Solid-phase spectrophotometric determination of nickel in water and vegetable samples at sub-mug l(-1) level with o-carboxylphenyldiazoaminoazobenzene loaded XAD-4

A highly sensitive and selective solid-phase spectrophotometric method for the determination of sub-μg l⁻¹ level nickel(II) is described. Nickel(II) was sorbed on a styrene-divinylbenzene-type resin Amberlite XAD-4 as a Ni(II)-o-carboxylphenyldiazoaminoazobenzene (o-CDAA) complex. At pH 9.0, resin phase absorbances at 588 and 800 nm were measured directly with an apparent molar absorptivity of 2.95×10⁷ g mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The linear range of the determination was 1.2-41 μg g⁻¹ resin. The detection limit and the quantification limit were found to be 0.24 and 0.76 μg g⁻¹ resin, respectively. The relative standard deviation of 10 replicate determinations of 1.0 μg nickel(II) in 100 ml sample was of 1.5%. The tolerance limit of coexistent ions was also investigated. Most of them are in tolerable amount. For practical analyses, 1 ml acetylacetone used can eliminate the interferences caused by Cu and Fe. The procedure was validated by analysis a certified water reference material (GBW 08618 Beijing, China) and a tomato leaf certified reference material (GBW 08402 Beijing, China) with the results in agreement with the certified values. The method was applied to the determination of nickel(II) in water and vegetable samples with satisfactory results.     

Chiral organotin complexes stabilized by C,N-chelating oxazolinyl-o-carboranes

A series of chiral organotin halides containing 2-(4-R)-oxazolinyl-o-carboranes (R = i-propyl 1, t-butyl 2; Cab^Oxa) was prepared from o-carborane with a chiral oxazoline auxiliary. X-ray structural analysis of the representative chiral organotin halide, [2-(4-i-propyl)-oxazolinyl-o-carboranyl]SnMe₂Br (4), revealed the formation of a stable penta-coordinated tin center due to a N → Sn interaction. Similar O → Sn assisted intramolecular penta-coordinated tin complexes (9 and 10) were prepared from methoxy-o-carborane ligands, MeOCH(Z)-o-carborane (Z = H 7, Ph 8; Cab^OMe), respectively, and a rigid o-carboranyl backbone provided the basic skeleton for the facile formation of organotin complexes.     

Development of a high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method for analyzing nonylphenol/dinonylphenol-polyethoxylate-based phosphate esters

A novel reversed phase HPLC method for the simultaneous analysis of surfactants containing nonylphenol/dinonylphenol-polyethoxylates and their o-phosphate esters is reported, in which eluting substances are detected fluorescently. Their chemical structures were elucidated by direct infusion electrospray-mass spectrometry in positive mode. The limits of quantification and range of the method were determined to be 0.1 mg and 0.1–100 mg surfactant L⁻¹, respectively, with a reproducibility (RSD) at a concentration of 38 mg surfactant L⁻¹ of 5.6%. The accuracy was determined by spiking selected process water samples with known amounts of surfactant, and recoveries were typically in the 82–102% range.     

Zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled with post-column derivatization for the analysis of glutathione in wine samples

In this study the development, validation and application of a new chromatographic method for the determination of glutathione (GSH) in wine samples is presented. The separation of the GSH was carried out using a sulfobetaine-based hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) analytical column whereas its detection was carried out spectrofluorimetrically (λ_ext/λ_em = 340/455 nm) after post-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde. GSH was separated efficiently from matrix endogenous compounds of wines by using a mobile phase of 15 mmol L⁻¹ CH₃COONH₄ (pH = 2.5)/CH₃CN, 35/65% (v/v). The parameters of the post-column reaction (pH, amount concentration of the reagent and buffer solution, flow rate, length of the reaction coil) were investigated. The linear determination range for GSH was 0.25–5.0 μmol L⁻¹ and the LOD was 19 nmol L⁻¹. No matrix effect was observed, while the accuracy was evaluated with recovery experiments and was ranged between 89% and 108%.     

EPR study of mono-o-iminobenzosemiquinonato nickel(II) complexes with Ni-C σ-bond

New square-planar (Ph₃P)Ni^II(o-Tol)(ISQ-Prⁱ) (1), (Ph₃P)Ni^II(o-Tol)(ISQ-Me) (2), (Ph₃P)Ni^II(o-Tol)(ISQ-Bu^t) (3) nickel complexes (where ISQ-Prⁱ = 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)-o-iminobenzosemiquinonate, ISQ-Me = 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-di-methylphenyl)-o-iminobenzosemiquinonate, ISQ-Bu^t = 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-o-iminobenzosemiquinonate, o-Tol = o-tolyl ligand) have been synthesized. Complexes contain σ-bound o-tolyl and neutral donor ligand Ph₃P. The sterical hindrances of N-aryl in o-iminobenzosemiquinonate ligands lead to the tetrahedral distortion of square-planar configurations of complexes as it was established using EPR spectroscopy.     

Spectrophotometric determination of titanium with o-carboxyphenylfluorone in cationic micellar media, and its equilibrium and kinetic studies

Spectrophotometric determination of titanium(IV) was accomplished with o-carboxyphenylfluorone (OCPF) in the presence of hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (HTAC) under strongly acidic media. In the determination of titanium(IV), Beer's law was obeyed in the range of 24-340 ng mL⁻¹ with an effective molar absorption coefficient (at 530 nm) and relative standard deviation of 2.24 × 10⁵ dm³ mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ and 0.64% (n = 8), respectively. The severe interference of iron ions was easily eliminated by the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); the effects of other foreign substances were low. Equilibrium and kinetic studies under analytical conditions were investigated to quantitatively evaluate the reaction mechanism. The obtained orange complex is considered to be Ti(OCPF)₄. Its stability log K_f and rate constant K_obs are 16.88 and 1.65 × 10⁻² s⁻¹, respectively. It is suggested that the color of the complex is related to the species of OCPF in the solution.     

Flow injection determination of aluminium by spectrofluorimetric detection after complexation with N-o-vanillidine-2-amino-p-cresol: the application to natural waters

An on-line flow injection spectrofluorimetric method for the direct determination of aluminium in water samples is described. The method is based on the reaction of aluminium with N-o-vanillidine-2-amino-p-cresol (OVAC) in acidic medium at pH 4.0 to form a water-soluble complex. The excitation and emission wavelengths were 423.0 and 553.0 nm, respectively, at which the OVAC-Al complex gave the maximum fluorescence intensity at pH 4.0 in a 50% methanol-50% water medium at 50 °C. An interference from fluoride ions was minimised by the addition of Be²⁺. Other ions were found not to interfere at the concentrations likely to be found in natural waters. The proposed methods were validated in terms of linearity, repeatability, detection limit, accuracy and selectivity. Under these conditions, the calibration was linear up to 1000 μg L⁻¹ (r = 0.999). The limit of detection (3σ) for the determination of Al(III) was 0.057 μg L⁻¹ and the precision for multiple determinations of 3 ng mL⁻¹ Al(III) prepared in ultra-pure water was found to be 0.62% (n = 10).The Schiff base ligand could be used to determine ultra-trace aluminium from natural waters. Analysis of environmental certified reference materials showed good agreement with the certified values. The procedure was found to be equally applicable to both freshwater and saline solutions, including seawater.     

Poly(o-phenylenediamine)-carried nanogold particles as signal tags for sensitive electrochemical immunoassay of prolactin

A novel class of redox-active molecular tags, poly(o-phenylenediamine)-carried nanogold particles (GPPDs), was first synthesized and functionalized with horseradish peroxidase-anti-prolactin conjugates (HRP-anti-PRL). Thereafter, a specific sandwich-type electrochemical immunoassay was designed for determination of prolactin (PRL) by using GPPD-labeled HRP-anti-PRL conjugates as molecular tags on anti-PRL antibody-modified glassy carbon electrode. Compared with pure gold nanoparticles and poly(o-phenylenediamine) microspheres, the as-prepared GPPDs increased the surface coverage of the nanostructures, and enhanced the immobilization amount of biomolecules. Several labeling protocols compromising GPPD-labeled HRP-anti-PRL, nanogold particles-labeled HRP-anti-PRL and poly(o-phenylenediamine) microspheres-labeled HRP-anti-PRL, were investigated for detection of PRL, and improved analytical features were obtained with the GPPD-based strategy. With the GPPD labeling method, dependence of the electrochemical signals on the incubation time and pH of the assay solution were also studied. The strong attachment of HRP-anti-PRL to the GPPDs resulted in a good repeatability and intermediate reproducibility down to 9.8%. The dynamic concentration range spanned from 0.5 to 180 ng mL⁻¹ PRL with a detection limit of 0.1 ng mL⁻¹ at the 3S_blank level. No significant differences at the 95% confidence level were encountered in the analysis of 10 spiked blank cattle serum samples between the developed immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method for determination of PRL.     

Fluorimetric determination of aminocaproic acid in pharmaceutical formulations using a sequential injection analysis system

A sequential injection analysis (SIA) methodology for the fluorimetric determination of aminocaproic acid in pharmaceutical formulations is proposed. The developed analytical procedure is based on the derivatisation reaction of the aminocaproic primary amine with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and fluorimetric detection of the formed product (λ_ex = 350 nm; λ_em = 450 nm). The implementation of a SIA flow system allowed for the development of a simple, fast and versatile automated methodology, which exhibits evident advantages regarding the US Pharmacopoeia 24 (USP 24) reference procedure. By combining the SIA time-based sample insertion with a subsequent zone sampling approach, which permitted to select for detection of a well-defined sample zone, it was possible to implement an on-line dilution strategy that enabled the expansion of the analytical working range of the methodology, and thus its application in dissolution studies, without manifold re-configuration.Linear calibration plots were obtained for aminocaproic acid concentrations up to 6 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The developed methodology exhibit a good precision, with a R.S.D. < 2.0% (n = 15) and the detection limit was 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹. The obtained results complied with those furnished by the reference procedure with a relative deviation lower than 1.2%. No interference was found.     

Use of molybdate as novel complex-forming selector in the analysis of polyhydric phenols by capillary zone electrophoresis

Molybdate was examined as a complex-forming additive to the CE background electrolytes (BGE) to affect the selectivity of separation of polyhydric phenols such as flavonoids (apigenin, hyperoside, luteolin, quercetin and rutin) and hydroxyphenylcarboxylic acids (ferulic, caffeic, p-coumaric and chlorogenic acid). Effects of the buffer concentrations and pH and the influence of molybdate concentration on the migration times of the analytes were investigated. In contrast to borate (which is a buffering and complex-forming agent generally used in CE at pH ≥9) molybdate forms more stable complexes with aromatic o-dihydroxy compounds and hence the complex-formation effect is observed at considerably lower pH. Model mixtures of cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid and 3-hydroxycinnamic acid were separated with 25 mM morpholinoethanesulfonic acid of pH 5.4 (adjusted with Tris) containing 0.15 mM sodium molybdate as the BGE (25 kV, silica capillary effective length 45 cm × 0.1 mm I.D., UV-vis detection at 280 nm). With 25 mM 2-hydroxy-3-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinyl]propanesulphonic acid/Tris of pH^* 7.4 containing 2 mM sodium molybdate in aqueous 25% (v/v) methanol as the BGE mixtures of all the above mentioned flavonoids, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid could be separated (the same capillary as above, UV-vis detection at 263 nm). The calibration curves (analyte peak area versus concentration) were rectilinear (r > 0.998) for ≈8-35 μg/ml of an analyte (with 1-nitroso-2-naphthol as internal standard). The limit of quantification values ranged between 1.1 mg l⁻¹ for p-coumaric acid and 2.8 mg l⁻¹ for quercetin. The CE method was employed for the assay of flavonoids in medicinal plant extracts. The R.S.D. values ranged between 0.9 and 4.7% (n = 3) when determining luteolin (0.08%) and apigenin (0.92%) in dry Matricaria recutita flowers and rutin (1.03%) and hyperoside (0.82%) in dry Hypericum perforatum haulm. The recoveries were >96%.     

Spectroscopic and HPLC methods for the determination of alendronate in tablets and urine

Two methods (spectrophotometric and HPLC) have been developed and validated for the analysis of alendronate sodium in tablet dosage form. Both methods depend on the ability of alendronate sodium to react with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) at basic pH to produce a light-absorbing derivative. The derivative was found to possess absorption maximum at 330 nm where neither the derivatizing agent nor the analyte had any absorption. Thus, spectroscopic method was based on the derivatization-induced absorption of alendronate sodium at 333 nm. The HPLC method was based on separation of the formed derivative from other ingredients in tablets with detection at 333 nm. Both methods were satisfactory with regard to accuracy, prescion and linearity. Moreover, a HPLC method with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) was developed for the quantification of alendronate sodium in urine. The method was also based on the derivatization of alendronate with OPA, but fluorescence detection was employed. Linearity, recovery, selectivity, prescision and sensitivity were satisfactory for the proposed HPLC-FD method. Yet a new quantification limit (0.6 ng ml⁻¹) for alendronate in urine was achieved.     

Determination of trace osmium by supramolecular catalytic kinetic spectrofluorimetry of beta-CD-osmium-KBrO(3)-o-vanillin furfuralhydrazone

A supramolecular catalytic kinetic spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of osmium(IV) and the possible mechanism of catalytic reaction was discussed. The method is based on the fluorescence enhancing reaction of o-vanillin furfuralhydrazone (OVFH) with potassium bromate, which was catalysed by osmium(IV) in water medium. Beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) obviously sensibilized the determination at pH 6.10 and 55 °C. Under optimum conditions, beta-CD-osmium(IV)-KBrO₃-OVFH supramolecular kinetic catalytic reaction system had excitation and emission maxima at 337 and 490 nm, respectively. The linear range of this method was 0-120 ng ml⁻¹ with a R.S.D. of 1.1%, and the detection limit was 0.38 ng ml⁻¹. The effect of interferences was studied. Distillation was used to separate osmium from interfering elements in the samples. The proposed method was applied successfully to determine osmium(IV) in synthetic mixture and mineral samples, the results were well consistent with the reference standard values.     

Rapid and sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amount of Cr(III) with o-vanillin-8-aminoquinoline

A novel fluorescent reagent o-vanillin-8-aminoquinoline(OVAQ) was synthesized, and its infrared spectrum, elemental analysis and acid-base dissociation constants were obtained. The fluorescent reaction of this reagent with Cr(III) was studied. In acetonitrile-water (1:1, (v/v)) medium of pH 6.00, Cr(III) could react with fluorescent reagent OVAQ (λ_ex/em=280/314 nm) to form a 1:1 non-fluorescent complex. The linear range of the spectrofluorimetric method proposed was from 8.2 to 130 μg l⁻¹, and the detection limit was 2.5 μg l⁻¹. The interferences of 25 foreign ions were also studied. This method could be easily performed and was successfully applied to the determination of Cr(III) and total chromium in domestic and industrial waste water samples.     

Direct observation and kinetic characterization of o-quinodimethane and its radical cation variant generated in a photoinduced electron-transfer reaction of 1,2-bis(α-styryl)benzene

Nanosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy on the laser flash photolysis of 1,2-bis(α-styryl)benzene (1) under N-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate-toluene-sensitized conditions in acetonitrile confirmed that an o-quinodimethane radical cation (2⁺, λ_max = 569 nm) decayed and the corresponding neutral prototype (2, λ_max = 444 nm) rose with rate constants of 5.6 and 5.9 × 10⁵ s⁻¹, respectively, showing the first agreement in kinetics between a reactive radical cation intermediate intervening in chemical reaction and the corresponding neutral species formed by back electron transfer.     

The high throughput analysis of N-methyl carbamate pesticides in wine and juice by electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with direct sample injection into a short column

We developed a new analysis method for the N-methyl carbamate pesticides in juice and wine. The juice and wine were diluted with ultra pure water, and determined by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI LC/MS/MS) with direct sample injection into a short column. The new method, including sample preparation and determination, is simple and rapid, and allows simultaneous determination of nine N-methyl carbamate pesticides in juice and wine within analysis time that is much shorter as compared with the traditional method. The average recoveries from juice and wine fortified at the level of 0.1 ppm ranged from 59.6 to 126.7% with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.4 to 5.1% for intra-day (n = 5 × 3 days) and from 0.5 to 22.6% for inter-day (n = 15). At the fortified level of 0.5 ppm, the recoveries ranged from 69.3 to 127.2% with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.4 to 6.9% for intra-day (n = 5 × 3 days) and from 0.5 to 22.6% for inter-day (n = 15). The method is considered to be satisfactory for the monitoring of the carbamate pesticides residues in juice and wine, suggesting that the present method is applicable to other pesticide residues in foods.     

Imprinted polymer particles for selenium uptake: synthesis, characterization and analytical applications

This work reports the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles for selective extraction and determination of selenium ions from aqueous media. Polymerization was achieved in a glass tube containing SeO₂, o-phenylenediamine, 2-vinylpyridine (VP), ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (EDMA), 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The polymer block obtained was ground and sieved (55-75 μm) and the Se-o-phenylenediamine complex was removed from polymer particles by leaching with 2 M of HCl, which leaves a cavity in the polymer particles. The polymer particles both prior to and after leaching have been characterized by IR and thermogravimetric (TG) studies. The effect of different parameters, such as pH, extraction time, type and least amount of eluent for elution of complex from polymer were evaluated. Extraction efficiencies >99% were obtained by elution of the polymers with 15 mL of methanol-acetonitrile mixture (1:2, v/v). The limit of detection of the proposed method followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-AAS) was found to be 3.3 μg L⁻¹ and a dynamic linear range (DLR) of 10-200 μg L⁻¹ was obtained. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) at 30.0 μg L⁻¹ of Se were below than 8.1%. The influence of various cationic interferences on percent recovery of complex was studied. The method was applied to the recovery and determination of selenium in different real samples.     

Determination of flavonoids and saponins in Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, a traditional Chinese herb possessing antitumor and antioxidant activities, has been shown to contain several functional components like saponins and flavonoids. However, their identities remain uncertain. The objectives of this study were to develop an appropriate extraction, purification and HPLC-MS method to determine saponins and flavonoids in G. pentaphyllum. Both flavonoids and saponins were extracted with methanol, followed by purification with a C18 cartridge to elute the former with 50% methanol and the latter with 100% methanol. A total of 34 saponins were separated within 40 min by a Gemini C18 column and a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water, in which 18 saponins were identified by LC-MS with ESI mode and Q-TOF (LC/MS/MS). Similarly, a total of eight flavonoids were separated within 45 min by the same column and a gradient solvent system of methanol and 0.1% formic acid in water, with identification being carried out by a post-column derivatization method and LC-MS with ESI mode. The amounts of flavonoids in G. pentaphyllum ranged from 170.7 to 2416.5 μg g⁻¹, whereas saponins were from 491.0 to 89,888.9 μg g⁻¹.     

Determination of amino acids in Sargassum fusiforme by high performance capillary electrophoresis

High performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) was developed for quantitative determination of 18 phenylthiohydantoin (PTH)-amino acids. The influence of electrolyte concentration, pH, organic modifier and applied voltage on HPCE performance was investigated. The HPCE separation of a PTH-amino acids mixture was much improved by adding organic modifier and Tris-boric acid buffer to the run buffer. After optimization of the method, 17 PTH-amino acids in a solution containing 18 PTH-amino acids could be separated using 400 mmol l⁻¹ Tris-boric acid, 1.0 mmol l⁻¹ diethylamine at pH 9.5 adjusted with 0.1 mol l⁻¹ NaOH as a run buffer, voltage of 25 kV was applied, temperature was maintained at 25 °C, detection wavelength was 254 nm. The precision (n = 7) of this method is less than 3.2% (peak area) and 1.1% (migration time) of relative standard deviation (R.S.D.). Linearity was established over the concentration range 50-1000 μM of each derivative, with correlation coefficients (r) ranging between 0.9904 and 0.9993. The detection limits (S/N = 3) range from 2 to 48 μmol l⁻¹. The method was applied to determine amino acids in Sargassum fusiforme, a marine algae collected from Tongtou County of Zhejiang Province in China with satisfactory results.     

Bioreduction of methyl o-chlorobenzoylformate at 500 g L without external cofactors for efficient production of enantiopure clopidogrel intermediate

Biocatalytic reduction of methyl o-chlorobenzoylformate (CBFM) provides a green and direct access to methyl (R)-o-chloromandelate [(R)-CMM], an intermediate for a platelet aggregation inhibitor named clopidogrel. As much as 500 g L⁻¹ of CBFM was stoichiometrically converted into enantiopure (R)-CMM at 20 °C by using a whole-cell catalyst coexpressing an aldo-keto reductase from Bacillus sp. and a glucose dehydrogenase (GDH). In addition to the high productivity of 812 g L⁻¹ d⁻¹, this new whole-cell reduction is attractive by eliminating the need of an added external cofactor.     

Spectrophotometric determination of 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC) in soil and lemon juice

Although the use of once widely applied selective herbicide, 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC), was cancelled by US-EPA in 1987, it is still found in soil and water due to its slow degradation in the environment. Since solid phase extraction-spectrophotometry combinations are much simpler and cheaper than chromatography/MS based methods and most routine laboratories lack such sophisticated instrumentation, it is desirable to establish novel sensitive, well-established, and field-applicable spectrophotometric methods for the rapid assay of DNOC in water and soil. For this purpose, two distinct spectrophotometric methods utilizing the periodate and copper(II)-neocuproine (Nc) reagents have been developed following Zn/HCl reduction of the pesticide in a microwave oven for 15 s, and validated for DNOC determination at mg L⁻¹ level. The LOD values were 1.6 and 0.2 mg L⁻¹ for periodate and Cu(II)-Nc methods, respectively. Statistical comparison of the developed methods was made with the aid of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a C₁₈ (5 μm), 250 mm× 4.6 mm ID reversed phase column in conjunction with a UV (264 nm) detector, and a methanol (HPLC grade) +0.1% glacial acetic acid mixture mobile phase. Both spectrophotometric methods were directly applicable to soil since they were not interfered with common soil cations and anions, together with some pesticides. These methods were applied to real samples such as synthetically contaminated montmorillonite and lemon juice, and overall recovery efficiencies at the order of 95% or greater were achieved in the devised adsorption/elution procedures. An 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine)-impregnated XAD copolymer resin stabilized with Fe(III) salt was used to preconcentrate DNOC at a concentration factor of 20 from lemon juice contaminated with 1 mg L⁻¹ DNOC, and the analyte retained at pH 2.5 was eluted with 0.025 M methanolic NaOH. Both the devised spectrophotometric methods and the proposed preconcentration column with optimized sorption and desorption conditions are novel for DNOC assay in the natural environment.