Voltammetric Determination of Trace Amounts of Fenitrothion on a Novel Nano-TiO2 Polymer Film Electrode

A novel nano-TiO₂ polymer modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was developed for the determination of an organophosphorous pesticide, fenitrothion (-NO₂), in citrate buffer solution. The electrochemical behavior of fenitrothion was characterized by using cyclic voltammetry. An irreversible form, -NO₂, was transformed into a reversible redox couple (-NHOH/-NO), and it can be used to determine trace fenitrothion by square wave voltammetry. The experimental parameters, such as film thickness, pH value, accumulation potential and time were optimized. Interestingly, a cyclic voltammetric scan was observed to be more effective than a constant potential for the accumulation of fenitrothion. A linear response over a fenitrothion concentration of 2.5×10^–8 to 1.0×10^–5M was exhibited, with a detection limit of 1.0×10^–8M (S/N=3). The high sensitivity and selectivity of this film electrode was demonstrated by its practical application to the determination of trace amounts of fenitrothion in lake water and apple samples.     

Reactivity and Use of Sulfur–Oxygen Reducing Agents with C–S Bonds

The use of the reducing agents belonging to the group of hydroxy- and aminoalkanesulfinates (rongalite, thiourea dioxide, and their analogs) in chemistry and chemical technology is considered. The latest data on the mechanisms and kinetic models of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions involving these compounds, the mechanism of catalysis of the redox reactions by cobalt dioximines, and the effect of the solid reagent prehistory and of atmospheric oxygen on the reducing properties of hydroxyalkanesulfinates are discussed.     

Philosophical aspects of chemometrical strategy in Analytical Chemistry

Summary This paper discusses the philosophical aspects of the three main chemometrical strategies in analytical chemistry: statistical data treatment, optimization and modelling, pattern recognition. It is possible by a more general consideration of these approaches to find a proper place of different philosophical categories such as form and content, induction and deduction, concrete and general in analytical chemistry. The philosophical aspect of the considerations allows a deeper penetration into the theoretical basis of chemical analysis.

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Philosophische Betrachtungen zu chemometrischen Strategien in der Analytischen Chemie

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Presented at the First International Symposium on History and Philosophy in Analytical Chemistry, Vienna, November 22–23, 1985     

Electrochemical dissolution of magnetite in acid solutions

The present paper deals with the electrochemical behavior of magnetite microcrystals in an acid medium. A voltammetric method employing a carbon-paste electroactive electrode (CPEE) with an organic binder was used. It was found that the cathodic voltammograms, which were recorded at different scan rates, formed a set bounded in the space of i–E parameters by a generalizing voltammetric curve corresponding to the effective potential scan rate _eff. In other words, all curves are situated under one enveloping curve, just as the smaller dolls sit in the largest doll of a Russian doll. Reverse currents (a cathodic current in the anodic direction of the potential scan) were observed on the cyclic voltammogram. Forward and reverse currents obey the same laws and have one and the same generalizing curve, which could be taken as the magnetite characteristic.     

Spin conversion of positronium in paramagnetic solutions studied by age-momentum-correlation method

Correlated measurement of the lifetime and of the lineshape of the 511 keV annihilation radiation of positrons (age-momentum correlation, AMOC) has become a powerful tool for investigating reactions of positron or positronium in condensed matter as a function of time. The beam-based ⁺ AMOC method installed at the Stuttgart relativistic positron beam facility (E _kin ^e+ 4MeV) offers substantial advantages over the conventional E coincidence technique resulting in a fast data taking due to the unity detection efficiency of the ⁺ scintillator which provides the start signal for the lifetime measurement. In this paper the application of AMOC to positronium chemistry is illustrated by the study of spin conversion of positronium in the system methanol/HTEMPO as a function of HTEMPO (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl, a paramagnetic solute) concentration. The same technique can be applied to other systems and other reactions in positronium chemistry, e. g., oxidation or complex formation.     

Two‐dimensional step‐scan FTIR: a tool to unravel the OH‐valency‐range of the spectrum of Cellulose I

This article presents the results of the first application of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) coupled with 2D stepscan Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, to cellulose. It is demonstrated that the broad hydroxyl infrared absorption band between 3700 and 3000cm^–1 in the cellulose infrared spectra could be separated into distinct bands by this dynamic rheooptical investigation using FTIRspectroscopy as detecting system. The responses of the OHgroups to an external perturbation were recorded as inphase and outofphase spectra. The cross correlation of these spectra gave the 2D synchronous and asynchronous plots, which showed clearly separated bands in the OHvibration range and the relation of the OHgroups to each other. It is demonstrated that it is possible to establish relations between the OHbands and the cellulose structure.     

Interplay of Thermochemistry and Structural Chemistry,the Journal (Volume 13, 2002) and the Discipline

As practiced disciplines, structural chemistry and thermochemistry need not be related. In the current study they are: the contents of the journal Structural Chemistry (Vol. 13) for the year 2002 have been reviewed and then most articles that appeared therein were given a thermochemical commentary, spin or slant.     

The Chemistry of Methane Remediation by a Non‐thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

The destruction of methane by a nonthermal plasma in atmospheric pressure gas streams of nitrogen with variable amounts of added oxygen has been investigated. The identities and concentrations of the endproducts are determined by online FTIR spectroscopy and the plasma chemistry is interpreted using kinetic modelling. For a deposited energy of 118 kJ m^–3, the destruction is 12% in nitrogen decreasing monotonically to 5% in air. The major endproducts are HCN and NH₃ in nitrogen and CO, CO₂, N₂O, NO and NO₂ for gas streams containing oxygen. The chemistry in pure nitrogen is predominantly due to reactions of electronicallyexcited nitrogen atoms, N(²D). The addition of oxygen converts the excited state nitrogen into nitrogen oxides reducing the methane destruction which then arises by O and OH reactions yielding CO and, to a lesser extent, CO₂. The modelling correctly predicts the magnitude of the methane destruction as a function of added oxygen and the concentrations of the endproducts for processing in both nitrogen and air.     

Katalytische Reaktionen in der Spurenanalyse und Untersuchung ihrer Mechanismen. III. Über das Landoltsche Prinzip

Zusammenfassung Durch die Einführung von Landoltschen Reaktionen auf Brom- bzw. Chlorgrundlage kann festgestellt werden, daß die heute bekannten Landoltschen Reaktionen, ganz allgemein gesprochen, katalytische Systeme sind. Die heute bekannten Landoltschen Redoxreaktionen sind im wesentlichen halogenkatalytische Reaktionen. Die Landoltschen Reaktionen auf Säure-Basen-Grundlage sind Fälle der Säure-Basen-Katalyse. Die ursprüngliche Landoltsche (Jodat-Sulfit-)Reaktion und analoge Reaktionen sind autokatalytische Systeme.

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Summary By applying Landolt reactions to bromo- or chloro-based materials it was found that the now familiar Landolt reactions are catalytic systems in the general sense. The Landolt redox reactions known at present are essentially halogeno-catalytic reactions. The Landolt reactions on acid-base basis are instances of acid-base catalysis. The original Landolt (iodatesulfite) reaction and analogous reactions are autocatalytic systems.

     

Electrochemical Behavior of Epinephrine at a Penicillamine Self-Assembled Gold Electrode,and its Analytical Application

The fabrication and electrochemical characteristics of a penicillamine (PCA) self-assembled monolayer modified gold electrode were investigated. The self-assembled electrode shows obvious electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of epinephrine (EP). In phosphate buffer (pH 7.73), a sensitive oxidation peak was observed at 0.190V with the PCA modified Au electrode. The peak current is proportional to the concentration of EP in the range of 2.0×10^–56.0×10^–4molL^–1 and 5.0×10^–6 2.0×10^–4molL^–1 for cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with the detection limits of 1.8×10^–7 and 1.3×10^–7molL^–1, respectively. The possible reaction mechanism is also discussed. The PCA self-assembled monolayer modified gold electrode is highly stable and can be applied to the determination of EP in practical injection samples. Application is simple, rapid and produces accurate results.     

Similarity and dissimilarity in posets

The relevance of partially ordered sets (or posets) in a wide diversity of contexts in chemistry is emphasized, and the utility of distance functions (or metrics) on such posets is noted. First a notion of scale similarity is introduced to make comparisons within certain so-called scaled posets, for which there is formulated natural comparators, which in turn lead to associated distance functions. Beyond taking note of several chemically relevant examples of these scaled posets and their consequent associated similarity measures, a second chemically relevant class of so-called shifted posets is similarly developed, with examples. Even further extension of some aspects of the current approach is indicated, and finally the multi-posetic character of chemical periodic law is suggested.     

The Electrochemical Behavior of p-Aminophenol at a ω-Mercaptopropionic Acid Self-Assembled Gold Electrode

A -mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) self-assembled monolayer modified electrode (MPA/SAM/Au) on a gold electrode has been fabricated. The characterization of the MPA/SAM/Au was investigated using attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and A.C. impedance. The electrochemical behaviors of p-aminophenol (p-AP) were studied at the MPA/SAM/Au by cyclic voltammetry and semi-derivative voltammetry (SDV) in BR buffer solution. The modified electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic activity for the redox of p-AP and accelerates the electron transfer rate. The diffusion coefficient (D) is 4.55×10^–6cm²s^–1. The oxidative peak current increases linearly with the concentration of p-AP in the range of 4.0×10^–88×10^–6molL^–1 and 1.0×10^–52×10^–4molL^–1 by square wave voltammetry response, respectively. The detection limit (three times the signal blank/slope) is up to 1.2×10^–8molL^–1. The modified electrode is able to eliminate the interference of p-benzenediol, o-benzenediol and o-AP at a 40-, 90- or 70-fold concentration of p-AP, and it has been satisfactorily used for the determination of the real sample.     

Determination of Caffeine Using a Simple Graphite Pencil Electrode with Square-Wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

A simple commercial graphite pencil electrode (GPE) was utilized for monitoring caffeine using the square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) method. This method was applied to determine the caffeine levels in several tea samples, which yielded a relative error of 1% in the concentrations. Caffeine was deposited at 0.0V (vs. Ag/AgCl), then reduced at +1.40V to strip it on the GPE. Optimal experimental conditions for the analysis were found to be as follows: pH value of 9 for the medium; deposition potential of 0.0V; deposition time of 120s; SW frequency of 25Hz; SW amplitude of 45mV, and step potential of 6mV. Given these optimum conditions, a linear range was observed within the concentration of 0500mgL^–1. At caffeine concentrations of 50.0, 250.0, and 500.0mgL^–1, the relative standard deviations in measured concentrations (n=12) were 0.19, 0.09, and 0.11%, respectively. The detection limit was found to be 9.2mgL^–1, which is comparable with the result obtained using a carbon paste electrode, equivalent to 8.2mgL^–1.     

Electrocatalysis of Tryptophan at Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Modified Electrode

Acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode to form an MWNT-modified electrode. The electrocatalytic response of the modified electrode towards tryptophan (Trp) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The results demonstrated that the modified electrode exhibited a high degree of catalytic activity towards the oxidation of Trp. An oxidation peak was obtained in Trp solution at the MWNT-modified electrode. Compared with a bare electrode, the peak current had obviously increased, and the peak potential had shifted in a negative direction. However, under the same conditions, no response was observed for other amino acids. The oxidation peak currents were proportional linearly to the concentration of Trp, a property which could be utilized to detect Trp. The determination conditions, such as the concentration, the composition and the pH values of the supporting electrolyte, accumulation time, as well as scan rate etc. were optimized. Under the chosen conditions, the DPV peak current is linear to the concentration of Trp in the range of 2.5×10^–7 to 1.0×10^–4molL^–1, and the detection limit is 2.7×10^–8molL^–1. Moreover, the detection is free of interference from other amino acids. The modified electrode has been successfully applied to determine the concentration of Trp in composite amino acid injections, and it displays excellent repeatability and higher sensitivity.     

Electrochemical Determination of 4-Nitrophenol Using a Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Film-Coated Glassy Carbon Electrode

A single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) film coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated for the direct determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The electrochemical behaviors of 4-NP at the SWNT-film coated GCE were examined. In 0.1M phosphate buffer with a pH of 5.0, 4-NP yields a very sensitive and well-defined reduction peak at the SWNT-modified GCE. It is found that the SWNT film exhibits obvious electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-NP since it not only increases the reduction peak current but also lowers the reduction overpotential. Based on this, an electrochemical method was proposed for the direct determination of 4-NP. The reduction peak current varies linearly with the concentration of 4-NP ranging from 1×10^–8 to 5×10^–6M, and the detection limit is 2.5×10^–9M after 3min of open-circuit accumulation. The relative standard deviation at 2×10^–7M 4-NP was about 6% (n=10), suggesting excellent reproducibility. This new method was successfully employed to determine 4-NP in several lake water samples.     

Inclusion complexation of N-substituted phenothiazines and their radical cations generated electrochemically with <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-cyclodextrin

The interactions of -cyclodextrin (-CD) with N-phenylphenothiazine (1), N-benzylphenothiazine (2) and N-phenethylphenothiazine (3) were studied by cyclic voltammetry. In aqueous solutions, increasing the amount of -CD caused negative shifts in the anodic peaks and an increase in the current of the 1/1 ⁺ and 3/3 ⁺ couples owing to the fact that more 1 and 3 were included in the -CD cavities. However, compound 2 neither gave an anodic nor a cathodic wave in the presence of -CD because the oxidization reactions on the surface of electrode were controlled by the conformations of the N-substituted phenothiazines in the cavity of -CD. In 1:9 methanol/water binary solutions, 1 and 3 were investigated by fast scan cyclic voltammetry which showed that the irreversible waves became quasi-reversible waves in the presence of -CD, confirmed the stabilization of cation radical intermediates by -CD. The electrochemical and absorption spectral data indicated 1:1 inclusion complex formation of -CD with 1 and 3 cation radicals in methanol/water binary solutions and the binding constants of 1 ⁺ and 3 ⁺ were very large under this condition.     

Isokinetic relationships (IKRs) in organometallic and coordination chemistry: Reactions of Ru5C(CO)14{P(OPh)3} and other complexes

The linear compensation plot of H versus S for associative substitution reactions of Ru5C(CO)14 {P(OPh3)} with seven P-donor nucleophiles suggests that an isokinetic temperature, Tiso, of 253±10K exists. A detailed statistical analysis by the Linert-Exner method shows that the data are consistent with there being a genuine isokinetic temperature at 245K at which reactions with six out of the seven nucleophiles proceed at the same rate. This can be shown more easily, graphically more vividly, and with quantitatively the same or better results, by a simplified version of an earlier method due to Krug, Greiger et al. in which H values are found to depend linearly on corresponding values of G calculated at a suitably chosen temperature. This isokinetic behaviour is closely related to that shown by the linear free energy analysis of the rates in terms of the electronic and steric properties of the nucleophiles. The temperature dependence of the sensitivity of the rates to these electronic and steric properties suggests that the major factors involved are entropic rather than enthalpic, reactions with larger nucleophiles actually being favoured by enthalpic factors. Steric profiles obtained at different temperatures all pass through a common point with an isokinetic cone angle of 153°. A few examples of other reactions of organometallic or coordination compounds that show linear compensation plots of H versus S are also analysed by the Linert- Exner and Krug-Greiger methods. Some do show unambiguous isokinetic behaviour but others do not, even though the compensation plots appear to be linear.     

IR-Spectroscopic Study of the Binding Isomerism of Adsorbed Molecules

This paper discusses the use of IR spectroscopy in the studies of isomerism in the binding of adsorbed molecules with a surface when a molecule may form several different surface species at the same site. Species whose geometry does not provide minimal adsorption energy can be considered as adsorption complexes in an excited state. The spectral manifestations of such a steric excitation are compared with the electronic and vibrational excitations of surface species. The sterically excited isomeric states existing in thermodynamic equilibrium with ordinary adsorption species are found and studied in detail. Examples are CO molecules bound through C and O atoms with metal cations in zeolites or with surface hydroxyl groups, the thiophene molecule via hydrogen bonding with silanol groups, and HD molecules dissociatively adsorbed on ZnO. A possible role of sterically activated isomeric states in catalysis is discussed.     

Radiation-induced reactions of cholesterol in an aqueous medium

⁶⁰Co -ray radiolysis of cholesterol /3-hydroxy-5-cholestene/ /I/ in the two-phase system /water-ethyl acetate/ and in the presence of air has been studied using TLC and GC methods. The following products were observed in the irradiated mixture: 3, 7-dihydroxy-5-cholestene /II/, G O. 36, 3-hydroxy-7-keto-5-cholestene /III/, G 1.48, 3-hydroxy-7-keto-5-cholestane /IV/, G 0.22, 3,5,6-trihydroxy-5-cholestane /V/, G 0.83, 5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-5-cholestane /VIa/, G 0.26, 5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-5-cholestane /VIb/, G 0.24, and 2, 3-dihydroxy-5-cholestene /VII/, G 0.22. The dose dependence of the formation of these products shows that the cholesterol derivatives substituted in the position 7 /II–IV/ are formed from a common precursor — the radical Ia. On the other hand, the products of the 5–C=C double bond reactions /V and VI/ are formed independently. Also the product VII is formed independently. A reaction scheme that is in agreement with these results is proposed.     

Electrocatalytic Properties and Voltammetric Determination of Melatonin at a Nanostructured Film Electrode

A multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) film coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated, and the electrochemical behavior of melatonin on the MWNT film coated GCE was investigated. The oxidation peak current of melatonin increases significantly and the oxidation peak position shifts positively at the MWNT film modified GCE compared to that at a bare GCE. This indicates that MWNTs feature highly effective catalysis to the electrochemical oxidation of melatonin. A simple and sensitive electroanalytical method was developed for the determination of melatonin. The oxidation peak current is proportional to the concentration of melatonin from 8×10^–8 to 1×10^–5molL^–1. The detection limit is about 2×10^–8molL^–1 for 3min accumulation. The proposed method was demonstrated to work satisfactorily with commercial capsules.