Study of the electrochemical behaviour of amphetamine and its derivatives in aqueous solution

The polarographic behaviour of amphetamine-type drugs in acid and alkaline solutions was investigated. Differential pulse polarography (DPP) with a dropping mercury electrode (DME) was used to monitor these drugs in aqueous solution. DPP and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were also utilised to study the electrode process of some 2-phenylethylamines derivatised with 4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (Ehrlich’s reagent) and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, known as Sanger’s reagent, respectively. Received: 19 March 1998 / Revised: 17 September 1998 / Accepted: 21 September 1998     

A rapid method for the determination of the Fusarium mycotoxinbeauvericin in maize

The development of a rapid method for the determination of the Fusarium mycotoxin beauvericin (BEA) in corn and cereals is described. This method allows to prepare at least 5 times more samples simultaneously with similar analytical performance characteristics as previously published analytical methods. Received: 14 May 1998 / Revised: 9 July 1998 / Accepted: 14 July 1998     

An enzyme-immunoassay for the detection of the mycotoxin zearalenone by use of yolk antibodies

The development of an enzyme-immunoassay (ELISA) for the detection of the Fusarium mycotoxin zearalenone (ZON) is described. In contrast to the common antibody isolation from mammal serum, chicken were immunized in order to isolate specific antibodies from the egg yolk. Five weeks after the start of the immunization a titer of 1:76 000 resulted from three injections without any adverse effects for the animals. Utilizing the indirect competitive assay format ZON could be detected in a concentration range between 10 and 200 μg/L. Received: 3 January 1998 / Revised: 16 March 1998 / Accepted: 20 March 1998     

Automated continuous monitoring of drug dissolution process using a flow injection on-line dialysis sampling – solvent extraction separation spectrophotometric system

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for the element-specific determination of water-soluble organosilicon species separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Leachates from different waste deposit sites were investigated. The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) degradation product dimethylsilanediol (DMSD) could be detected in almost all samples in the low mg L^–1 range, and it was furthermore possible to determine trimethylsilanol (TMSOL) in some leachate samples in the μg L^–1 range. TMSOL was additionally analyzed by a method established before (LT-GC/ICP-OES). This study proved the occurrence of silanol compounds in leachates from locations were silicone material is deposited. Received: 10 July 1998 / Revised: 2 November 1998 / Accepted: 5 November 1998     

Ab initio studies on the mechanism of dimerization reactions of ketene imine and bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine

The dimerization reactions of ketene imine and bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine were studied theoretically. All the dimerization processes take place in a concerted but asynchronous manner, each proceeding through a four-membered ring transition state. For the ketene imine dimerization reactions, three different processes have almost equal activation barriers, while for the three bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine dimerization processes the reaction giving symmetrical a four-membered heterocyclic product has the lowest activation barrier. Received: 15 July 1998 / Accepted 3 September 1998 / Published online: 17 December 1998     

Liquid-chromatographic determination of sulfadimidine in milk and eggs

A method for the determination/identification of residual sulfadimidine (SDD) in milk and eggs by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a photo-diode array detector was developed. The sample preparation was performed by shaking with a mixture of 20% (w/v) trichloroacetic acid-methanol (4:1, v/v) followed by ultra-filtration using Molcut II^?. A LiChrospher^? 100 RP-8 (e) column and a mobile phase of 4% (v/v) acetic acid solution-acetonitrile (6:4, v/v) were used. The average recoveries from spiked SDD samples were 80.8–88.0% with coefficients of variation of 2.8–5.5%. The limits of detection in milk and eggs were 0.01 μg/mL and 0.01 μg/g, respectively. The total time required for the analysis of one sample was less than 20 min. Received: 7 October 1998 / Revised: 29 December 1998 / Accepted: 30 December 1998     

Study of flexible joints and permanent bends in DNA fragments by brownian dynamics simulations

The use of Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate the presence of structural (kinks) and dynamic (bulges) anomalies in short DNA stretches is analyzed in connection with a string-of-beads model. A scaling method to choose the hydrodynamic translational and rotational parameters of the beads is proposed and tested on straight, kinked and bulged DNA fragments 17 nm long. The model reproduces the rigid-body rotational diffusion for the straight DNA and for the fluorescence polarization anisotropy decay of the kinked and bulged DNAs the model predicts a different behavior which is found experimentally. Received: 24 March 1998 / Accepted: 3 September 1998 / Published online: 23 November 1998     

Iodine determination in biological materials Options for sample preparation and final determination

This paper describes the development of various new acid sample decomposition methods, as well as an extraction (leaching) method and compares them with the “Sch?niger Combustion” technique. The methods have been developed as sample preparation techniques for iodine determination in biological materials, especially in solid samples. ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and a catalytic technique are employed and discussed for the final determination of iodine concentrations. Accuracy and reliability of the different analytical methods are shown in the examples of different CRMs (certified reference materials) available for iodine. The results of an interlaboratory comparison are specifically presented for the extraction (leaching) method. Received: 11 May 1998 / Revised: 14 June 1998 / Accepted: 16 June 1998     

Preconcentration and voltammetric determination of palladium (II) at sodium humate modified carbon paste electrodes

A chemically modified carbon paste electrode was prepared by incorporating appropriate amounts of sodium humate(NaA). Palladium(II) was selectively accumulated in a solution of Britton-Robinson(B-R) buffer (pH 2.8) onto the electrode surface in open circuit mode. The subsequent electrochemical measurement was carried out by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry (LSASV) in a supporting electrolyte of 1.0 M HCl. The obtained oxidation currents (I_pa1 and L_pa2) were proportional to the Pd(II) concentration in the range of 4.7 × 10^–6 - 9.4 × 10^–8 M. The developed method was applied to the quantitative determination of palladium in real samples. Received: 6 March 1998 / Revised: 3 June 1998 / Accepted: 3 July 1998     

Determination of cyanides in electroplating solutions as Ni(CN)42– and analysis by capillary electrophoresis

A CE method was developed for the determination of total (free and weakly bound) cyanide in electroplating solutions based on the use of a cationic surfactant (TTAB) and complexation with Ni(II)-NH₃ solutions to Ni(CN)₄ ^2–. Both direct complexation and cyanide distillation combined with complexation were tested. Under optimized conditions, this method is time-saving compared to standard methods. Total cyanide determined by CE had detection limits (with respect to the initial sample concentration) of 0.5 μg/mL for direct complexation and 50 ng/mL for distillation combined with complexation. Total cyanide and cyanide not amenable by chlorination (CNAC) were determined in real samples from spent electroplating baths. Received: 5 February 1998 / Revised: 26 July 1998 / Accepted: 1 August 1998     

Certification of total arsenic, dimethylarsinic acid and arsenobetaine contents in a tuna fish powder (BCR-CRM 627)

Tuna fishes were collected in the Straits of Messina (Italy), were dissected and dorsal muscles minced, freeze-dried, ground and sieved. The obtained powder was stabilised by γ-irradiation and filled into brown glass bottles. The homogeneity and stability at +20 °C and +40 °C were verified with regards to the total arsenic, dimethylarsinic acid and arsenobetaine contents. Ten laboratories participated in the certification study. All participants had demonstrated beforehand their ability to produce accurate results for the As speciation in fish tissue. The certified values are: total arsenic (4.8 ± 0.3) mg/kg, arsenobetaine (52 ± 3) μmol/kg, dimethylarsinic acid (2.0 ± 0.3) μmol/kg. The material is available from the BCR since early 1998. Received: 31 March 1998 / Revised: 20 July 1998 / Accepted: 25 July 1998     

Bifurcation of reaction pathways: the set of valley ridge inflection points of a simple three-dimensional potential energy surface

This paper serves for the better understanding of the branching phenomenon of reaction paths of potential energy hypersurfaces in more than two dimensions. We apply the recently proposed reduced gradient following (RGF) method for the analysis of potential energy hypersurfaces having valley-ridge inflection (VRI) points. VRI points indicate the region of possible reaction path bifurcation. The relation between RGF and the so-called global Newton search for stationary points (Branin method) is shown. Using a 3D polynomial test surface, a whole 1D manifold of VRI points is obtained. Its relation to RGF curves, steepest descent and gradient extremals is discussed as well as the relation of the VRI manifold to bifurcation points of these curves. Received: 8 July 1998 / Accepted: 24 August 1998 / Published online: 23 November 1998     

Elimination of sulfide interference by sodium hypochlorite solution in the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometric determination of mercury using tin(II) reduction in alkaline medium

An addition of sodium hypochlorite solution effectively eliminated the interference by sulfide in the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometric determination of mercury using tin(II) reduction in alkaline medium. Mercury ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 μg could be determined within ±10% error in 100 mL of sample solution containing 10 mg of sulfide by the addition of 1 mL of 10.4%(w/v) sodium hypochlorite solution. The proposed method is rapid (5 min per determination) and has good reproducibility (3.0%). Received: 20 May 1998 / Revised: 7 July 1998 / Accepted: 10 July 1998     

Speciation of activators in electroluminescent thin films: an EXAFS study of cerium and terbium doped strontium sulfide

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) was used to determine the local structure of the luminescent centers in Tb³⁺ and Ce³⁺ -doped strontium sulfide thin films deposited by Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE). The rare earths were observed to enter mainly the substitutional sites but at the same time a part of the atoms form RES clusters (RE = rare earth). The presence of both substitutional sites and RES clusters has been observed for the first time in this study for rare earths in II–VI compounds. Received: 9 February 1998 / Revised: 22 May 1998 / Accepted: 29 May 1998     

Molecular modeling study of an abasic DNA undecamer duplex: d(GCGTGOGTGCG) · d(CGCACTCACGC)

Molecular mechanics calculations were performed with the JUMNA program on d(GCGTGOGTGCG) · d(CGCACTCACGC) where “O” is a modified abasic site: 3-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran. From energy minimizations, for intrahelical or extrahelical positions of the unpaired thymine, various structures with different curvatures were obtained. Dynamical properties of this abasic sequence were also investigated through the controlled studies of DNA bending. Poisson-Boltzmann calculations were used to mimic the electrostatic effect of solvent on this sequence. The lowest energy structures show an acceptable agreement with experimental data. Received: 1 June 1998 / Accepted: 17 September 1998 / Published online: 10 December 1998     

Determination of EDTA in used fixing solutions by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic method for the determination of EDTA has been developed. EDTA was converted to Ni(II)-EDTA prior to separation, separated from Fe(III)-EDTA, thiosulphate, bromide and polythionates using a fused silica capillary (57 cm × 75 μm I.D.) filled with a borate buffer (50 mmol L^–1; pH 8.5; applied voltage, 30 kV) and detected at 214 nm. The separation time is about 6 min. The detection limit achieved is 2 × 10^–6 mol L^–1 for EDTA. This method was applied for the determination of free EDTA in used fixing solutions. Received: 27 February 1998 / Revised: 28 April 1998 / Accepted: 20 May 1998     

Selective voltammetric determination of chromium (VI) with DTPA and nitrate

A voltammetric determination of Cr(VI) in a flow system is described based on the selective accumulation of the reduction product of Cr(VI) on an HMDE, its complexation with DTPA and subsequent reduction of the complex in presence of nitrate. The calibration graphs were linear up to 100 and 5 nmol/L for deposition times 120 and 600 s, respectively. The relative standard deviation was 2.8% (n = 5) for Cr(VI) concentrations of 5 × 10^–8 mol/L. The detection limits (3 σ) for Cr(VI) were 1.0 and 0.12 nmol/L at deposition times of 120 and 600 s, respectively. Typical interferences derived from real water samples are discussed. The method has been applied for the determination of Cr(VI) in spiked natural water samples. Received: 18 June 1998 / Revised: 28 September 1998 / Accepted: 5 October 1998     

Determination of EDTA in used fixing solutions by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic method for the determination of EDTA has been developed. EDTA was converted to Ni(II)-EDTA prior to separation, separated from Fe(III)-EDTA, thiosulphate, bromide and polythionates using a fused silica capillary (57 cm × 75 μm I.D.) filled with a borate buffer (50 mmol L^–1; pH 8.5; applied voltage, 30 kV) and detected at 214 nm. The separation time is about 6 min. The detection limit achieved is 2 × 10^–6 mol L^–1 for EDTA. This method was applied for the determination of free EDTA in used fixing solutions. Received: 27 February 1998 / Revised: 28 April 1998 / Accepted: 20 May 1998     

Chemical analysis as a specific class of measurements

 Specific features of the procedures involved in chemical analysis (sampling, sample preparation, matrix and impurities identification, quantitative analysis) are considered, and their effect on the uncertainty of the result of a quantitative determination of the component of interest is discussed. Received: 19 August 1998 / Accepted: 4 September 1998     

Certification of reference materials for the quality control of major element determinations in groundwater Part 2: Certification

The quality control of groundwater monitoring requires the availability of representative CRMs. This paper describes the preparation of two artificial groundwater reference materials, CRM 616 (high carbonate content) and CRM 617 (low carbonate content), the homogeneity and stability studies and the analytical work performed for the certification of a range of major elements (Ca, Cl, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, NO₃, PO₄ and SO₄). Received: 15 May 1998 / Revised: 25 June 1998 / Accepted: 1 July 1998