Fluorimetric determination of nitrogen oxides in the air by a novel red-region fluorescent reagent

A sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of nitrogen oxides (NO(x): NO+NO(2)) in air is described. Nitrogen dioxide (nitrogen monoxide was previously converted to nitrogen dioxide in oxide tubes) was aspirated through a fritted glass bubble at a flow rate of 500 ml min(-1) for 120 min and fixed as nitrite, using 0.1 N NaOH as a trapping solution with the empirical absorption efficiency 0.74 and the stoichiometric factor 0.5. The method is based on the fluorescence quenching of a red-region fluorescent reagent, tetra-substituted amino aluminum phthalocyanine (TAAlPc), after being diazotized by nitrite. Under optimal conditions the linear range of the calibration curve for nitrite is 1-40 ng ml(-1) (NO(2) 0.24-9.6 ppb, v/v). The detection limit is 0.34 ng ml(-1) for nitrite (NO(2) 0.08 ppb, v/v) and the relative standard deviation for six replicate measurements of 15 ng ml(-1) nitrite is 3.2%. The method has been applied to the determination of nitrogen oxides in the air with satisfactory results. Typical gaseous co-pollutants such as SO(2), H(2)S and HCHO did not interference the determination.     

Aminophenyl Benzimidazole as a New Reagent for the Estimation of NO2/Nitrite/Nitrate at Trace Level: Application to Environmental Samples

Abstract

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of nitrogen dioxide in ambient air and nitrite/nitrate in water and soil samples has been developed. Nitrogen dioxide in air has been fixed as nitrite ion using alkaline sodium arsenite as absorbing medium. The method is based on the reaction of nitrite with aminophenyl benzimidazole in acid medium to form diazonium ion, which is coupled with N‐(1‐naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride to form an azo dye with an absorption maximum at 555 nm in aqueous phase. The method obeys Beer's law in the concentration range 0–10 µg of nitrite in 25 ml solution. The molar absorptivity has been found to be 6.3×10⁴ l mol^?1 cm^?1. The dye can be extracted quantitatively into isoamyl alcohol under alkaline condition and the addition of methanolic hydrochloric acid restores the original dye colour. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range 0–2 µg of nitrite with a detection limit of 0.009 µg. The effect of interfering species has been studied and the developed method has been applied to determine trace levels of nitrogen dioxide in ambient air and the results have been compared with the standard method. It is also applied to measure the nitrite/nitrate levels of surface and ground water samples collected from lakes, tube wells as well as soil samples.     

Optimization and evaluation of atomic emission gas chromatographic detection for nitrogen using the 388 nm molecular emission spectral band

Nitrogen determination by gas chromatography with atomic emission (microwave-induced plasma) detection (GC-AED) has been accomplished using the 174 nm atomic emission line, but with very limited selectivity and sensitivity. Nitrogen can also be detected using the cyanogen (CN) molecular band at 388 nm. A commercial GC-AED system was modified to allow the use of the 388 nm line for nitrogen detection, giving an improvement of 100-fold in sensitivity and selectivity, when compared with the 174 nm mode. Limits of detection of 10 pg/s were common, representing a 10-fold improvement. Compound-independent behavior was found for the system, working with optimum operating conditions, while instrumental problems were clearly reflected by a drastic compound dependent behavior. Response factors showed an important dependency upon the concentration of the element present. This dependency affected the accuracy of the determination of empirical formulae using GC-AED.     

Development and optimization of a lab-on-a-chip device for the measurement of trace nitrogen dioxide gas in the atmosphere

We propose the use of lab-on-a-chip technology for measuring gaseous chemical pollutants, and describe the development of a microchip for the detection of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in air. A microchip fabricated from quartz glass has been developed for handling the following three functions, gas absorption, chemical reaction and fluorescence detection. Channels constructed in the microchip were covered with porous glass plates, allowing nitrogen dioxide to penetrate into the triethanolamine (TEA) flowing within the microchannel beneath. The nitrogen dioxide was then mixed with TEA and reacted with a suitable fluorescence reagent in the chemical reaction chamber in the microchip. The reacted solution was then allowed to flow into the fluorescence detection area to be excited by an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED), and the fluorescence was detected using a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The reaction time, reagent concentration, pH, flow rate and other measurement conditions were optimised for analysis of nitrogen dioxide in air. Preliminary studies with standardized test solutions revealed quantitative measurements of nitrite ion (NO2-), which corresponded to atmospheric nitrogen dioxide in the range of 10-80 ppbv.     

Improvement of a monitoring tape for nitrogen dioxide in air

A porous cellulose tape containing a silica gel that was previously impregnated with a processing solution containing p-toluenesulfonic acid, sulfanilic acid, N-1-naphthyl ethylene diamine dihydrochloride, ethylene glycol and methanol has been developed to provide a highly sensitive detection of nitrogen dioxide in air. When the sample including nitrogen dioxide was passed through the tape, the color of tape changed to red, and the degree of color change could be recorded by measuring the intensity of reflecting light (555 nm). The calibration graph was linear up to approximately 0.10 ppm. The detection limit was 0.5 ppb for nitrogen dioxide with a sampling time of 8 min and a flow rate of 60 ml min(-1). No interferences were observed from ammonia (40 ppm), sulfur dioxide (51 ppm), carbon dioxide (21%), ozone (0.75 ppm), hydrogen sulfide (27 ppm) or nitrogen monoxide (99 ppm).     

Rotating-disc electrode determination of nitrogen dioxide concentrated in N,N-dimethylformamide

Nitrogen dioxide at ppm levels in air is concentrated in N,N-dimethylformamide and determined by voltammetry at a rotating-disc electrode. The oxidation currents for nitrite are measured under the same conditions as the nitrogen dioxide reduction and are used as standards. The results are in good accordance with the values calculated from the absorption measurements.     

铜精矿中二氧化硅含量的快速测定

采用碱熔样硅钼蓝分光光度法测定铜精矿中二氧化硅的含量。讨论了熔融条件、吸收波长、溶液酸度、水浴加热时间、显色时间以及共存离子干扰等条件对测定结果的影响。确定以氢氧化钠为熔剂,在680℃熔融15 min,熔样效果最佳;根据样品中二氧化硅的含量选择波长,当二氧化硅含量小于1%时,选用810 nm为分析波长,二氧化硅含量为1%~15%时,选用650 nm为分析波长;在酸度为0.15~0.20 mol/L盐酸溶液中,水浴加热60 s,显色15min,显色效果为最佳。使用硫酸亚铁铵作为还原剂。方法的加标回收率在94.8%~98.8%之间,5个样品独立测定结果的相对标准偏差为0.26%~4.48%(n=11),标准样品测定结果与标准值吻合。该方法简单、快速、准确,适用于铜精矿中二氧化硅含量的测定。     

A high precision, fast response, and low power consumption in situ optical fiber chemical pCO2 sensor

A sensor system suitable for monitoring changes in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO(2)) in surface seawater or in the atmosphere has been developed. Surface seawater samples are pumped into a PVC tube enclosing an inner Teflon AF tube, which served as a long pathlength gas-permeable liquid-core waveguide for spectrophotometry. The Teflon cell contains a pH-sensitive indicator-buffer solution consisting of bromothymol blue (BTB) and sodium carbonate. Carbon dioxide in the sample diffuses into the indicator-buffer solution to reach equilibrium, resulting in pH changes, which are detected by changes in the absorbance of BTB at wavelengths of 620 and 434 nm. The pCO(2) in the sample is then derived from the pH change. The sensor has a response time of 2 min at the 95% equilibrium value and a measurement precision of 0.26-0.37% in the range 200-800 microatm pCO(2). This chemical sensor takes advantage of a combination of long pathlength, multiple wavelength detection, indicator solution renewal, and in situ automatic control technology, and has the feature of low power consumption (the average being approximately 4 W with a peak of approximately 8 W).     

Spectroscopy in separated flames-IV: application of the nitrogen-separated air-acetylene flame in flame-emission and atomic-fluorescence spectroscopy

The primary and secondary combination zones of an air-acetylene flame have been separated by a stream of nitrogen flowing parallel to the flame to prevent access of atmospheric oxygen to its base. The flame is very stable over a wide range of fuel-air mixture strengths, and organic solvents may be aspirated without difficulty. The low flame background enables thermal-emission and atomic-fluorescence measurements to be made with high sensitivity. Bismuth, for example, has been determined in the range 5-200 ppm by its thermal emission at 306.8 nm, with a detection limit of 2 ppm in aqueous solution, and in the range 1-10 ppm with a detection limit of 0.3 ppm in 50% ethanolic solution. Zinc and cadmium have been determined at 213.9 nm and 228.8 nm by atomic-fluorescence spectroscopy in this flame with detection limits of 2 x 10(-4) ppm and 5 x 10(-4) ppm respectively, vapour-discharge lamps being used as sources of excitation. The results obtained represent a considerable improvement over those available by the same methods in a conventional air-acetylene flame.     

A Fluorimetric Method for the Determination of Atmospheric Sulphur Dioxide With 2′, 7′—Dichlorofluorescein∗

Abstract

A rapid, simple and sensitive fluorimetric method has been developed for the determination of atmospheric sulphur dioxide with dichlorofluorescein as fluorogenic reagent (λ_ex = 505 nm, λ_em = 520 nm) at pH 4.0–6.0. A linear calibration curve was obtained in the range 0.01–0.40 μg SO₂/25 ml. The detection limit is 0.01 μg SO₂/25 ml. Nitrogen dioxide does not interfere with the method. The method was successfully applied to the determination of atmospheric sulphur dioxide.

     

离子色谱法测定卷烟主流烟气中的氮氧化物

采用一种全新的离子色谱法测定卷烟主流烟气中氮氧化物,即采用装有5%三乙醇胺溶液的多孔玻板吸收瓶吸收卷烟主流烟气中NO2(NO先用CrO3氧化管氧化为NO2),使之转化为NO2-和NO3-,然后用离子色谱同时检测。由于采用合适的梯度淋洗条件,不需任何样品预处理即可直接检测,方法简便快速。结果表明,本法在0.5-10 mg/L具有良好的线性关系;相对标准偏差小于2%;NO2-和NO3-的检出限分别为0.04mg/L、0.05 mg/L;回收率为97%-101%。     

Polymer waveguide backplanes for optical sensor interfaces in microfluidics

A polymer optical backplane capable of generic luminescence detection within microfluidic chips is demonstrated using large core polymer waveguides and vertical couplers. The waveguides are fabricated through a new process combining mechanical machining and vapor polishing with elastomer microtransfer molding. A backplane approach enables general optical integration with planar array microfluidics since optical backplanes can be independently designed but still integrated with planar fluidic circuits. Fabricated large core waveguides exhibit a loss of 0.1 dB cm(-1) at 626 nm, a measured numerical aperture of 0.50, and a collection efficiency of 2.86% in an n = 1.459 medium, comparable to a 0.50 NA microscope objective. In addition to vertical couplers for out-of-plane collection and excitation, polymer waveguides are doped with organic dyes to provide wavelength selective filtering within waveguides, further improving optical device integration. With large core low loss waveguides, luminescence collection is improved and measurements can be performed with simple LEDs and photodetectors. Fluorescein detection via fluorescence intensity with a limit of detection (3sigma) of 200 nM in a 1 microL volume is demonstrated. Phosphorescence lifetime based oxygen detection in water in an oxygen controllable microbial cell culture chip with a limit of detection (3sigma) of 0.08% or 35 ppb is also demonstrated utilizing the waveguide backplane. Single waveguide luminescence collection performance is equivalent to a back collection geometry fiber bundle consisting of nine 500 microm diameter collection fibers.     

Flow injection analysis of sulphite by gas-phase molecular absorption UV/VIS spectrophotometry

A flow injection gas-phase molecular absorption spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of sulphite in aqueous solution. The sulphite solution, 200 microl, is introduced into a stream of distilled water. The carrier stream containing a sulphite zone is reacted, in the first mixing coil, with a stream of sulphuric acid (1 M). The evolved sulphur dioxide is purged to the segments of nitrogen flow through the second mixing coil. The gaseous phase is separated from the liquid stream by the use of a purpose built gas-liquid separator and then is swept into a purpose built flow-through cell. The absorbance of the gaseous phase is measured at 200 nm using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. Up to 440 microg of sulphite is determined. The limit of detection is 0.8 microg and the R.D.S. for the determination of 70 and 220 microg of sulphite are 1.02 and 0.76%, respectively. Up to 40 samples h(-1) can be analyzed. The effect of several anions and cations on the determination of sulphite was studied and the results showed that the method is relatively free from interferences. The proposed method was applied to the determination of sulphite in a synthetic sample, water sample and lemon juice.     

Foam counter-current chromatography of bacitracin. II. Continuous removal and concentration of hydrophobic components with nitrogen gas and distilled water free of surfactants or other additives

Foam counter-current chromatography has been successfully applied to continuous removal and concentration of hydrophobic bacitracin (BC) components from a large volume solution using nitrogen gas and distilled water free of surfactants or other additives. The experiment was initiated by introducing nitrogen at the head inlet of the coil rotated at 500 rpm. Then, a 2.5-1 volume of the sample solution containing BC at 50 ppm was continuously introduced into the middle portion of the coil at 1.5 ml/min. The hydrophobic components produced a thick foam which was carried with the gas phase and collected from the tail end of the coil while other components stayed in the liquid stream and eluted from the head outlet of the coil. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the foam fraction revealed that the degree of enrichment increased with hydrophobicity of the BC components. BC-A and -F were enriched 1400 and 2260 times, respectively, compared with the original concentration in the sample solution. These results clearly indicate that the present method will be quite effective for detection and/or isolation of a small amount of natural products present in a large volume of aqueous solution.     

反相高效液相色谱法分离直链烷基苯磺酸钠同系物和异构体

建立了直链烷基苯磺酸钠的反相高效液相色谱分析方法。探讨了流动相中甲醇含量、电解质浓度及不同电解质对样品保留时间、选择性和分离度等的影响,得到最佳的色谱分离条件为：流动相为甲醇 30 mmol/L 磷酸二氢钠水溶液,采用折线梯度洗脱,检测波长为226 nm。结果表明,该法对烷基链为C8~C 16 的烷基苯磺酸钠的同系物能完全分离,对烷基苯磺酸钠的异构体有一定的分离能力。     

流动注射在线氧化荧光法结合透析采样研究盐酸硫利达嗪与牛血清白蛋白的结合作用

利用流动注射在线氧化结合在线透析采样技术建立了荧光法测定血浆中游离盐酸硫利达嗪的新方法, 并将其应用于盐酸硫利达嗪与牛血清白蛋白作用机制的研究. 将盐酸硫利达嗪与牛血清白蛋白以不同比例混合并在37 ℃下培养, 以流动注射透析采样技术从混合液中分离出游离盐酸硫利达嗪, 在线氧化为强荧光化合物后测定其浓度; 应用Scrathard方程分析所测数据, 求得盐酸硫利达嗪和牛血清白蛋白的结合常数为1.2×104 L/mol, 结合位点数为0.98; 根据热力学参数推断, 盐酸硫利达嗪与牛血清白蛋白之间以疏水作用力为主; 进一步基于荧光猝灭现象和Fster非辐射能量转移理论, 得到盐酸硫利达嗪小分子与牛血清白蛋白之间的能量转移效率(E=0.497)和结合距离(r0=3.27 nm).     

Development and laboratory investigation of a denuder sampling system for the determination of carbonyl compounds in stack gas

A method for sampling and detection of low volatile carbonyl concentrations (aldehydes and ketones) in stack gas is proposed. For this purpose, a novel fourfold glass annular-denuder, coated with acidified 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) has been developed for the sampling of carbonyl compounds under high temperature and high humidity emission conditions. After sampling, the hydrazones are eluted with acetonitrile and analyzed using RP-HPLC. They are detected by UV-absorbance, with maximum sensitivity obtained between 350 and 380 nm. The sampling efficiency has been investigated for different flow rates, temperatures and relative humidities. The influence of other trace gases (ozone, nitrogen dioxide) on the sampling system was investigated as well.     

N掺杂TiO_2光催化剂的微结构与吸光特性研究

以紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-VIS-DRS)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)分析和研究了四种方法制备的N掺杂TiO2光催化剂的结构,即水解法(N/TiO2-H)、氨热还原法(N/TiO2-A)、机械化学法(N/TiO2-M)和尿素热处理法(N/TiO2-T)等.结果表明,N/TiO2-H和N/TiO2-T两种催化剂在490 nm处有吸收带边,可见光激发途径是掺杂的N以填隙方式形成的杂质能级吸收电子发生的跃迁引起的;而N/TiO2-A和N/TiO2-M两种催化剂在整个可见光区域内具有可见光吸收,其对可见光的激发途径是掺杂N和氧空缺共同作用的结果.理论计算的N杂质能级位于价带上0.75 eV,与实验观察到的吸收带边结果十分吻合.XPS结果表明,几种催化剂的N1 s结合能位置都在399 eV附近,显示为填隙掺杂的N原子.填隙掺杂的N/TiO2,其Ti原子的2p结合能与未掺杂的TiO2相比增加了+0.3-+0.6 eV,而O1s电子的结合能增加了+0.2-+0.5eV,这是因为填隙的N原子夺取Ti和O的电子,Ti和O原子周围的电子密度降低了.电子能谱和吸光特性的研究都表明,掺杂的机理是在TiO2晶格内形成N原子的填隙.     

Detection of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide using a miniaturised fibre-optic spectroscopy system and the ambient sunlight

A miniaturised fibre-optic spectrometer based system is presented for direct detection of one of the major atmospheric pollutants, nitrogen dioxide, by absorption spectroscopy using the ambient sunlight as light source. The detection system consists of a 10 cm collimator assembly, a fibre-optic cable and a portable diode-array spectrometer. The absorbance spectrum of the open-path is calculated using a reference spectrum recorded when the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration in the atmosphere is low. The relative concentration of the pollutant is calculated normalising the detected spectra and subtracting the background broadband spectrum from the specific NO2 absorbance features, since the broadband spectrum changes according to atmospheric conditions and solar intensity. Wavelengths between 400 and 500 nm are used in order to maximise sensitivity and to avoid interference from other species. Calibration is carried out using Tedlar sample bags of known concentration of the pollutant. A commercial differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system is used as a reference standard detection system to compare the results with the new system. Results show that detection of NO2 at typical urban atmospheric levels has been achieved using an inexpensive field based fibre-optic spectrometer and a readily available, easy to align, light source. In addition the new system can be used to get a semi-quantitative estimation of the nitrogen dioxide concentration within errors of 20%. While keeping the typical benefits of open-path techniques, the new system has important advantages over them such as cost, simplicity and portability.     

Selective ultra-trace detection of NO and NO2 in complex gas mixtures using broad-bandwidth REMPI mass spectrometry

In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of ultra-trace resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) detection employing a small broad-bandwidth solid state laser system. The results reported here are compared with measurements carried out with a conventional excimer pumped dye laser combination. Mass selected broad-bandwidth REMPI spectra for the environmentally relevant nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 are presented. Tunable broad-bandwidth laser radiation with a spectral resolution of > 10 cm(-1) in the wavelength range 560-400 nm was employed for the detection of NO2. For NO detection, the range 230-224 nm was covered. Laser radiation was generated using an optical parametric oscillator pumped by an unseeded Nd:YAG laser. A mobile time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure laser ionization source allowed for mass selective parent ion detection at m/z 30 for NO and m/z 46 for NO2. The limit of detection was 10 pptV for NO and 20 pptV for NO2. A selectivity of > 2000 for both compounds with respect to N2O5, organic nitrates and NO2 in the case of NO is reported. An improved laser system currently under construction is expected to provide detection limits below pptv mixing ratios for both nitrogen oxides in a 20 s integration interval.