental samples in a mixture of HNO₃/HClO₄. After reduction with SnCl₂, the mercury was collected by two-stage gold amalgamation. After microwave digestion reduction-aeration, detection limits of 1.4 ng g⁻¹ and 0.6 ng g⁻¹ were obtained for cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS), respectively, for 250 mg of environmental samples. For biological samples (500 mg) the detection limits were 0.7 ng g⁻¹ (CVAAS) and 0.4 ng g⁻¹ (CVAFS). After pyrolysis, detection limits of 3.5 ng g⁻¹ and 1.6 ng g⁻¹ for CVAAS and CVAFS, respectively, were obtained for a 10 mg sample. Pyrolysis can only be applied when the organic content of the sample is not too high. Accurate results were obtained for 8 certified reference materials of both environmental and biological origin. In addition, a real sludge sample was analysed. Author for correspondence. E-mail: richard.dams@rug.ac.be Received September 18, 2002; accepted December 3, 2002 Published online May 5, 2003     

Manifestation of electron-nuclear dynamics in <Superscript>59</Superscript>Co NQR spectra of a series of cobaltocenium derivatives

A coupling equation relating the quadrupole coupling constant (e² Qq _zz ) to the asymmetry parameter (η) of the electric field gradient for a series of cobaltocenium derivatives (⁵⁹Co NQR) is derived. The estimates of the correlation times of “slow” modulations of electron motions by tunneling processes lie in the range from 10⁻¹² to 10⁻¹⁴ s. This corresponds to the interval of the characteristic times of nuclear motions. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1919–1923, October, 2007.     

Synthesis of hydrochloric acid solution for total mercury determination in natural waters

Total mercury (Hg_T) determination requires the addition of concentrated hydrochloric acid solution (≥10 mol L⁻¹ HCl) in relatively high amounts to preserve the samples and to prepare reagent solutions. A method for the preparation of concentrated HCl with Hg_T concentration of lower than 5 ng L⁻¹ is described in this article. It is based on the well-known chemical reaction: 2 NH₄Cl + H₂SO₄ → (NH₄)₂SO₄ + 2 HCl. This method is validated thanks to the US Environmental Protection Agency method 1631 and standard reference materials BCR-579 (mercury in coastal seawater).     

Supramolecular assemblages through metal-η-arene π-interactions: Synthesis and X-ray characterization of {Hg[NNN(PhR)2]2}n (R = NO2, F), a bis diaryl-substituted triazenide complex polymer of Hg(II)

3-(2-fluorophenyl)-1-(3-nitrophenyl)triazene reacts with mercury(II) acetate in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of 2,2′-bipyridilamine to give yellow crystalline blocks of polymeric {Hg^II[NNN(PhR)₂]₂}_n (R = NO₂, F). The new triazenide complex belongs to the triclinic space group . In a molecule of {Hg^II[NNN(PhR)₂]₂} two deprotonated 1,3-diaryl-substituted triazenide ligands are coordinated in an opposite way to one Hg(II) ion by means of primary and secondary bonds. The Hg(II) ions are placed on the inversion centers of translation operated {Hg[NNN(PhR)₂]₂} moieties which are stacked along the crystallographic a-axis forming infinite unidimensional chains linked through metalocene alike Hg-η²,η²-arene π-interactions.