Multi-elemental analysis of non-food packaging materials by inductively coupled plasma-time of flight-mass spectrometry

Commercial non-food packaging materials of four different matrices (paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene-polypropylene (PE-PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE)) were examined for the content of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb and U. The examined samples (0.17–0.35 g) were digested in HNO₃ and H₂O₂ (papers, LDPE and PE-PP) and in HNO₃, H₂SO₄ and H₂O₂ (HDPE) using microwave assisted high pressure system. The inductively coupled plasma-time of flight-mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) has been employed as the detection technique. All measurements were carried out using internal standardization. Yttrium and rhodium (50 ng g⁻¹) were used as internal standards. The detection and quantification limits obtained were in the range of 0.005 ng g⁻¹ (⁵²Cr) to 0.51 ng g⁻¹ (⁶⁶Zn) and 0.015 μg g⁻¹ (⁵²Cr) to 2.02 μg g⁻¹ (⁶⁶Zn) of dry mass, respectively. The evaluated contents (mg kg⁻¹) of particular elements in the examined materials were as follows: 0.22–219; <1.05–9.03; 1.25–112; <2.02–449; <0.98–<1.30; <0.36–2.06; <0.29–113; <0.22–44.1; <0.06–57.4; <0.66–<0.88; <0.08–0.24; <0.13–1222 and <0.08–0.44 for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb and U, respectively.     

Application of ion-exchange cartridge clean-up in food analysis I. Simultaneous determination of thiabendazole and imazalil in citrus fruit and banana using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A simple, rapid and reproducible analytical method for thiabendazole (TBZ) and imazalil (IMA) in citrus fruit and banana has been developed. The method involves the use of an ion-exchange cartridge for sample clean-up followed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from citrus fruits spiked at levels of 10 μg/g and 5 μg/g were in the range of 94–98% and 93–98% with coefficients of variation of 0.5–2.2% and 1.6–2.7%, respectively. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from banana spiked at levels of 3 μg/g and 2 μg/g were 94% and 94% with coefficients of variation 1.1% and 4.9%, respectively. The detection limits for TBZ and IMA were 0.1 μg/g in citrus fruit and 0.05 μg/g in banana.     

The cis—trans isomerization of nitrostilbenes XV: mixed singlet and triplet mechanism for trans → cis photoisomerization of 4-nitro-4′-dialkylaminostilbenes in non-polar solvents

The quantum yields of direct cis trans photoisomerization (φ_c → _t and φ_{t → c}) and of fluorescence of the trans isomers (φ_f) of three 4-nitro-4′-R-stilbenes (R amino (1), dimethylamino (2) and diethylamino (3)) were measured in several saturated hydrocarbons. Formation and decay of the lowest triplet state was observed by nanosecond laser flash photolysis. The triplet yield (φ_T), the triplet lifetime (τ_T), φ_{t → c} and φ_f were measured as a function of temperature and of the concentration of the quenchers ferrocene, azulene (Q) and oxygen. Twisting in the triplet, involving a ³t* ³p* equilibrium, analogous to that in other 4-nitrostilbenes, is suggested on the basis of the effects of temperature and quenchers on φ_T and τ_T. The trans → cis photoisomerization of 1 follows the triplet route almost completely. The existence of a singlet pathway (20% – 30% contribution) for 2 and 3 in non-polar solvents at room temperature is concluded from the non-linear dependence of the φ⁰_{t → c}/φ_{t → c} ratio on the concentration of Q. For these two nitrostilbenes a mixed singlet—triplet mechanism for the trans → cis photoisomerization is suggested.     

Novel triterpenoid saponins from Mimusops elengi

Two novel triterpenoid saponins, mimusopin ( 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2β, 3β, 6β, 23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid 28-O--L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→ 3)]--L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)--L-arabinopyranoside)(1) and mimusopsin 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)β-D-gluco-pyranosyl]-2β, 3β, 6β, 23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid 28-O--L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)--L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)--L-arabinopyranoside (2) were isolated from the seeds of Mimusops elengi. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of 2D-NMR (COSY, HOHAHA, HETCOR, HMBC and NOESY), FAB-MS/MS and strategic chemical degradation. In addition, molecular mechanics and dynamics studies showed that the lack of a ¹³C glycosylation shift at the C-4 of the inner rhamnose in 1 could be correlated with distortion in the corresponding torsion angles.     

Electronic states of PN obtained by configuration-interaction studies

Potential curves were calculated for eighteen low-lying doublet and quartet states of PN⁺, using configuration-interaction methods and double-zeta plus polarization and diffuse basis sets. Spectroscopic constants were evaluated for fourteen stable states. The X ²Σ⁺ ground state lies very close to A ²Π (0.34 eV calculated). The 2 ²Σ⁺ state has two shallow minima of similar energy, being due to σ* → σ at smaller R, and π → π* at larger R. For N₂⁺, σ* → σ is much lower in energy than π → π*, whereas the opposite situation applies to P₂⁺.     

Studies of nucleosides and nucleotides—XLVI Purine cyclonucleosides—13. Synthesis and properties of 8,5′-anhydro-8-mercaptoadenosine

Starting from 8-bromoadenosine, 2′,3′-O-isopropylidene-(IIa) and 2′,3′-O-ethoxymethylidene-5′-O-tosyl-8-bromoadenosme (IIb) were synthesized. Compounds IIa, b gave 8,5′-anhydronucleosides (IV a and b) on treatment with hydrogen sulfide in pyridine or aqueous sodium hydrogen sulfide in pyridine at −5–−15°. The structure of IV was confirmed by UV absorption, NMR and elemental analysis. CD and ORD measurements of IV showed large positive Cotton effects around absorption maxima. Acidic removal of the protecting group in IV gave 8,5′-anhydro-8-mercaptoadenosine (V), which was desulfurized to afford 5′-deoxyadesine (VI).     

Equilibrium and structural studies of silicon(IV) and aluminium(III) in aqueous solution—10. A potentiometric study of aluminium(III) pyrocatecholates and aluminium(III) hydroxo pyrocatecholates in 0.6 M Na(Cl)

Equilibria between aluminium(III), pyrocatechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene, H₂L) and OH⁻ were studied in 0.6 M Na(Cl) medium at 25°C. The measurements were performed as emf titrations (glass electrode) within the limits 1.5 ≤ − log[H⁺] ≤ 9; 0.0005 ≤ B ≤ 0.015 M; 0.006 ≤ C ≤ 0.03 M and 2 ≤ C/B ≤ 30 (B and C stand for the total concentrations of aluminium(III) and pyrocatechol respectively). All data can be explained with a main series of complexes: A1L⁺, log β_−2,1,1 = − 6.337 ± 0.005; A1L₂⁻, log β_−4,1,2 = −15.44 ± 0.017 and A1L₃³⁻, log β_−6,1,3 = − 28.62 ± 0.024 together with two minor species: Al(OH)L₂²⁻, log β_−5,1,2 = − 23.45 ± 0.079 and Al₃(OH)₃L₃, log β_−9,3,3 = − 29.91 ± 0.066. Of the two, the latter probably is a type of average composition complex principally occurring at low C/B quotients. The first acidity constant for pyrocatechol as determined in separate experiments is log β_−1,0,1 = − 9.198 ± 0.001. The standard deviations given are 3σ(log β p,q,r). Data were analyzed with the least squares computer program LETAGROPVRID. In a model calculation using kaolinite as solid phase, we compared the complexation ability of this system with that of the system Al³⁺-OH⁻-salicylic acid, reported earlier in this series.     

A flow injection-ETAAS system for the on-line determination of total and dissolved silica in waters

In this work total (Si-tot) and ‘soluble’ or reactive (Si-sol) concentrations of silicon in natural and tap waters were sequentially determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). First, samples were on-line diluted based on the merging-zone principle in order to allow the determination of Si-tot within the 300–1000 μgSi l⁻¹ range. After the dilution process, a sub-sample was collected in the capillary of a sampling arm assembly (SAA). Thereafter, samples were subject to a precipitation/dissolution process in order to allow the determination of Si-sol within the 280–850 μgSi l⁻¹. Si-sol was precipitated with ammonium chloride and collected on the walls of a knotted coil. The precipitate was dissolved with ammonium molybdate in an acidic medium (HNO₃) and a sub-sample was then collected in the SAA. In both cases, 10 μl volumes of the sub-sample were injected into the atomizer with the previous introduction of 20 ng of Eu as chemical modifier (10 μl) by the spectrometer autosampler. The recovery values obtained with natural waters spiked samples were over 46% and the agreement between observed and certified samples values was good. The proportion of Si-sol in comparison with the Si-tot was high (85–95%) in most natural waters. The precision of the method was 2.4–3.5 and 4.5–6.2% (n=10) for the determination of Si-tot and Si-sol, respectively.     

Nitrofuran antibiotic residues in pork: The FoodBRAND retail survey

Use of nitrofuran drugs in food-producing animals has been prohibited within the EU because they may represent a public health risk. Monitoring compliance with the ban has focused on the detection of protein-bound nitrofuran metabolites which, in contrast to the parent compounds, are stable and persist in animal tissues. As part of the “FoodBRAND” project, an extensive survey of pork was undertaken across 15 European countries. Samples (n = 1500) purchased at retail outlets were analysed for the nitrofuran metabolites AOZ, AMOZ, AHD and SEM using LC–MS/MS determination of nitrobenzaldehyde derivatives. Limits of quantification for the method were 0.1 μg/kg (AOZ, AMOZ), 0.2 μg/kg (SEM) and 0.5 μg/kg (AHD). Of the 1500 samples tested, measurable residues of nitrofuran metabolites were confirmed in 12 samples (0.8% incidence overall) of which 10 samples were purchased in Portugal (AOZ, 0.3 μg/kg; AMOZ, 0.2–0.6 μg/kg) and one sample each in Italy (AMOZ, 1.0 μg/kg) and Greece (AOZ, 3.0 μg/kg).     

Separations of tocopherols and methylated tocols on cyclodextrin-bonded silica

-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols (methyl-substituted tocols) and 5,7-dimethyltocol were separated by normal-phase HPLC on β- or γ-cyclodextrin-bonded silica (CDS) with fluorescence detection. The HPLC behavior of the tocol components was studied under various mobile phase conditions. Hexane or cyclohexane was used in combination with oxygen-containing solvents (alcohol, ether, and esters) in binary and ternary mobile phases. Capacity factors (k′) and separation factors () for adjacent tocol components were determined. Incorporation of non-polar ethers in the hydrocarbon (hexane or cyclohexane) mobile phases favored the separation of β- and γ-tocopherols with improved values, which enabled trace analysis of the β-isomer present in soybean oil. Analyte solutes tended to be more strongly adsorbed in mobile phases containing branched-chain alcohols and ethers than in those containing the corresponding straight-chain solvents. Generally, the k′ values obtained with hexane mobile phases or with the β-CDS phase were greater than those observed in HPLC with cyclohexane mobile phases or with the γ-CDS phase.     

Solution properties of polyurethane

Polyurethane was fractionated and the fractions were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and viscometry. The intrinsic viscosities of polyurethane in ten solvents varying in their polarity were determined and are in the order of mineral spirit < acetone < cyclohexane < cyclohexanone < xylene < ethyl benzene < toluene < benzene < methyl ethyl ketone < tetrahydrofuran. The Mark-Houwink relations suggested that solvent blend MEK: n-heptane (1:3) is a poor solvent with an a value of 0·52 and tetrahydrofuran is a good solvent with an a value of 0·78. The weight average molecular weight has been estimated by an extrapolation technique based on a linear relationship between the viscosity average molecular weight _v and the Mark-Houwink constant. The weight average molecular weights obtained from viscosity studies were used to evaluate the unpertureb dimension of the chain.     

Application of ion-exchange cartridge clean-up in food analysis III. Determination of benzylpenicillin, phenoxymethyl-penicillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, nafcillin and dicloxacillin in bovine liver and kidney by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A multiresidue analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of benzylpenicillin (PCG), phenoxymethylpenicillin (PCV), oxacillin (MPIPC), cloxacillin (MCIPC), nafcillin (NFPC) and dicloxacillin (MDIPC) in bovine liver and kidney. The method involves the use of an ion-exchange cartridge for sample clean-up followed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The recoveries of PCG, PCV, MPIPC, MCIPC, NFPC and MDIPC from bovine liver spiked at levels of 0.5 mg/kg and 0.1 mg/kg were in the range of 73–91% and 83–96% with coefficients of variation of 1.4–4.2% and 3.4–8.7%, respectively. For bovine kidney spiked at levels of 0.5 mg/kg and 0.1 mg/kg, the recoveries of these compounds were 79–92% and 82–92% with RSDs of 1.8–5.9% and 2.7–7.8%, respectively. The detection limits for the six penicillins were 0.02–0.05 mg/kg in bovine liver and kidney.     

Annellation effects in the perylene and coronene series

Naphtho(2′:3′, 2:3)perylene (VIII), dinaphtho(2′:3′, 2:3); (2″:3″, 8:9)perylene (VII), anthraceno(1′:4′, 1:12)perylene(IV), 1:12-benzonaphtho(2″:3″, 2:3)perylene(II), 1:12-benzonaphtho (2″:3″, 4:5)perylene (III) and 1:12-benzodinaphtho(2″:3″, 2:3); (2″“:3″”,8:9)perylene (XV) were synthesized. There are two different annellation effects in passing from 1:12-benzoperylene (I) to II or III resp., the one in naphthocoronene (V) lies in between these two effects. The annellation effect in the perylene series cannot be related to the molecular axes but is easily explained by the strict application of Robinsons aromatic sextet.     

Effect of sulphur on both thermal and dielectric properties of pre-compressed FEF black-loaded SBR vulcanizates

The thermal properties (thermal conductivity λ, thermal diffusivity a, and specific heat C_p) as well as the dielectric constant ε′ and dielectric loss ε′ of conductive styrene butadiene rubber loaded with different concentrations of sulphur were measured. It was found that both λ and C_p increase gradually at around 1 phr of sulphur content. Meanwhile, the dielectric constant ε′, showed a pronounced peak at 2 phr of sulphur content. Moreover, the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the dielectric constant ε′ and dielectric loss ε′ was found to rise with pre-compression.     

Synthesis of ansa-2,2′-bis[(4,7-dimethyl-inden-1-yl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl and nsa-2,2′-bis[(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroinden1-yl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyltitanium and -zirconium dichlorides

2,2′-Bis[(4,7-dimethyl-inden-1-yl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl and [2,2′-bis[(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroinden-1-yl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl]titanium and -zirconium dichlorides have been synthesized from 2,2′-bis(bromomethyl)-1,1′-binaphthylene. 2,2′-Bis(bromomethyl)-1,1′-binaphthylene was alkylated with the lithium salt of 4,7-dimethylindene to yield 2,2′-bis[1-(4,7-dimethyl-indenylmethyl)]-1,1′-binaphthylene (S)-(−)-9. The lithium salt of 9 was metalated with either titanium trichloride followed by oxidation or zirconium tetrachloride to give titanocene dichloride (S)-(+)-10 and zirconocene dichloride 11. The known complexes ansa-[2,2′-bis[(1-indenyl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl]titanium and -zirconium dichlorides were formed and hydrogenated to ansa-[2,2′-bis[(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroinden-1-yl)methyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl]titanium and -zirconium dichlorides 12 and 14 or to ansa-[2,2′-bis[(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroinden-1-yl)methyl]-5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′-octahydro-1,1′-binaphthyl]titanium dichloride 13 whose solid state structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 13 adopts a C₁-symmetrical conformation in the solid state, but is conformationally mobile in solution, exhibiting C₂-symmetry in its room temperature NMR spectra.     

Partition of carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll singlet-energy transfer through two channels in the LH2 complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides G1C

The excited-state dynamics of both carotenoid (Car) and bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) in the LH2 complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides G1C were simultaneously probed by subpicosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared regions. By the use of a four excited-state model, where the 1B_u⁺ and 1B_u⁻ states were treated inclusively as the ‘1B_u' state, the time constant and the efficiency partition of Car-to-BChl singlet-energy transfer were determined to be 67–114 fs and 60–74% for the ‘1B_u' channel, and 1.39–1.42 ps and 24–38% for the 2A_g⁻ channel, when a time constant of 170–190 fs was assumed for the 1B_u-to-2A_g⁻ internal conversion.     

Study of the N2 bΠu state via 1 + 1 multiphoton ionization

Medium-resolution spectra of the N₂ b¹Π_u-X¹Σ_g⁺ band system were recorded by 1 + 1 multiphoton ionization. In the spectra we found different linewidths for transitions to different vibrational levels in the b ¹Π_u state: Δν₀ = 0.50 ± 0.05 cm⁻¹, Δν₁ = 0.28 ± 0.02 cm⁻¹, Δν₂ = 0.65 ± 0.06 cm⁻¹, Δν₃ = 3.2 ± 0.5 cm⁻¹, Δν₄ = 0.60 ± 0.07 cm⁻¹, and Δν₅ = 0.28 ± 0.02 cm⁻¹. From these linewidths, predissociation lifetimes τ_ν were obtained: τ₀ = 16 ± 3 ps, τ₁ > 150 ps, τ₂ = 10 ± 2 ps, τ₃ = 1.6 ± 0.3 ps, τ₄ = 9 ± 2 ps, and τ₅ > 150 ps. Band origins and rotational constants for the b ¹Π_uν = 0 and 1 levels were determined for the ¹⁴N₂ and ¹⁴N¹⁵N molecules.     

γ- And δ-lycorane

Hydrogenation of -anhydrodihydrocaranine (V) or anhydrocaranine (VII) with Adams catalyst in acetic acid or the Hauptmann reduction of -dihydrocaranone (XX) yielded (—)γ-lycorane (XVII). Catalytic reduction of β-anhydrodihydrocaranine (IX) with palladium-carbon in ethanol gave (+)γ-lycorane (XVIII), while with Adams catalyst in acetic acid it afforded (+)δ-lycorane (XIX) along with (—)β-lycorane (III). Reduction of anhydrocaranine in ethanol gave (±)γ-lycorane which was also obtained by hydrogenation of anhydrolycorine (X). Based on these findings, the configurational structures of -, β-, γ- and δ-lycorane were established and the configuration of dihydrolycorine was confirmed.     

Experimental X-ray absorption edge structures of aluminium and carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in polyimide

Experimental X-ray absorption cross sections were abstracted from synchrotron radiation transmission measurements of aluminium coated polyimide membranes. Edge structure data are presented in tables for carbon in the range 283.4–400 eV, for nitrogen in 402–529 eV, for oxygen in 529.5–750 eV and for aluminium in 60–283.2 eV and 1554–1800 eV.     

Polarographic chemometric determination of zinc and nickel in aqueous samples

Polarographic chemometric methods were applied to the determination of zinc and nickel in aqueous solutions previously acidified with 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.2). The studied methods are multivariate methods including classical least squares (CLS), principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS); derivative ratio methods (first, ¹D and second, ²D derivative ratio). A comparative study was considered. The studied chemometric methods do not need the presence of any reduction potential shift reagent in spite of the great overlap between the two metals polarograms. A training set consisting of 10 binary mixture solutions in the possible combinations containing 0.13–9.30 μg/ml Zn(II) and 0.20–12.25 μg/ml Ni(II) was used to develop the chemometric calibrations (CLS, PCR and PLS). A validation set containing the synthetic mixtures in the range of 0.29–9.00 μg/ml for Zn(II) and 0.30–11.60 μg/ml for Ni(II) was used to validate the multivariate calibrations. Same mixtures were used to develop the derivative ratio methods. The polarograms were recorded and their current values were measured within the potential range −920 to −1052 mV at 2 mV intervals. The mean percentage recoveries obtained using CLS, PCR and PLS were found to be 99.5 ± 1.5%, 100.0 ± 1.1% and 100.0 ± 1.0% for Zn(II) and 99.4 ± 1.3%, 99.7 ± 1.2% and 99.9 ± 1.0% for Ni(II), respectively. The mean percentage recoveries obtained using ¹D at −950 mV, ¹D at −1010 mV, ¹D at −950 mV–¹D at −1010 mV and ²D at −986 mV for Zn(II) were found to be 99.7 ± 1.2%, 99.2 ± 1.6%, 99.4 ± 1.4% and 99.4 ± 1.4%; and using ¹D at −1030 mV and ²D at −1010 mV for Ni(II) were found to be 100.5 ± 1.3% and 100.4 ± 1.3%, respectively. Interferences due to the presence of Cd, Co, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Cu and Al were studied. The applicability of the proposed methods was assessed through the determination of both metals in tap drinking-water. Samples were subjected if required up to a 20-fold preconcentration step by microwaving in pyrex vessels. The results were compared with those obtained using the zincon and the heptoxime colorimetric reference methods for the determination of zinc and nickel, respectively.