Mass transfer model of triethylamine across the n-decane/water interface derived from dynamic interfacial tension experiments

This publication presents a detailed experimental and theoretical study of mass transfer of triethylamine (TEA) across the n-decane/water interface. In preliminary investigations, the partition of TEA between n-decane and water is determined. Based on the experimental finding that the dissociation of TEA takes place in the aqueous and in the organic phase, we assume that the interfacial mass transfer is mainly affected by adsorption and desorption of ionized TEA molecules at the liquid/liquid interface. Due to the amphiphilic structure of the dissociated TEA molecules, a dynamic interfacial tension measurement technique can be used to experimentally determine the interfacial mass transport. A model-based approach, which accounts for diffusive mass transport in the finite liquid bulk phases and for adsorption and desorption of ionized TEA molecules at the interface, is employed to analyze the experimental data. In the equilibrium state, the interfacial tension of dissociated TEA at the n-decane/water interface can be adequately described by the Langmuir isotherm. The comparison between the theoretical and the experimental dynamic interfacial tension data reveals that an additional activation energy barrier for adsorption and desorption at the interface has to be regarded to accurately describe the mass transport of TEA from the n-decane phase into the aqueous phase. Corresponding adsorption rate constants can be obtained by fitting the theoretical predictions to the experimental data. Interfacial tension measurements of mass transfer from the aqueous into the organic phase are characterized by interfacial instabilities caused by Marangoni convection, which result in an enhancement of the transfer rate across the interface.     

Scintillation phase method: A new approach for studying surfactant behavior at liquid/liquid interface

Radiochemical approach for the investigation of partitioning and adsorption of surfactants at water-oil interfaces has been developed. The so-called “scintillation phase method” is based on the introduction of tritium labeled surfactant in an aqueous phase of the water-oil system followed by measuring radioactivity of the whole system. Partition coefficients and the value of adsorption at water-non-polar liquid interfaces of homologous series of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides (DTAB, TTAB and CTAB) have been experimentally determined by means of scintillation phase method. The influence of non-ionic surfactants on TTAB adsorption has also been studied.     

A new technique for tritium labeling of complex technical mixture of PCB congeners

The method of labeling by thermally activated tritium of technical mixture of PCB congeners (Sovol) has been developed. Influence of labeling procedure on mixture of PCB congeners was investigated and optimum conditions of producing of tritium labeled complex mixture of PCB congeners were determined. The system purification of tritium labeled Sovol by thin layer chromatography was developed. Purified tritium labeled Sovol was analyzed by gas chromatography. The developed technique can be used for producing of tritium labeled similar complex mixtures of congeners of other organic compounds.     

Extension of Tóth Psi function from gas-solid to liquid-solid equilibria and application to reversed-phase liquid chromatography systems

The extension of the Psi function developed by Tóth from equilibria taking place at gas-solid interfaces to those taking place at liquid-solid interfaces was investigated. The results were applied to conventional liquid-solid systems used in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). The adsorbents in these systems are made of porous silica having a hydrophobic solid surface obtained by chemically bonding C(18) alkyl chains to a porous silica gel then endcapping the surface with trimethylsilyl groups. The liquid is an aqueous solution of an organic solvent, most often methanol or acetonitrile. The probe compound used here is phenol. Adsorption data of phenol were measured using the dynamic frontal analysis (FA) method. The excess adsorption of the organic solvent was measured using the minor disturbance (MD) method. Activity coefficients in the bulk were estimated through the UNIFAC group contributions. The results show that the Psi function predicts 90% of the total free energy of immersion, DeltaF, of the solid when the concentration of phenol is moderate (typically less than 10 g/L). At higher concentrations, the nonideal behavior of the bulk liquid phase becomes significant and it may contribute up to about 30% of DeltaF. The high concentration of adsorbed molecules of phenol at the interface decreases the interfacial tension, sigma, by about 18 mN/m, independently of the structure of the adsorbed phase and of the nature of the organic solvent.     

A radioanalytical technique to study the behavior of organic toxicants applied to a study of the photodegradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

A general method for tritium labeling of organic compounds by the use of thermal activation of tritium is described. It allows obtaining uniformly tritium-labeled organic compounds with high specific activity (up to 50 Ci/mmol) which permits tracing the majority of the biodegradation products of compounds studied. More than 40 compounds were labeled using this simple, rapid and inexpensive method. Separation of the biodegradation products is performed by thin layer chromatography. Quantification is performed by direct measurement of the radioactivity by liquid scintillation counting after transfer of the layer from TLC plates into scintillation vials, or by densitometry of autoradiographs. The technique is useful for a wide range of organic compounds, including ones with unknown structure, and can be applied to various in vivo and in vitro studies.     

Concurrent adsorption and complex formation in reversed-phase liquid-liquid chromatography with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide

Summary Reversed-phase liquid-liquid chromatographic systems consisting of an aqueous mobile phase and an organic liquid stationary phase of the proton acceptor tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) inn-decane, coated on LiChrosorb RP-8, have been studied. The solutes were hydrophilic aromatic carboxylic acids and phenol. The retention of the carboxylic acids shows a minimum at 10 mM of TOPO, whereas increasingly tailing peaks have been obtained with decreasing concentrations of TOPO. This behaviour is due to a concurrent complex formation by hydrogen bonding with TOPO in the liquid stationary phase and adsorption at the interface between the support and the liquid stationary phase. The adsorption of TOPO, ketones and aromatic acids from hexane on Li-Chrosorb RP-8 has been studied, and seems to be due to residual silanol groups. The adsorption isotherm of TOPO has been determined and can be described by a two-site Langmuir adsorption model. Non polar solutes are not adsorbed. The influence of TOPO on the retention and the peak symmetry of carboxylic acids in the liquid-liquid chromatographic system appears to be due to a competition between TOPO and the acids for the same adsorption sites. No competition was found for phenol.Presented at the 14th International Symposium on Chromatography London, September, 1982     

Electron transfer mediated by glucose oxidase at the liquid/liquid interface

In order to establish an experimental basis for exploring the reactivity of membrane-bound redox enzymes using electrochemistry at an organic/aqueous interface, the reactivity of glucose oxidase adsorbed at the dichloroethane/water interface has been studied. Turnover of glucose in the aqueous phase mediated by dimethyl ferricenium electrogenerated in the organic phase was measured by measuring the feedback current caused by recycling the mediator as the generator electrode approached close to the interface from the organic side. An unexpected self-exchange reaction of the ferrocene at the interface was suppressed by adsorption of a surfactant. The interfacial enzyme reaction could be distinguished from reaction within the bulk of the aqueous phase. Reaction within a protein-surfactant film formed at the interface is conjectured.     

Adsorption at the liquid/liquid interface in mixed systems with hydrophobic extractants and modifiers 1. Study of equilibrium interfacial tension at the hydrocarbon/water interface in binary mixed systems

Equilibrium interfacial tension at the liquid/liquid interfaces for two chelating metal ion extractants, 2-hydroxy-5-nonylacetophenone oxime (HNAF) and 1-phenyldecane-1,3-dion (beta-diketone), two solvating extractants, trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and tributyl phosphate (TBP), and a modifier, decanol, were obtained with a drop volume tensiometer. Moreover, four equimolar binary mixtures of extractant/extractant and extractant/modifier type were considered. The composition of the mixed adsorbed monolayer and the molecular interaction parameters beta were determined by the Rosen equation. It was found that in all the studied systems coadsorption exists; however, synergism in the reduction of interfacial tension was not observed. The obtained results indicate that in the case of three mixtures considered the composition of a mixed monolayer at the hydrocarbon/water interface was quite different from that in the bulk organic phase. Only for the TOPO/beta-diketone mixture were the compositions at the interface and in the bulk organic phase similar. The obtained results indicate that it is impossible to predict the composition of a mixed monolayer by taking into account the interfacial activity of individual components of the mixture. In some cases the compound shows lower interfacial activity (smaller efficiency and effectiveness of adsorption) and occupies a dominant position at the interface, regardless of the type of hydrocarbon used as the organic diluent.     

Mechanism of a four-phase liquid membrane oscillator containing hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide

The oscillatory behavior of a nitromethane based liquid membrane oscillator was investigated to contribute to the oscillation mechanism at the molecular level. At the beginning the system contains three phases: the aqueous donor phase in which the cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and ethanol are present and the aqueous acceptor phase made up by sucrose solution separated by the liquid membrane containing a constant amount of picric acid. During experiment a new phase x is created between the liquid membrane and acceptor phase. It was established that the oscillations take place at the membrane/phase x and the phase x/acceptor phase interfaces. Five basic regions can be distinguished in the oscillation pattern. The molecular events provoking the oscillations of electric potential difference between the two aqueous phases involve essentially the diffusion of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and ion pairs formed by the cation of the surfactant and the picrate anion to the vicinity of the membrane/phase x interface, sudden adsorption of these ion pairs at this interface in noncatalytic and autocatalytic steps, desorption of ion pairs from the membrane/phase x interface into phase x, diffusion of ion pairs to the vicinity of phase x/acceptor phase interface, and sudden adsorption at this interface followed by desorption to the aqueous acceptor phase. It is shown by numerical simulations that the proposed mechanism may account for the observed oscillations and for the species distribution throughout the system as found experimentally. This four-phase system behaves like two coupled oscillators.     

Adsorption and interface accumulation of aquasol and organosol carbon particles labeled with99mTc

Aerosol particles of^99mTc-labeled carbon were prepared by sublimation and introduced in various liquid media. The adsorption of the aquasol and organosol particles were studied for various adsorbing substances and media, with the effect of surface treatment and voltage application. The particles often accumulated at the aqueous-organic interface, and also on the vessel surface in the presence of both aqueous and organic phases. The distribution of the particles was examined by a gamma-camera for different organic phases under various concentrations of electrolytes in the aqueous phase.     

Adsorption of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium bromide on gold studied by liquid chromatography and flow adsorption microcalorimetry

Here, we report on a new aspect of the adsorption of Br- on the surface of gold. The adsorption of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TABr) from aqueous solutions onto macroporous gold particles was studied by continuous flow frontal analysis solid/liquid chromatography and flow adsorption microcalorimetry. The material balance and enthalpy balance of adsorption and the change in the solution pH were measured simultaneously. Initially, Br- is irreversibly bound to high-affinity surface sites counterbalanced by the adsorption of H+ from the aqueous phase. The surface speciation is accompanied by the formation of C12TAOH, which in turn results in a significant pH increase in the bulk solution. The net process was found to be strongly exothermic (-280 kJ.mol(-1)), which is indicative of the occurrence of chemisorption. The specific adsorption of Br- is followed by the reversible adsorption of C12TABr to produce a firmly bound monolayer in a head-to-surface arrangement (-53 kJ.mol(-1)). In a relatively narrow range of the surface coverage, various composite structures may develop on the top layer and eventually transform to full-cylindrical surface aggregates. The surface aggregation was found to be reversible, with an enthalpy change of -11 kJ.mol(-1). The importance of the specific binding of Br- to the surface of gold was confirmed by measurement of the initial adsorption of NaBr on the microparticles. The initial adsorption was found to be irreversible, with an enthalpy change of approximately -240 kJ.mol(-1). This process involved the formation of an AuBr-/H+ electric double layer at the gold/water interface, accompanied by a dramatic increase in the solution pH due to the release of a copious amount of OH- in the bulk liquid phase.     

Phase equilibria and critical phenomena in the cesium nitrate–water–pyridine ternary system

The solubilities of components, phase equilibria, and critical phenomena in the cesium nitrate–water–pyridine ternary system are studied in the 5–100°C temperature range by the visual–polythermal method. Cesium nitrate is found to exhibit a salting-out effect at temperatures above 79.9°C causing phase separation in homogeneous water–pyridine solutions. The temperature of formation of the critical monotectic tie line (79.9°C) and the compositions of solutions corresponding to the liquid–liquid critical points at three temperatures are determined. The pyridine distribution coefficients between the aqueous and organic phases of the monotectic state at 85.0, 90.0, and 100.0°C are calculated. Their values demonstrate that salting-out of pyridine from aqueous solutions by cesium nitrate increases at higher temperatures. The plotted isotherms of phase diagrams confirm the fragment of the scheme of topological transformation of the phase diagrams of salt–binary solvent ternary systems with salting-in and salting-out phenomena.     

Protein-lipid interactions at the oil-water interface

The distribution of proteins and lipids in food emulsions and foams is determined by competitive and cooperative adsorption between the two types of emulsifiers at the fluid-fluid interfaces, and by the nature of protein-lipid interactions, both at the interface and in the bulk phase. The existence of protein-lipid interactions can have a pronounced impact on the surface rheological properties of these systems. Therefore, these results are of practical importance for food emulsion formulation, texture, and stability. In this study, the existence of protein-lipid interactions at the interface was determined by surface dynamic properties (interfacial tension and surface dilational modulus). Systematic experimental data on surface dynamic properties, as a function of time and at long-term adsorption, for protein (whey protein isolate (WPI)), lipids (monoglycerides), and protein-lipid mixed films at the oil-water interface were measured in an automated drop tensiometer. The dynamic behaviour of protein+lipid mixed films depends on the adsorption time, the lipid and the protein/lipid ratio in a rather complicated manner. The protein determined the interfacial characteristics of the mixed film as the protein at WPI>/=10(-2)% wt/wt saturated the film, no matter what the concentration of the lipid. However, there exists a competitive or cooperative adsorption of the emulsifier (WPI and monoglycerides), as the concentration of protein in the bulk phase is far lower than that for interfacial saturation.     

Uptake of gas-phase nitrous acid by pH-controlled aqueous solution studied by a wetted wall flow tube

Uptake kinetics of gas phase nitrous acid (HONO) by a pH-controlled aqueous solution was investigated by using a wetted wall flow tube. The gas phase concentration of HONO after exposure to the aqueous solution was measured selectively by the chemical ionization mass spectrometer in a high sensitive manner. The uptake rate of the gaseous HONO was found to depend on the pH of the solution. For the uptake by neutral and alkaline solutions, the gas phase concentration was observed to decay exponentially, suggesting that the uptake was fully limited by the gas phase diffusion. On the other hand, the uptake by the acidic solution was found to be determined by both the gas phase diffusion and the liquid phase processes such as physical absorption and reversible acid dissociation reaction. The decay was analyzed by the rate equations using the time dependent uptake coefficient involving the saturation of the liquid surface. While the uptake processes by the solution at pH = 2-3 were well described by those calculated using the physical and chemical parameters reported for the bulk, the uptake rates by the solution at 4 < pH < 7 deviate from the calculated ones. The present result can suggest that the pH at the liquid surface is lower than that in the bulk liquid, which is responsible for the additional resistance of mass transfer from the gas to the liquid phase.     

Liquid–liquid phase transfer of magnetite nanoparticles

The study presents first experimental results of the transfer of magnetite nanoparticles from an aqueous to a second non-miscible non-aqueous liquid phase. The transfer is based on the adsorption of macromolecular surfactants onto the particle surface at the liquid–liquid interface. For a successful direct phase transfer, it is essential to have cations, like ammonium ions, present in the aqueous phase as well as a threshold concentration of surfactant in the organic liquid phase. While penetrating the liquid–liquid interface, the particles are covered with the surfactant and therefore a partial de-agglomeration is initiated. Based on literature and experimental data a mechanism of surfactant adsorption is proposed. The competing adsorption of the surfactant molecules at the liquid–liquid interface leads to the formation of emulsions and therefore to a hindrance for particles passing the interface. Nevertheless a high efficiency of 100% yield can be reached using optimized process parameters for the phase transfer process.     

Determination of volatile organics in gaseous phase using porous adsorbents

A novel procedure is developed for the quantitative determination of volatile organics in the gas phase over samples. Substances were extracted and preconcentrated from the gas phase on porous polymer adsorbents under the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium, followed by back extraction from the adsorbent using organic solvents. The final monitoring was performed by capillary gas chromatography with an internal standard. The influence of adsorption time and the concentration of substances in an aqueous solution on the degree of extraction were also studied; linear correlations between the quantities of substances in the gas and aqueous phases were found. The method was used for the determination of volatile substances in the gas phase over liquid and solid matrixes of different origin.     

Binding of hexadecylammonium surfactants to water-soluble neutral polymers

The binding of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and hexadecyldimethyl-2-hydroxyethylammonium bromide to neutral polymers was measured by a potentiometric titration method using surfactant selective electrodes. Binding to poly(vinyl alcohol) was slightly cooperative, while that to poly(ethylene oxide) lacked the co-operativity. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) did not bind them at all. Binding affinity as estimated by a distribution coefficient of the cationic surfactants between the bulk and polymer phases is about 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate. The heat of binding was estimated from the temperature dependence of the distribution coefficient and found to be endothermic. It is imagined that the cationic surfactants are simply partitioned between the aqueous bulk phase and the polymer coil phase which is regarded as aqueous organic mixed solvent.     

Adsorption and phase transition of alkanol and fluoroalkanol at electrified mercury/aqueous solution interface

The adsorption behavior and the phase transition of alkanol and fluoroalkanol at the electrified mercury/aqueous solution interface were investigated by the interfacial tension measurements and the thermodynamic analysis. In the alkanol system, it is found that the phase transitions in low interfacial densities occur: the ones from the zero adsorption to the gaseous or the expanded state and the gaseous to the expanded state at the electrified interface depending on the electrostatic nature as well as the concentration in the bulk phase. These phase transitions were verified by the thermodynamic equations derived by the assumption of coexistence of two phases at the electrified interface. Furthermore the distribution of ionic species in the interfacial region is discussed on the basis of dependence of the interfacial charge density of solution phase on an applied potential. Fluoroalkanol, on the other hand, was practically not adsorbed at the electrified interface within this experimental condition. The zero adsorption of fluoroalkanol molecules suggests the driving force of the adsorption may be the interaction hydrophobic group of alcohol molecule and mercury.     

High preconcentration of ultra-trace metal ions by liquid–liquid extraction using water/oil/water emulsions as liquid surfactant membranes

A high preconcentration method by liquid–liquid extraction using liquid surfactant membranes was developed. The water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion containing dilute hydrochloric acid, 2-ethylhexyl hydrogen 2-ethylhexylphosphonate (PC-88A), liquid paraffin, and kerosene was used for the extraction. In a resulting volume of 1000 cm³ of an aqueous sample solution (pH 5.0) containing less than 1 mg of each metal ion, 2 cm³ of w/o emulsion droplets coated with sorbitan monooleate were dispersed. The analyte metal ions in the outer bulk aqueous phase were extracted into the organic phase to form a complex with PC-88A and successively back-extracted into the inner aqueous phase. The analytes in the resulting inner aqueous phase were determined subsequently by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry applied as a detector. By this procedure, concentration factors of 570, 820, 750, 970, 860, and 880 were achieved for chromium(III), manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), and cadmium(II), respectively, and also the respective detection limits (3σ) of 0.4, 20, 1.2, 18, 18, and 0.7 pg cm⁻³ were obtained.     

Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions in adsorption of surface-active substances. Tetraalkylammonium salts

A relationship between the standard free energies of adsorption from aqueous solution at the oil/water interface and the radii of organic cations as exemplified by symmetric tetraakylammonium salts has been studied. Hydrophobic effects are shown to be major contributors to the interaction of surfactants with the interface. An adsorption coefficient to quantitate the hydrophobic effects and to specify the changes of standard adsorption energy depending upon the cavity surface area of the detergent hydrocarbon radical in aqueous solution has been proposed. A new formulation of the Traube rule, taking into account the hydrophobic effects concomitant with a transfer of surfactants from the water bulk onto the interface, has also been given.Standard free energies for the adsorption of organic and inorganic ions from aqueous solution at the interface of immiscible liquids have been found. The proposed method is based on an extrapolation of the relationship between the standard adsorption energy of tetraalkylammonium salts and the square of cationic radius to zero ionic radius. The standard free energy of adsorption for an inorganic counter-ion is derived from an intercept on the y-axis cut off by a straight line. The experimental adsorption data on inorganic salts have been used to calculate the standard free energies of adsorption for a variety of ions.A method of estimating the difference in potential at the oil/water interface between the adsorption plane and the aqueous solution has been proposed. The sign of potential provides a clue to the orientation of water molecules at the interface between immiscible liquids.