Ammonia detection via integrated optical evanescent wave sensors

Detection of ammonia in the gas phase by means of integrated optical components, coated with sensitive films which reversibly change their spectral absorption with ammonia concentration, is demonstrated. The evanescent wave of the guided light continuously probes the absorbance of the sensor membrane at 633 nm. The output intensity is compared with that of a reference channel not influenced by the sensitive film. With Bromocresol Green and Bromophenol Blue in silicone as indicators, ammonia levels of less than 1 ppm are detectable, the dynamic range being from 1 to 200 ppm. The response depends on the relative humidity, and acidic gases including sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxides are found to reduce the relative signal change caused by ammonia, whilst in the absence of ammonia they remain inert. Aging of the film is observed within a few months after film preparation.     

A versatile total internal reflection photometric detection cell for flow analysis

A total internal reflection (TIR) flow-through cell that is highly tolerant of schlieren effects, has limited hydrodynamic dispersion and does not trap gas bubbles, and which is suitable for sensitive photometric measurements in flow analysis, is described. Light from an optical fibre is introduced into a short length of quartz capillary through the sidewall at an incident angle of ca. 53°. Under this condition, incident light undergoes total internal reflection from the external air-quartz interface and is propagated by successive reflections from the external walls through the aqueous liquid core of the cell. Detection of the transmitted beam is enabled by intentionally introducing an optical coupling medium at a predetermined distance along the capillary wall, which allows the internally reflected light to be captured by a second optical fibre connected to a charge-couple device detector.This configuration embodies a number of the desirable features of a liquid core waveguide cell (i.e. total internal reflection), a multi-reflection (MR) flow cell (i.e. minimum susceptibility to schlieren effects, low hydrodynamic dispersion and little tendency to trap bubbles), and a conventional Z-cell (wide dynamic range). When employed with a flow injection system, a limit of detection of 2.0 μg PL⁻¹ was achieved for the determination of reactive phosphate using the TIR cell, compared with LOD values of 3.8 μg PL⁻¹ and 4.9 μg PL⁻¹ obtained using the MR and Z-cells with same manifold.The combined advantages of schlieren-tolerance and lack of bubble entrapment of the MR cell with the higher S/N ratio and wider dynamic range of a conventional Z-cell, make the TIR cell eminently useful for photometric measurements of samples with widely differing refractive indices.     

Sensitive determination of carbohydrates labelled with p-nitroaniline by capillary electrophoresis with photometric detection using a 406 nm light-emitting diode

p-Nitroaniline was explored as a derivatising reagent for UV absorbance detection of carbohydrates after separation by CE. This derivatising agent has three advantages: first, it has excellent water solubility; second, it has high molar absorptivity; and third, it is possible to obtain sensitive detection using a UV or blue light-emitting diode (LED) as the light source. The labelling reaction took less than 30 min to complete with high reaction yield. The separation process was modelled and optimised using an artificial neural network. Nine carbohydrates were separated by a CE system within 16 min using a 0.17 M boric acid buffer at pH 9.7. On-column LED detection at 406 nm allowed the detection of carbohydrates with good detection limits (<1.1 microM or 8.8 fmol) and reproducible quantification in the concentration range of 2.6-200 microM. This method was applied successfully to the determination of component carbohydrates in some food samples.     

Flow injection determination of lactate based on a photochemical reaction using photometric and chemiluminescence detection

A photochemical method for the determination of lactate using a flow-injection system is proposed. The method is based on the decomposition of lactate in the presence of UO2(2+) and Fe3+ upon irradiation with UV or visible light. The Fe2+ produced in the photochemical process was monitored by measuring the absorbance after complexation with ferrozine (lambda max = 562 nm) or the chemiluminescence (CL) intensity in a luminol system without added oxidant. The range of measurements depended on the length of the irradiation time and the detection system used. The detection limits using CL and photometric detection were 2 ng ml-1 and 50 ng ml-1, respectively. The sample throughput was 45 samples h-1. The usefulness of the method was demonstrated by determining lactate levels in blood serum, milk, yoghurt, beer and pharmaceutical preparations.     

Multicomponent analysis with a computerized flow injection system using LED photometric detection

An original computer-controlled solid-state photometer has been developed and its potential for simultaneous multicomponent flow-injection analysis of binary and ternary mixtures is demonstrated. The device is simple in construction. Its principle of operation is based on rapid sequential measurements of the absorbance of the complexes formed by the analytes with chromogenic reagents at the wavelengths corresponding to the emission maxima of three light emitting diodes (563, 580 and 638 nm).     

Autoprotolysis constants by coulometric titration

A procedure is described for the evaluation of autoprotolysis constants in which a strong acid is titrated with coulometrically generated strong base. A two-compartment cell is used, and the acid may be added as such to the solvent under study, or generated in situ in the cell. When a silver auxiliary electrode can be used, as with solutions containing bromide ion, a single-compartment cell may be used, which seems to give more accurate results because it avoids the errors caused by diffusion of solution through the diaphragm. The results for the constants obtained for ethylene glycol, for methanol and for water are in reasonable agreement with values in the literature.     

油页岩热解挥发分中轻油吸附回收工艺初探

将活性炭纤维吸附回收工艺应用于油页岩热解气轻质油品回收,自行建立了移动床油页岩连续热解实验装置及相应的油品回收系统。实验结果表明,冷凝冷却至室温的桦甸油页岩热解气中轻质油品含量可达20 g/m³以上。通过活性炭纤维吸附,可将煤气中的轻质油品完全回收。竞争吸附实验表明,"轻油"中的BTX、乙苯、C_10~13的烷烃、烯烃等更容易吸附,碳数相对较低的烯烃、烷烃、环烷烃吸附能力相对较弱。这将为油页岩热解气轻油高效回收工艺开发提供基础数据。     

Selective photometric determination of selenium in aqueous media

A procedure is developed for the photometric determination of selenium in aqueous media using 2-(p-nitrophenyl)-3,5-diphenyltetrazolium chloride. To selectively determine selenium, a two-stage scheme of sample preparation is chosen. It includes the gas extraction of selenium liberated as hydrogen selenide, its extraction from the gas phase to a solution of lead nitrate by liquid absorption and repeated extraction of hydrogen selenide, followed by its absorption with an aqueous reagent solution to form water-insoluble formazan. The formazan is extracted with chloroform. The concentration of selenium is determined from the absorbance of the chloroform extract of formazan. The procedure involves no special preconcentration operations and allows from 10 to 100 μg/L selenium to be determined.     

Formation of inhomogeneities in polyacrylamide gel in the course of frontal polymerization

The deformation of gas bubbles in the course of photoinduced polymerization of polyacrylamide gel in monomer solution under microgravity conditions has been studied experimentally. The use of optical methods allows one to identify the specific features of changes in the shape of gas bubbles and to correlate these changes with different stages of polymerization. At the initial stage of the polymerization reaction, the development of gel inhomogeneities is caused by reflection and scattering of the initiating light and, correspondingly, by different rates of gel formation near the surface of a gas bubble. After its contact with the polymerization front, further deformation of the bubble is caused by the inhomogeneous development of the reaction in the formed gel. Using the interference method, the characteristic dimensions of structural inhomogeneities in the formed gel induced in the vicinity of the transparent inclusion are measured.     

Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in Lycium barbarum by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection

An analytical method was developed to determine 14 organophosphorus pesticide residues in Lycium barbarum, which is both a botanical medicine and a food. A 5 g sample is mixed with 10 mL ethyl acetate and, after shaking and centrifuging, 5 mL of the upper layer is removed, concentrated, and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric detection. The essential feature of this method is that, for the purpose of reducing the burden of the GC system, 0.01 g activated carbon is used to absorb pigments during the cleanup procedure. Average recoveries of 14 organophosphorus pesticides added at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg were 66.84-102.42, 71.07-97.93, and 62.50-96.24%, respectively. Limits of detection ranged from 5 to 15 microg/kg. The identities of the 14 pesticides were confirmed by GC/mass spectrometry detection in the selected-ion monitoring mode. This method is sensitive, simple, rapid, inexpensive, and safe.     

Comparison of various detection limit estimates for volatile sulphur compounds by gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detection

This paper addresses the variations that presently exist regarding the definition, determination, and reporting of detection limits for volatile sulphur compounds by gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detection (GC-PFPD). Gas standards containing hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S), carbonyl sulphide (COS), sulphur dioxide (SO(2)), methyl mercaptan (CH(3)SH), dimethyl sulphide (DMS), carbon disulphide (CS(2)), and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in concentrations varying from 0.36ppb (v/v) up to 1.5ppm (v/v) in nitrogen were prepared with permeation tubes and introduced in the gas chromatograph using a 0.25-ml gas sampling loop. After measuring the PFPD response versus concentration, the method detection limit (MDL), the Hubaux-Vos detection limit (x(D)), the absolute instrument sensitivity (AIS), and the sulphur detectivity (D(s)) were determined for each sulphur compound. The results show that the MDL determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency procedure consistently underestimates the minimum concentrations of volatile sulphur compounds that can be practically distinguished from the background noise with the PFPD. The Hubaux-Vos detection limits and the AIS values are several times higher than the MDL, and provide more conservative estimates of the lowest concentrations that can be reliably detected. Sulphur detectivities are well correlated with AIS values but only poorly correlated with MDL values. The AIS is recommended as a reliable and cost-effective measure of detection limit for volatile sulphur compounds by GC-PFPD, since the AIS is easier and faster to determine than the MDL and the Hubaux-Vos detection limit. In addition, this study confirmed that the PFPD response is nearly quadratic with respect to concentration for all volatile sulphur compounds.     

The error in absorption measurements, caused by the use of non-monochromatic light-II Gaussian functions

The errors in absorption measurements in spectrophotometry, caused by the use of non-monochromatic light, have been calculated. Gaussian functions have been assumed for the wavelength-dependence of the intensity of the incident light falling on the cell and the absorbance of the compound measured. Results found are similar to those found with parabolic functions. Experiments have been made to compare the results of the calculations with experimental values. The agreement is fairly good in most cases.     

Flow-injection coulometric titrations

A flow-injection analysis technique based on stop flow coulometric titrations is described, utilizing a gradient chamber, reagent generation chamber, and detector flow cell integrated into a single unit. The use of stop flow allowed for automated sample dilution up to a factor of 100 times. The system has been used to titrate samples of sodium hydroxide in the range 5 x 10(-4)-4M, and nitric acid ranging from 5 x 10(-3)-15M. Analyses over the entire range of concentrations yielded a relative standard deviation of less than 3%. A correlation coefficient of 0.999 was obtained for all comparisons with manual titrations. Remote spectrophotometric detection was performed with optical fibers. No frit or membrane is required to separate the generating and counter electrodes within the system, yet the advantages of conventional coulometric titration, which eliminate the problems of reagent and calibration solution handling, storage or degradation, are retained.     

Analysis of terbutaline in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection using a micro-electrochemical flow cell.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of terbutaline in human plasma in the range 1-35 ng/ml. Detection was achieved using a carbon fibre micro-electrochemical detector and a column-switching system. The microelectrode cell has advantages over conventional glassy carbon electrode-based detection systems in that it is easy to prepare, flexible in its operation and suffers less trouble from problems such as air bubbles and leaks. Furthermore, it has a better detection limit for terbutaline (0.8 ng/ml) to that obtained using a conventional glassy carbon electrode flow detector (2 ng/ml). Sample clean-up was by on-line solid-phase extraction with column switching, providing a method which was sensitive and reproducible, where the mean overall coefficient of variation was 5.60% and drug recovery in excess of 86% at the concentration levels studied.     

Flow injection analysis of inorganic polyphosphates

Flow injection analysis is applied to the determination of orthophosphate and polyphosphates, such as diphosphate and triphosphate. A strongly acidic solution containing molybdenum(V) and molybdenum(VI) is used as the carrier so that hydrolysis of polyphosphates and color development of the resultant orthophosphate can be achieved simultaneously. For complete chemical reaction, the temperature of the reaction coil is maintained at 140° C. Application of a back-pressure coil is then necessary to eliminate the noise caused by gas bubbles. Total amounts of inorganic polyphosphates can be determined at a sampling rate of 45 samples per hour with a relative standard deviation of less than 1%. In addition, the flow injection system is shown to be useful as a post-column detector for high-performance liquid chromatography of inorganic polyphosphates. The efficiency of this system is compared with that of an air-segmented flow system.     

Determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil by dynamic on-line supercritical fluid extraction with infrared photometric detection

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in soil are determined by on-line dynamic supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using infrared filter photometry detection. The filter photometer was constructed in the laboratory using a tungsten lamp, an optical notch filter that selects the C-H stretching vibration of the extracted organics, an optical chopper with demodulation electronics, and a PbSe detector. A modified high-pressure fiber optic flow cell was used to couple the SFE system to the photometer. Quantitation of TPHs was accomplished through the construction of calibration curves of integrated absorbance of C-H stretching (over time) versus concentration. Our studies show that the sensitivity of this system is affected by both the optical path length in the high-pressure cell and the SFE fluid flow-rate, and detection limits for TPHs are in the mid part-per-million range. The results of the application of this on-line SFE-IR instrument to the determination of TPHs in real-world samples show good agreement with those obtained from standard Soxhlet extraction-IR methods.     

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of triglycerides using gradient elution with UV detection

Summary A gradient reverse phase system is reported which was compatible with UV detection at 220 nm and was suitable for fats containing a wide range of carbon number.Cis andtrans isomers were well resolved and better precision was obtained for poly-unsaturated fats than by capillary GC. Diode array detection with an isocratic system enabled the absorbance ratio at 220/225 nm to be monitored and this appears to give a useful indication of the type of unsaturation present in eluted triglycerides.     

The Beginnings of Organic Photochemistry

Although sunlight induced photochemistry must have occurred on the planet Earth for billions of years, the chemical changes caused by light have attracted systematic scientific scrutiny only relatively recently. How did scientists first conceive the idea that the interaction of materials with light could not only cause physical phenomena, but could also alter their chemical nature? When sunlight began to be employed as a heat source for distillation, the eventual discovery of photochemical reactions was assured. One can envision three types of changes that would have aroused the curiosity of laboratory chemists: color changes; the evolution of gas bubbles (oxygen in photosynthesis); and the precipitation of a photoproduct less soluble than its precursor. Less predictable was the observation that sunlight caused crystalline santonin to burst because it is converted into a product with a different crystal lattice. In the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a variety of photochemical reactions, some observed by chance, others uncovered in carefully planned studies, ultimately led to a major systematic investigation that established photochemistry as a viable branch of chemistry.     

Nonequilibrium bubbles in a flowing langmuir monolayer

We investigate the nonequilibrium behavior of two-dimensional gas bubbles in Langmuir monolayers. A cavitation bubble is induced in liquid expanded phase by locally heating a Langmuir monolayer with an IR-laser. At low IR-laser power the cavitation bubble is immersed in quiescent liquid expanded monolayer. At higher IR-laser power thermo capillary flow around the laser-induced cavitation bubble sets in. The thermo capillary flow is caused by a temperature dependence of the gas/liquid line tension. The slope of the line tension with temperature is determined by measuring the thermo capillary flow velocity. Thermodynamically stable satellite bubbles are generated by increasing the surface area of the monolayer. Those satellite bubbles collide with the cavitation bubble. Upon collision the satellite bubbles either coalesce with the cavitation bubble or slide past the cavitation bubble. Moreover we show that the satellite bubbles can also be produced by the emission from the laser-induced cavitation bubbles.     

Solid suspension and gas dispersion in gas-solid-liquid agitated systems

The aim of the research work was to investigate the effect of superficial gas velocity and solids concentration on the critical agitator speed, gas hold-up and averaged residence time of gas bubbles in an agitated gas-solid-liquid system. Experimental studies were conducted in a vessel of the inner diameter of 0.634 m. Different high-speed impellers: Rushton and Smith turbines, A 315 and HE 3 impellers, were used for agitation. The measurements were conducted in systems with different physical parameters of the continuous phase. Liquid phases were: distilled water (coalescing system) or aqueous solutions of NaCl (non-coalescing systems). The experiments were carried out at five different values of solids concentration and gas flow rate. Experimental analysis of the conditions of gas bubbles dispersion and particles suspension in the vessel with a flat bottom and four standard baffles showed that both gas and solid phases strongly affected the critical agitation speed necessary to produce a three-phase system. On the basis of experimental studies, the critical agitator speed for all agitators working in the gas-solid-liquid systems was found. An increase of superficial gas velocity caused a significant increase of the gas hold-up in both coalescing and non-coalescing three-phase systems. The type of the impeller strongly affected the parameters considered in this work. Low values of the critical impeller speed together with the relatively short average gas bubbles residence time tR in three phase systems were characteristic for the A 315 impeller. Radial flow Rushton and Smith turbines are high-energy consuming impellers but they enable to maintain longer gas bubbles residence time and to obtain higher values of the gas hold-up in the three-phase systems. Empirical correlations were proposed for the critical agitator speed, mean specific energy dissipated and the gas hold-up prediction. Its parameters were fitted using experimental data.