Ruthenium-doped sol-gel derived silica films: Oxygen sensitivity of optical decay times

Sol-gel silica thin films, produced by a dip-coating process, were impregnated with the complexes Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ and Ru(Ph₂phen) ₃ ²⁺ . For each complex ruthenium fluorescence was quenched in the presence of oxygen. Intensity and decay time Stern-Volmer plots were produced for both complexes. The optical decay times were analysed in terms of one quenched and one unquenched component, the latter arising from the fraction of complex molecules which are inaccessible to oxygen. All the data were consistent with the predominance of dynamic quenching in these systems. The feasibility of an oxygen sensor based on decay times was discussed.     

Reaction of menthol and phenol in the presence of aluminium alkoxides

Phenol was alkylated with menthol in the presence of organoaluminium catalysts such as aluminium phenoxide and aluminium isopropoxide. Reaction products were isolated and characterized. Certain features of the process were determined. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 363–366, July–August, 2008.     

Aqueous sol-gel synthesis route for the preparation of YAG: Evaluation of sol-gel process by mathematical regression model

Yttrium aluminium garnet (Y₃Al₅O₁₂, YAG) polycrystalline samples have been prepared by a simple aqueous sol-gel methodology. The influence of nineteen sol-gel processing variables on the formation of YAG has been investigated. Effects of different fabrication parameters on the phase purity and morphological properties of the compounds were studied by energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters of the sol-gel processing such as pH of starting solution, concentration and nature of complexing ligand, temperature and duration of gelation, powder rehomogenization during annealing, duration and temperature of the final heat treatment were found to be the most significant. For the evaluation and verification of the experimental results the Brandon's model of a multiple regression was successfully used.     

High-performance liquid chromatography method development and validation for simultaneous determination of five model compounds, antipyrine, metoprolol, ketoprofen, furosemide and phenol red, as a tool for the standardization of rat in situ intestinal permeability studies using timed wavelength detection

A simple, precise, accurate and rugged reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of five permeability model compounds, viz. antipyrine, metoprolol, ketoprofen, furosemide and phenol red. The method was intended to standardize rat in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion studies to assess the intestinal permeability of drugs in the market as well as new chemical entities. Optimum resolution was achieved by gradient elution on a Symmetry Shield C-18 analytical column with the mobile phase consisting of a mixture of aqueous potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (pH 5.5; 0.01 m) and methanol at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The retention times of antipyrine, metoprolol, ketoprofen, phenol red and furosemide were about 9, 12, 13, 16 and 17 min, respectively. Data acquisition was carried out using a photo diode array detector in the wavelength range 210-600 nm. Extraction of chromatograms was carried out by timed wavelength. Data obtained in all studies indicated that the method was suitable for the intended purpose. The validated method was found to be linear and precise in the working range. Suitability of storage under various conditions and freeze/thaw impact at cold temperature were established to ensure complete sample recovery without any stability issues. Recovery very close to the spiked amounts indicated that the method was highly accurate and suitable for use on routine basis.     

Preparation of thick silica films in the presence of poly(acrylic acid) by using electrophoretic sol-gel deposition

Thick silica films were fabricated by electrophoretic sol-gel deposition of silica particles on a stainless steel sheet. Using sols prepared by the sol-gel method with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) films of ca. 25 m in thickness were prepared with no cracks. The films were shown to be agglomerates of monodispersed silica particles with PAA. The size of the silica particles decreased with an increase in the added amount of PAA. The deposited weight was considerably larger for the films with PAA than that of the films without PAA.     

Selective detection of gas-phase TNT by integrated optical waveguide spectrometry using molecularly imprinted sol-gel sensing films

A chemical sensor was developed to detect the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) utilizing planar integrated optical waveguide (IOW) attenuated total reflection spectrometry. Submicron thick films of organically modified sol-gel polymers were deposited on the waveguide surface as the sensing layer. Sol-gels were molecularly imprinted for TNT using covalently bound template molecules linked to the matrix through 1 or 2 carbamate linkages. Upon chemical cleavage of the template and displacement of the TNT-like pendant groups from the matrix, shape-selective binding sites were created that possess a primary amine group. The amine was used to deprotonate bound TNT yielding an anionic form that absorbs visible light. Binding of TNT and subsequent conversion to the anion results in the attenuation of light propagating through the waveguide, thus creating a spectrophotometric device. Sensitivity can be achieved by taking advantage of the substantial pathlength provided by the use of single mode IOWs. The limit-of-detection to gas-phase TNT was found to be five parts-per-billion (ppbV) in ambient air at a flow rate of 40 mL min⁻¹ given a 60 s sampling time. The sensor is highly selective for TNT due to the selectivity of binding site recognition of TNT and the subsequent generation of the TNT anion. Response to TNT is not reversible which results in an integrating sensor device which, in theory, can improve the ability to detect small amounts of the explosive if the exposure time is sufficient in length.     

Spectrophotometric determination of aluminum with bromopyrogallol red in the presence of surfactants

Spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of microgram amounts of aluminum based on the formation of a ternary complex between the metal, bromopyrogallol red, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide or nonylphenol tetradecaethylene glycol ether. The complexes have absorbance maxima at 627 and 612 nm, respectively, with molar absorptivities of 5.0 × 10⁴ and 2.2 × 10⁴ liter mol^?1 cm^?1. Numerous metals interfere. Aluminum can be easily separated by extraction of interfering ions with cupferron.     

sol-gel 法在有机-无机杂化体系中制备二氧化硅微粒

利用sol-gel法,通过正硅酸乙酯（tetraethyl orthosilicate（TEOS））在聚氧化乙烯／二甲基甲酰胺溶液中水解、缩聚,制备了粒径分布均匀的微米级二氧化硅粒子;利用扫描电子显微镜观测了制备条件对二氧化硅粒子的粒度和形貌的影响;研究了这一方法在制备无机粒子过程中的原理．     

Development,validation and application of an HPLC method for phenol electrooxidation products in the presence of chloride

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated to determine phenol and potential intermediates from hydroxylation (hydroquinone, benzoquinone, catechol) and hypochlorination (2-chlorophenol, 3-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol, 2,3,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol) pathways during electrooxidation in the presence of chloride. A Hypersil ODS column (150 mm L × 4.6 mm I.D.) was used for the separation. The best separation was achieved when using a time variant gradient between a water mobile phase (with 0.1% formic acid adjusted to pH 3.0 with 0.1 mM sulfuric acid) and an organic phase (90:5:5 by volume mixture of acetonitrile:methanol:acetic acid). The flow rate was 0.8 mL min^?1 and UV absorbance was monitored at 270, 280, 290 and 300 nm, choosing the wavelength of strongest response for each compound. The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were tested using five replicates each day on three consecutive days.     

Voltammetric Behaviour of Nickel in the presence of cobalt and zinc ions and surfactants

The reduction of the nickel dimethyldioxime complex at mercury electrodes is investigated in the presence of electrochemically interfering ions (Co²⁺, Zn²⁺). In addition the influence of various surfactants on the reduction process was studied by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry. An improvement of the selectivity without a loss of sensitivity was achieved for the trace determination of nickel in the presence of cobalt by the use of an in-situ modification of the mercury electrode with adsorbed tetrabutylammonium. It is shown that a 10⁶-fold excess of zinc does not distrub the nickel signal in the presence of a sufficient amount of ammonia in the supporting electrolyte.     

Technological significance of sol-gel process and process-induced variations in sol-gel materials and coatings

A significant aspect of sol-gel technology is the capability it provides to affect the substructure of materials by controlling the nature and the kinetics of chemical reactions. This capability allows us to produce novel materials, design unique molecular and pore morphologies, circumvent high-temperature reactions, and modify material properties. The modifications include strongly thermodynamic-dependent high-temperature properties such as sintering, crystallization, and viscosity in glass and ceramic materials. A particularly exciting area for investigation is the optical-electronic field, where a significant dependence of electro-optical properties and photosensitivity on process-induced molecular-structural variations occurs. Understanding the basis for the creation of structural variations in sol-gel processes should have significant impact on the technologies and systems that use these materials. In this article, some fundamental aspects of alkoxide-based, sol-gel processes and thermochemical bases for process-induced structural variates are discussed.     

Adsorption stripping voltammetry of phenol at Nafion-modified glassy carbon electrode in the presence of surfactants

In this paper, a new voltammetric method for the determination of phenol is described. In pH 8.00 phosphate buffer and in the presence of long-chain cationic surfactant—cetyltrimethylammonium bromide—phenol has a very sensitive oxidation peak at 0.47 V (vs. SCE) on the Nafion-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The experimental parameters, such as supporting electrolyte and pH values, amounts of Nafion, varieties and concentration of surfactants, accumulation potential and time, as well as scan rate were optimized. The peak current is linear with the concentration of phenol in the range from 8×10⁻⁹ to 1×10⁻⁵ M, and the detection limit is 1×10⁻⁹ M after being accumulated at −0.50 V (vs. SCE) for 3 min. Trace levels of phenol in water samples were determined by using this voltammetric method, the average recovery was calculated to be 99.56%.     

Sensitive spectrophotometric determination of gallium with bromopyrogallol red in the presence of surfactants

Gallium in the presence of surfactants (NTGE and CTA) forms with BPR a violet ternary complexes with λ_max at 615 and 625 nm, respectively, with molar absorptivities of 7.0 × 10⁴ and 1.3 × 10⁵ liters mol^?1 cm^?1. These complexes can be advantageously used for the determination of gallium. The molar ratio of gallium to BPR, which is 1:1 in the binary complex, increases to 1:3 in the ternary complex. The presence of surfactants changes the number of BPR molecules bonded to gallium. This is the main factor in the increase in color intensity. Numerous metals interfere. Gallium can be separated by extraction of gallium from 7 M hydrochloric acid with diisopropyl ether.     

In situ monitoring of the H concentration change near an electrode surface through electrolysis using slab optical waveguide pH sensor

The H⁺ concentration change was monitored near an electrode surface through an electrolysis using a slab optical waveguide technique. Indium tin oxide transparent electrode modified by porous insulating polymer to which methyl red was covalently immobilized was used as a guiding layer, and the absorbance change of the polymer film was monitored. H⁺ generation at the vicinity of the electrode through the oxidation of ascorbic acid could be monitored by this technique.     

Effect of phenol and derivatives on atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of air

The various phenolic compounds in conjunction with Cu(II) or Cu(I)‐N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyl diethylenetriamine (PMDETA) complexes are used to initiate atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate, styrene, and methyl acrylate in the presence of a limited amount of air at temperatures in the range of 80–110 °C. Meanwhile, an effort is directed toward the elucidation of the role of phenol and derivatives in ATRP catalyzed by Cu(II)/PMDETA. The catalytic sequence involves the formation of Cu(I) by electron transfer from phenol to Cu(II); Cu(I) so formed can then react in two distinctly different ways: with organic halide to form a propagating radical or with oxygen to form copper salt in its higher oxidation state; and regeneration of Cu(I) by excess phenol. Such regeneration of Cu(I) would be expected to lead to polymerization as a result of the consumption of oxygen and phenol as well. The phenols with electron releasing groups tended to increase the conversion of the polymerization. In this respect, sodium phenoxide, a more effective additive was found, whereas p‐nitro phenol was the least effective. The obtained polymers displayed the common features of a controlled polymerization such as molecular weight control and low polydispersity index value (M_w/M_n < 1.5). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 351–359, 2004     

聚吖啶红修饰玻碳电极在抗坏血酸共存时测定肾上腺素

研究了聚吖啶红修饰玻碳电极的制备及肾上腺素在此修饰电极上的电化学行为。在pH7.4的磷酸盐缓冲溶液中,肾上腺素在修饰电极上呈现3个峰,一个还原峰和两个氧化峰,其峰电位随着pH的增加而负移。肾上腺素浓度在1.0×10-6～1.0×10-4mol L的范围内与其氧化峰电流呈线性关系,回归方程为ip(10μA)=1.160 0.4390c(mol L),相关系数r=0.9981,检出限为1.0×10-7mol L。实验结果表明:该修饰电极能有效消除抗坏血酸的干扰,方法用于注射液中肾上腺素的检测,其回收率在93.7%～100.3%范围内。     

Effect of preparation of sol-gel coatings on the strength of optical fibres

SiO₂, TiO₂, ZrO₂, and TiO₂-ZrO₂ thin coatings were applied by sol-gel method on quartz fibres during the fibre drawing. Durable layers with the thicknesses up to 0.7 m were obtained. The layer smoothness and thickness were determined using electron microprobe analyzer and electron or optical microscopy. In order to investigate a decrease in the strength of sol-gel coated fibres a novel method employing silica capillaries was developed. The fibre strength decrease was explained by the influence of water penetrating as a result of the coating process into the flaws on the fibre surface.     

Formation of quantum-size PbTe microcrystals in sol-gel derived silica and borosilicate glasses

PbTe-doped silica and borosilicate glasses with the particle size ranging from 2 to 15 nm were prepared by the sol-gel method. Under a reducing H₂ gas atmosphere, PbTe microcrystalline phase was produced at a temperature of about 400°C via the initial Te crystalline phase formed at a low temperature, around 300°C. In borosilicate glasses, PbTe microcrystals were found to have a higher growth rate than in silica glasses. The absorption edge was shifted from the infrared to near visible range with a decrease in particle size due to the quantum-size confinement effect.     

Carbon black/alumina gel composite: Preparation by sol-gel process in the presence of polymer-grafted carbon black and its electric properties

The preparation of a novel carbon black/alumina gel composite by sol-gel reaction of aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) was investigated. When sol-gel reaction of AIP was carried out in the presence of untreated carbon black, a thin film of alumina gel was hardly obtained, because of the presence of aggregated carbon blacks. On the contrary, in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-grafted, poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)-grafted, and poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide)-grafted carbon black, a deep-black, thin film of alumina gel, in which carbon blacks were uniformly incorporated, was obtained. Carbon black was incorporated into an alumina gel matrix by the hydrogen bond between carbonyl groups of the grafted polymer and the residual hydroxyl groups in the alumina gel. Electric resistance of the polymer-grafted carbon black/alumina gel composite was very sensitive to the vapor of solvents of the grafted polymer chains on carbon black surface: the electric resistance of the composite drastically decreased in humidity and N,N-dimethylformamide vapor, but not in n-hexane vapor. The logarithm of electric resistance of polymer-grafted carbon black/alumina gel composite linearly decreased in proportion to relative humidity. In addition, the electric resistance of poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide)-grafted carbon black/alumina gel composite under humidity decreased drastically at 32°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3591–3597, 1999     

Electrochemical behavior of lead(II) at poly(phenol red) modified glassy carbon electrode, and its trace determination by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

Poly(phenol red) (denoted as PPR) films were electrochemically synthesized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by cyclic voltammetry to obtain a chemically modified electrode (denoted as PPR-GCE). The growth mechanism of PPR films was studied by attenuated total reflection spectroscopy. This PPR-GCE was used to develop a novel and reliable method for the determination of trace Pb²⁺ by anodic stripping differential pulse voltammetry. At optimum conditions, the anodic peak exhibits a good linear concentration dependence in the range from 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (r = 0.9989). The detection limit is 2.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The method was employed to determine trace levels of Pb²⁺ in industrial waste water samples. Correspondence: Gongjun Yang, Ming Shen, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, P.R. China