Pluri-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks of novel thiophene-introduced oligo(imidazole)s and physical properties of their charge-transfer complexes with TCNQ

Novel π-extended oligo(imidazole)s composed of imidazole and thiophene ring systems, bis(imidazolyl)thiophenes 1-4, were synthesized as new building blocks for electron-donor molecules having diverse hydrogen-bonding directionalities in order to explore hydrogen-bonded charge-transfer complexes and supramolecular assemblies. The cyclic voltammetry of these compounds showed increase of electron-donating ability compared with those of 2,2′- and 4,4′-biimidazoles. In the crystal structure, 1, 2 and 3 exhibited multi-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks via solvent molecules including the π-π interaction. Charge-transfer complexes of 1, 2 and 4 with TCNQ were characterized as partial charge-transfer complexes with segregated stacks. The compressed pellets of the TCNQ complex of 2 showed a high electrical conductivity (σ_rt=5.2×10⁻² S cm⁻¹) at room temperature with semiconducting behavior (activation energy, E_a=71 meV).     

Synergistic liquid-liquid extractive spectrophotometric determination of gold(III) using 1-(2′,4′-dinitro aminophenyl)-4,4,6-trimethyl-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-2-thiol

Synergistic liquid-liquid extractive spectrophotometric determination of gold(III) using 1-(2′,4′-dinitro aminophenyl)-4,4,6-trimethyl-1,4-dihydro pyrimidine-2-thiol [2′,4′-dinitro APTPT] has been described. Equal volumes (5 cm³) of the 2′,4′-dinitro APTPT (0.02 mol L⁻¹) in the presence of pyridine (0.5 mol L⁻¹) form an orange-red coloured ternary complex with gold(III) of molar ratio 1:1:1 at pH 1.8-2.4 with 5 min of shaking. The absorbance of coloured organic layer in 1,2-dichloroethane is measured spectrophotometrically at 445 nm against reagent blank. A pronounced synergism has been observed by the binary mixture of 2′,4′-dinitro APTPT and pyridine, which shows that the enhancement in the absorbance is observed in the presence of pyridine by the adduct formation in the organic phase. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range 2.5-20.0 μg mL⁻¹, with molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity values of 8.7 × 10³ dm³ mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ and 0.023 μg cm⁻² respectively. A repetition of the method was checked by finding relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) (n = 10) which was 0.17%. The composition of the gold(III)-2′,4′-dinitro APTPT-pyridine adduct was established by slope analysis, molar ratio and Job's method. The ternary complex was stable for more than 48 h. The influence of various factors such as pH, 2′,4′-dinitro APTPT concentration, solvent and pyridine on the degree of complexation has been established. A number of foreign ions tested for their interferences and use of suitable masking agents wherever necessary are tabulated, which show that selectivity of the method has been enhanced. The method is successfully employed for the determination of gold(III) in binary, synthetic mixtures and ayurvedic samples. The reliability of the method is assured by inter-comparison of experimental values, using an atomic absorption spectrometer.     

Synthesis,characterization and ethylene oligomerization and polymerization of 2-(1H-2-benzimidazolyl)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridylchromium chlorides

A series of N^N^N tridentate chromium complexes (C1–C6) bearing 2-(1H-2-benzimidazolyl)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine derivatives was synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analysis along with single-crystal X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystallographic analyses reveal chromium complex C1 as a distorted six-coordinated octahedral geometry. On treatment with modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), the chromium complexes exhibited high activities for ethylene oligomerization (up to 1.50 × 10⁶ g mol⁻¹ (Cr) h⁻¹) and polymerization (up to 2.06 × 10⁶ g mol⁻¹ (Cr) h⁻¹) at 10 atm ethylene pressure. Various reaction parameters were investigated in detail, and less steric hindrance and electron-withdrawing substituents of ligands enhance the catalytic activities of their chromium complexes.     

Construction of a new Cu2+ coated wire ion selective electrode based on 2-((2-(2-(2-(2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzylidene amino)phenyl)disufanyl)phenylimino)methyl)-4-methoxyphenol Schiff base

In this article a new coated platinum Cu²⁺ ion selective electrode based on 2-((2-(2-(2-(2-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzylideneamino)phenyl)disufanyl)phenylimino) methyl)-4-methoxyphenol Schiff base (L₁) as a new ionophore is described. This sensor has a wide linear range of concentration (1.2 × 10⁻⁷-1.0 × 10⁻¹ mol L⁻¹) and a low detection limit of 9.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹of Cu(NO₃)₂. It has a Nernstian response with slope of 29.54 ± 1.62 mV decade⁻¹ and it is applicable in the pH range of 4.0-6.0 without any divergence in potentioal. The coated electrode has a short response time of approximately 9 s and is stable at least for 3.5 months. The electrode shows a good selectivity for Cu²⁺ ion toward a wide variety of metal ions. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for the determination of Cu²⁺ ion in different real and environmental samples and as indicator electrode for potentiometric titration of Cu²⁺ ion with EDTA.     

A new colorimetric chemodosimeter for Hg2+ based on charge-transfer compound of N-methylpyrrole with TCNQ

Reaction of N-methylpyrrole and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) furnishes an intense blue unsymmetrical charge-transfer compound through regioselective attachment of tricyanoquinodimethane at the 2-position of N-methylpyrrole which was found to be selective chemodosimeter for Hg²⁺ ions in CH₃CN:H₂O mixture (1:1 v/v, pH = 7.0, 0.01 M HEPES, 0.15 M NaCl) as well as in the solid state when supported on silica, over a variety of metal ions. A plausible mechanism for the sensing process has been proposed and supported through the characterization of the resulting Hg²⁺ complex and the density functional theory (DFT) studies.     

Rapid simultaneous analysis of 1-hydroxypyrene, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 9-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1- and 2-naphthol in urine by first derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry using Tween-20 as a sensitizer

A novel method of first derivative synchronous fluorescence was developed for the rapid simultaneous analysis of trace 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), 1-naphthol (1-NAP), 2-naphthol (2-NAP), 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-OHPe) and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFlu) in human urine. Only one single scan was needed for quantitative determination of five compounds simultaneously when Δλ = 10 nm was chosen. In the optimal experimental conditions, there was a linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of 1-OHP, 1-NAP, 2-NAP, 9-OHPe and 2-OHFlu in the range of 1.75 × 10⁻⁹ to 4.50 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹, 3.64 × 10⁻⁸ to 2.20 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹, 8.18 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.20 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹, 3.26 × 10⁻⁹ to 8.50 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ and 4.88 × 10⁻⁹ to 5.50 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) were found to be 5.25 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ for 1-OHP, 1.10 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ for 1-NAP, 2.46 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ for 2-NAP, 9.77 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ for 9-OHPe and 1.46 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ for 2-OHFlu. The proposed method is reliable, selective and sensitive, and has been used successfully in the determination of traces of 1-OHP, 1-NAP, 2-NAP, 9-OHPe and 2-OHFlu in human urine samples, whose results were in good agreement with those gained by the HPLC method.     

Spectrophotometric determination of iron(III)-dimethyldithiocarbamate (ferbam) using 9-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,3,7-trihydroxyl-6-fluorone

A spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of iron(III)-dimethyldithiocarbamate (ferbam) by concerting it into an iron(III)-9-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,3,7-trihydroxyl-6-fluorone complex. In NH₃-HAc buffer solution (pH 6.5), the reagent reacts with ferbam to form a blue complex with a maximum absorption peak at 640 nm. The reaction can be completed rapidly at room temperature and the absorbance is stable for at least 24 h. The apparent molar absorption coefficient, Sandell’s sensitivity of the complex, the detection limit and the relative standard deviation were found to be 1.06×10⁵ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹, 3.9 ng cm⁻², 2.2 ng ml⁻¹ and 1.06%, respectively. From 0 to 75 μg of ferbam in 25 ml solution the absorbance obeyed Beer’s law. The effect of foreign ions and other dithiocarbamates were also studied in detail. The results indicated that all coexisting ions examined can be tolerated in considerable amounts, especially other dithiocarbamates such as ziram and zineb, which always interfere with the determination of ferbam in the literature. The proposed method is very sensitive, selective and simple, it has been applied to determine ferbam in commercial samples.     

Separation and simultaneous determination of niobium and tantalum in steel by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using 2-(2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylamino phenol as a pre-column derivatizing reagent

A method for the simultaneous determination of Nb and Ta in steel and alloy by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was proposed. 2-(5-Bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylamino phenol (5-Br-PADAP) was used as a pre-column chelating agent to form a ternary complex with Nb(V) and Ta(V) and tartaric acid. The ternary complexes of Nb(V) and Ta(V) were eluted within 8 min on a C₁₈ column with a mobile phase of methanol-water (55:45, v/v) containing 10 mmol l⁻¹ acetate buffer (pH3.5) and determined with spectrophotometric detection at 598 nm. The detection limits for Nb(V) and Ta(V) were 0.60 and 0.72 μg l⁻¹, respectively, when the ratio of signal-to-noise is 3. The proposed method was used to analyze Nb and Ta in cast iron, alloy and stainless steel.     

A porphyrin derivative containing 2-(oxymethyl)pyridine units showing unexpected ratiometric fluorescent recognition of Zn2+ with high selectivity

A porphyrin derivative (1), containing two 2-(oxymethyl)pyridine units has been designed and synthesized as chemosensor for recognition of metal ions. Unlike many common porphyrin derivatives that show response to different heavy metal ions, compound 1 exhibits unexpected ratiometric fluorescence response to Zn²⁺ with high selectivity. The response of the novel chemosensor to zinc was based on the porphyrin metallation with cooperating effect of 2-(oxymethyl)pyridine units. The change of fluorescence of 1 was attributed to the formation of an inclusion complex between porphyrin ring and Zn²⁺ by 1:1 complex ratio (K = 1.04 × 10⁵), which has been utilized as the basis of the fabrication of the Zn²⁺-sensitive fluorescent chemosensor. The analytical performance characteristics of the proposed Zn²⁺-sensitive chemosensor were investigated. The sensor can be applied to the quantification of Zn²⁺ with a linear range covering from 3.2 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.8 × 10⁻⁴ M and a detection limit of 5.5 × 10⁻⁸ M. The experiment results show that the response behavior of 1 to Zn²⁺ is pH-independent in medium condition (pH 4.0-8.0) and show excellent selectivity for Zn²⁺ over transition metal cations.     

Sequential injection lab-on-valve simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of copper and iron

A sequential injection (SI) method in a lab-on-valve (LOV) format for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of copper and iron has been devised. The detection chemistry is based on the complex formation of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]aniline (5-Br-PSAA) with copper(II) and/or iron(II) at pH 4.6. Copper(II) reacts with 5-Br-PSAA to form the complex which has an absorption maximum at 580 nm but iron(III) does not react. In the presence of a reducing agent only iron(II)-5-Br-PSAA complex is formed and detected at 558 nm. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the determinable ranges are 0.1-2 mg l⁻¹ for copper and 0.1-5 mg l⁻¹ for iron, respectively, with a sampling rate of 18 h⁻¹. The limits of detection are 50 μg l⁻¹ for copper and 25 μg l⁻¹ for iron. The relative standard deviations (n = 15) are 2% for 0.5 mg l⁻¹ copper and 1.8% for 0.5 mg l⁻¹ iron when determined in standard solutions. The recoveries range between 96 and 105% when determining 0.25-2 mg l⁻¹ of copper and 0.2-5 mg l⁻¹ of iron in artificial mixtures at copper/iron ratios of 1:10 to 5:1. The proposed SI-LOV method is successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of copper and iron in multi-element standard solution and in industrial wastewater samples.     

Extractive spectrophotometric determination of palladium with N,N,N',N'-tetra(2-ethylhexyl)-thiodiglycolamide T(2EH)TDGA

A precise, sensitive and selective method for the spectrophotometric determination of palladium (II) using N,N,N′,N′-tetra(2-ethylhexyl) thiodiglycolamide T(2EH)TDGA as an extractant is described. Palladium (II) forms yellow colored complex with T(2EH)TDGA which exhibits an absorption maximum at ∼300 nm. The colored complex obeys Beer's law in the concentration range 1.0-15.0 μg ml⁻¹ of palladium with a molar absorptivity of 1.29 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The effects of various experimental parameters have been studied to establish the optimum conditions for the extraction and determination of palladium. The precision of the method has been evaluated and the relative standard deviation has been found to be less than 0.5%. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of palladium in simulated high level liquid waste (SHLW) solution.     

Synthesis, characterization and luminescence properties of copper(I) complexes containing 2-phenyl-3-(benzylamino)-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one and triphenylphosphine as ligands

Some copper(I) complexes of the formula [Cu(L)(PPh₃)₂]X (1-4) [where L = 2-phenyl-3-(benzylamino)-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one; PPh₃ = triphenylphosphine; X = Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, ClO₄⁻ and BF₄⁻] have been prepared and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis and ¹H NMR spectral studies. The representative complex of the series 4 has been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction which reveal that in the complex the central copper(I) ion assumes the irregular distorted-tetrahedral geometry. Cyclic voltammetry of the complexes indicate a quasireversible redox behavior corresponding to Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple. All the complexes exhibit intraligand (π → π^∗) fluorescence with high quantum yield in dichloromethane solution.     

Synthesis,electrochemistry and in situ spectroelectrochemistry of a new Co(III) thio Schiff-base complex with N,N′-bis(2-aminothiophenol)-1,4-bis(carboxylidene phenoxy)butane

A new cobalt Schiff-base complex, [Co(L)(OH)(H₂O)] (where L = [N,N′-bis(2-aminothiophenol)-1,4-bis(carboxylidene phenoxy)butane), was synthesized and its electrochemical and spectroelectochemical properties were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and thin-layer spectro-electrochemistry in solutions of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂). The [Co(L)(OH)(H₂O)] complex displays two well-defined reversible reduction processes with the corresponding anodic waves. The half-wave potentials of the first and second reduction processes were displayed at E_1/2 = 0.08 V and E_1/2 = −1.21 V (scan rate: 0.100 Vs⁻¹) in DMSO, and E_1/2 = −0.124 V and E_1/2 = −1.32 V (scan rate: 0.100 Vs⁻¹) in CH₂Cl₂. The potentials of the reduction processes in DMSO are shifted toward negative potentials (0.220–0.112 V) compared to those in CH₂Cl₂. The electrochemical results are assigned to two one-electron reduction processes; [Co(III)L] + ⁻e → [Co(II)L]⁻ and [Co(II)L]⁻ + ⁻e → [Co(I)L]²⁻. The six-coordination of the complex remains unchanged during the reduction processes and the electron transfer processes were not followed by a chemical reaction upon scan reversal. It was also seen that [Co(L)(OH)(H₂O)] was reduced at a more positive potential than the corresponding salen analogs. The shift and reversibility are apparently related to the high degree of electron delocalization of the [Co(L)(OH)(H₂O)] complex, having a N₂O₂S₂ donor set and two additional benzene units. Additionally, in situ spectroelectrochemical measurements support Co(III)/Co(II) and Co(II)/Co(I) reversible reduction processes with the observation of the corresponding spectral changes with the applied potentials E_app = −0.40 and −1.60 V. Application of the spectroelectrochemical results allowed the determination ofE_1/2 and n (the number of electrons) from the spectra of the fully oxidized and reduced species in one unified experiment as well. The results obtained by this method are in agreement with those by the CV and DPV methods.     

Activation of the Si-H bond of Et2SiH2 in photochemical reaction with W(CO)6: Spectroscopic characterization of intermediate W-Si compounds and the revisited crystal structure of the bis{(μ-η-hydridodiethylsilyl)tetracarbonyltungsten(I)} complex [{W(μ-η-H-SiEt2)(CO)4}2]

The photochemical reaction of W(CO)₆ with diethylsilane has been used to generate new tungsten-silicon compounds varying in stability. The initially formed η²-silane intermediate complex [W(CO)₅(η²-H-SiHEt₂)], characterized by two equal-intensity doublets with ²J_H-H = 10 Hz at δ = 5.10 (¹J_Si-H = 217 Hz) and δ = −8.05 (¹J_W-H = 38 Hz, ¹J_Si-H = 93 Hz), was detected by the ¹H NMR spectroscopy (methylcyclohexane-d₁₄, −10 °C). The η²-silane complex was converted in the dark to give more stable species. One of them was characterized by two equal-intensity proton signals observed as doublets with ²J_H-H = 5.2 Hz at δ = −8.25 and −10.39 ppm. The singlet proton resonance at δ = −9.31 flanked by ²⁹Si and ¹⁸³W satellites (¹J_Si-H = 43 Hz, ²J_Si-H = 34 Hz, ¹J_W-H = 40 Hz) was assigned to the agostic proton of the W(η²-H-SiEt₂) group in the most stable compound isolated from the photochemical reaction products in crystalline form. The molecular structure of the bis{(μ-η²-hydridodiethylsilyl)tetracarbonyltungsten(I)} complex [{W(μ-η²-H-SiEt₂)(CO)₄}₂] was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The tungsten hydride observed in the ¹H NMR spectrum at δ = −9.31 was located in the structure at a chemically reasonable position between the W and Si atoms of the W-Si bond of the bridging silyl ligand. The reactivity of photochemically generated W-Si compounds towards norbornene, cyclopentene, diphenylacetylene, acetone, and water was studied. As was observed by IR and NMR spectroscopy, the η²-silane ligand in the complex [W(CO)₅(η²-H-SiHEt₂)] is very easily replaced by an η²-olefin or η²-alkyne ligand.     

Synthesis of light-emmting materials bis-[2′-2″-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)-vinyl-8-hydroxyquinoline] zinc(II) and bis-[2′-4″-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)styryl-8-hydroxyquinoline] zinc(II)

Two novel light-emitting materials bis-[2′-2″-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)-vinyl-8-hydroxyquinoline] zinc(II) (3) and bis-[2′-4″-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)styryl-8-hydroxyquinoline] zinc(II) (4) containting 8-hydroxyquinoline and fluorene or imidazole moieties have been synthesized. The optical properties of these complexes were influenced by the styryl substituents, and exhibited orange-emission. They have higher fluorescence quantum yields than Alq₃, and good stabilities with thermal decomposition temperatures 395 °C and 435 °C. The single-layer OLED fabricated by 3 emitted lemon-yellow, and exhibited good device performance with a maximum luminance of 489 cd m⁻², and luminance efficiency of up to 0.41 cd A⁻¹. The single-layer OLED fabricated by 4 emitted yellow-green, and exhibited good device performance with a maximum luminance of 323 cd m⁻², and luminance efficiency of up to 0.54 cd A⁻¹.     

A new Cu(II)-5-(4-sulphophenylazo)-8-aminoquinoline complex used for copper determination in presence of gold and silver in water and mineral samples

In this work, a characterization of reagent chromophere 5-(4-sulphophenylazo)-8-aminoquinoline [SPA] by IR and ¹H RMN was carried out and a pK_a value of 3.55 ± 0.03 was found as well. An 1:2 stoichiometry for the Cu(II)-SPA complex was determined at pH 9 by Job and molar ratio methods. A value of 1.4 × 10¹⁴ for the stability constant was also found. Based on the formation of this complex a new method for the copper determination in presence of gold and silver was developed by derivative spectrophotometry using a previous preconcentration on solid phase. In this method, the analytical measures were executed directly in the solid phase containing the complex. The Cu(II) reacts with the reagent chromophere SPA previously retained in the anionic exchange DEAE Sephadex A25. In this determination, the first derivative at 605 nm was used. The quantification range was between (3.2 ± 0.3 × 10⁻¹) × 10⁻⁸ and (94.4 ± 0.9) × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (3.2 ± 0.3 × 10⁻¹) × 10⁻⁸ , and (94.4 ± 0.9) × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. The repeatability expressed as RSD was between 1.1 and 2.0%. The method was applied successfully for the copper determination in mineral residuals and natural water samples. The results were consistent with those provided by ICP-mass spectrometry.     

Separation and quantification of [RhCln(H2O)6−n] (n = 0-6) complexes, including stereoisomers, by means of ion-pair HPLC-ICP-MS

A hyphenated ion-pair (tetrabutylammonium chloride—TBACl) reversed phase (C₁₈) HPLC-ICP-MS method (High Performance Liquid Chromatography Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy) for anionic Rh(III) aqua chlorido-complexes present in an HCl matrix has been developed. Under optimum chromatographic conditions it was possible to separate and quantify cationic Rh(III) complexes (eluted as a single band), [RhCl₃(H₂O)₃], cis-[RhCl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻, trans-[RhCl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻ and [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ (n = 5, 6) species. The [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ (n = 5, 6) complex anions eluted as a single band due to the relatively fast aquation of [RhCl₆]³⁻ in a 0.1 mol L⁻¹ TBACl ionic strength mobile phase matrix. Moreover, the calculated t_1/2 of 1.3 min for [RhCl₆]³⁻ aquation at 0.1 mol kg⁻¹ HCl ionic strength is significantly lower than the reported t_1/2 of 6.3 min at 4.0 mol kg⁻¹ HClO₄ ionic strength. Ionic strength or the activity of water in this context is a key parameter that determines whether [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ (n = 5, 6) species can be chromatographically separated. In addition, aquation/anation rate constants were determined for [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ (n = 3-6) complexes at low ionic strength (0.1 mol kg⁻¹ HCl) by means of spectrophotometry and independently with the developed ion-pair HPLC-ICP-MS technique for species assignment validation. The Rh(III) samples that was equilibrated in differing HCl concentrations for 2.8 years at 298 K was analyzed with the ion-pair HPLC method. This analysis yielded a partial Rh(III) aqua chlorido-complex species distribution diagram as a function of HCl concentration. For the first time the distribution of the cis- and trans-[RhCl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻ stereoisomers have been obtained. Furthermore, it was found that relatively large amounts of ‘highly’ aquated [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ (n = 0-4) species persist in up to 2.8 mol L⁻¹ HCl and in 1.0 mol L⁻¹ HCl the abundance of the [RhCl₅(H₂O)]²⁻ species is only 8-10% of the total, far from the 70-80% as previously proposed. A 95% abundance of the [RhCl₆]³⁻ complex anion occurs only when the HCl concentration is above 6 mol L⁻¹. The detection limit for a Rh(III) species eluted from the column is below 0.147 mg L⁻¹.     

Development of an optical chemical sensor based on 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(diethylamino)phenol in Nafion for determination of nickel ion

An optical chemical sensor based on immobilization of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(diethylamino)phenol (Br-PADAP) in Nafion membrane is described. The membranes were cast onto glass substrates and were used for the determination of nickel in aqueous solutions by spectrophotometry. The sensor system is highly transparent, mechanically stable and showed no evidence of reagent leaching. The influence of several parameters such as pH, ligand concentration, and type and concentration of regenerating solution were optimized. The sensor system showed good sensitivity in the range 0.5-20 μg ml⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.3 μg ml⁻¹ Ni(II). The sensor has been incorporated into a home-made flow-through cell for determination of nickel in flowing streams with improved sensitivity, precision and detection limit. The calibration curve in the flow system was linear in the range 0.1-16 μg ml⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.07 μg ml⁻¹. The sensor is easily regenerated by dilute nitric acid solution. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of nickel content in vegetable oil and chocolate samples and the results were compared with those obtained using atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Reactivity of tetracyanoquinodimethane with cobalt(II) chloride and bis(diphylphospino)methane in air

The reactions of CoCl₂·6H₂O, dppm (bis(diphenylphosphino)methane) and TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), with different ratios of the components, provided three new compounds, [Co(dppmdo)₃][TCNQ]₂1 (dppmdo = P,P′-dioxo-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)methane), [Co(dppmdo)₃][(μ-TCNQ)-CoCl₃] 2, and [Co(dppmdo)₃][(μ-DCBE)-CoCl₃] 3 (DCBE = p-dicyanomethyl-benzoic ethyl ester). These products were characterized by IR, UV–Vis and UV–Vis-NIR spectra, X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility measurements and cyclic voltammograms. 1 and 2 reveal low-energy transitions in the near-infrared region, which can be attributed to intra-ligand transitions involving radical anions (TCNQ/TCNQ⁻). It is interesting to note that, except for the redox potentials which are anodically shifted, indicating that it is easier to reduce TCNQ in 1 and 2 than the free TCNQ molecule, the electrochemistry of compounds 1 and 2 resemble that of the independent organic acceptor TCNQ. The magnetic properties suggest that an amount of electron transfer has occurred from the Co^II complex, [Co(dppmdo)₃]²⁺, to the TCNQ⁻ anions in 1; an amount of electron transfer also has occurred from the Co^II cation to the TCNQ⁻ anion via a cyanide-bridge in 2; there is a mixture of spin transition of Co^II ions and antiferromagnetic coupling between Co^II ions in 3.