Thermal decomposition studies of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, POSSh, and when it is impregnated with the metallocene bis(eta5-cyclopentadienyl)zirconium (IV) dichloride or immobilized on silica

Thermal decomposition studies of the free polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, POSS(h), and when this compound has been impregnated with Cp(2)ZrCl(2) (Cp=eta(5)-C(5)H(5)) or immobilized on SiO(2) were conducted using infrared emission spectroscopy (IES) over a 100-1000 degrees C temperature range and by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The organic groups in POSS(h) apparently decompose thermally into Si-CH(3), Si-H and other fragments. Upon impregnation with Cp(2)ZrCl(2), however, a different thermal decomposition pathway was followed and new infrared emission bands appeared in the 1000-900cm(-1) region suggesting the formation of Si-O-Zr moieties. When immobilized on SiO(2) and subjected to thermal decomposition, the POSS(h) compound lost its organic groups and the inorganic structure remaining was incorporated into the SiO(2) framework.     

Use of Nb(2)O(5)-SiO(2) in an automated on-line preconcentration system for determination of copper and cadmium by FAAS

A procedure for the determination of trace level of copper(II) and cadmium(II) by FAAS using an on-line preconcentration system has been proposed. In this system, copper and cadmium ions were adsorbed onto a minicolumn packed with silica gel modified with niobium(V) oxide (Nb₂O₅-SiO₂), followed by nitric acid elution in reverse mode and determination on-line by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) without interference of the matrix. Chemical and flow variables as well as concomitant ions were studied in the developed procedure. The enrichment factor for copper(II) and cadmium(II) was 34.2 and 33.0, respectively, using a preconcentration time of 2 min. The limit of detection for copper(II) and cadmium(II) was 0.4, and 0.1 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation in solutions containing 15 μg l⁻¹ of copper and 10 μg l⁻¹ of cadmium, by analyzing a series of seven replicates, was 1.8 and 1.6%, respectively. The accuracy was assessed through recovery experiments of certified material and water samples.     

Chromium(III) determination without sample treatment by batch and flow injection potentiometry

A new and easy device for direct detection of chromium(III) in batch and flow analysis without previous oxidation/reduction or preconcentration steps of samples is designed and evaluated. For this purpose a potentiometric sensor with solid state membrane based on carbon paste matrix is developed. The sensor is modified with di(2-hydroxyphenylimino)ethane and the principal analytical parameters of the potentiometric response in batch and flow analysis are optimized and calculated. Optimal detection limits (1.4 × 10⁻⁷ M in static mode and 5.4 × 10⁻⁷ M in on-line analysis) and selectivity to trivalent chromium are obtained in both analysis modes. The use of this device to direct detection of chromium(III) in real samples is tested using a sediment Certified Reference Material. Chromium(III) determination is also carried out with successful results in environmental samples such as extracts from soils used as barriers in landfills and industrial samples such as waste waters from electroplating industries.     

Application of manganese(IV) dioxide microcolumn for determination and speciation of nitrite and nitrate using a flow injection analysis-flame atomic absorption spectrometry system

A flow injection (FI) method with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) detection was developed for the determination and speciation of nitrite and nitrate in foodstuffs and wastewaters. The method is based on the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate using a manganese(IV) dioxide oxidant microcolumn where the flow of the sample through the microcolumn reduces the MnO₂ solid phase reagent to Mn(II), which is measured by FAAS. The absorbance of Mn(II) are proportional to the concentration of nitrite in the samples. The injected sample volume was 400 μL with a sampling rate of analyses was 90 h⁻¹ with a relative standard deviation better than 1.0% in a repeatability study. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite in proposed FI-FAAS system using a copperized cadmium microcolumn and analyzed as nitrite. The calibration curves were linear up to 20 mg L⁻¹ and 30 mg L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.07 mg L⁻¹ and 0.14 mg L⁻¹ for nitrite and nitrate, respectively. The results exhibit no interference from the presence of large amounts of ions. The method was successfully applied to the speciation of nitrite and nitrate in spiked natural water, wastewater and foodstuff samples. The precision and accuracy of the proposed method were comparable to those of the reference spectrophotometric method.     

Chemiluminescence determination of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate by flow injection analysis using cerium(IV) sensitized by quinine

A flow injection method with chemiluminescence (CL) detection is proposed for the determination of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (MESNA), a drug often used to reduce the urotoxic effects of antineoplastic alkylating agents. The procedure is based on the reaction of the thiol with Ce(IV) in a sulfuric acid medium and measurement of the CL intensity produced by quinine used as a sensitizer. The optimum conditions for CL emission were investigated. Using the CL peak height as the analytical parameter, MESNA was determined over the concentration range 0.29–2.21 ng (1.97–9.85 μg·l⁻¹) with a detection limit of 0.21 ng (1.38 μg·l⁻¹) and a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 4.1%. The method was applied satisfactorily to the determination of MESNA in pharmaceutical preparations with percentages of recovery between 94 and 105.     

Rapid determination of chromium(VI) in electroplating waste water by use of a spectrophotometric flow injection system

A new rapid and sensitive FI method is reported for spectrophotometric determination of trace chromium(VI) in electroplating waste water. The method is based on the reaction of Cr(VI) with sodium diphenylamine sulfonate (DPH) in acidic medium to form a purple complex (lambda(max) = 550 nm). Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curve is linear in the range 0.04-3.8 microg ml(-1) at a sampling rate of 30 h(-1). The detection limit of the method is 0.0217 microg ml(-1), and the relative standard deviation is 1.1% for eight determinations of 2 microg ml(-1) Cr(VI). The proposed method was applied to the determination of chromium in electroplating waste water with satisfactory results.     

Use of 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridyl)methylene thiocarbohydrazide immobilized on silica gel for automated preconcentration and selective determination of antimony(III) by flow-injection electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Selective sorption of Sb(III) on a microcolumn packed with 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridyl)methylene thiocarbohydrazide immobilized on silica gel (DPTH-gel) has been used for determination of Sb(III). A flow-injection system comprising a microcolumn connected to the tip of the autosampler was used for preconcentration. The sorbed antimony was eluted with nitric acid directly into the graphite furnace and determined by AAS. The detection limit for antimony under the optimum conditions was 0.3 ng mL^–1. This procedure was used for determination of antimony in natural water, soil, vegetation, and a certified sample of a city waste incineration ash (BCR 176).     

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead in high-purity reagents with flow-injection on-line microcolumn preconcentration and separation using a macrocycle immobilized silica gel sorbent

A fully automated procedure for the determination of ng l⁻¹ amounts of lead has been developed using flow injection (FI) online column preconcentration coupled with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The proposed FI manifold and its operation make possible the introduction of the total eluate volume into the graphite atomizer, avoiding the necessity for optimization of subsampling the eluate. The interference of other heavy metal ions due to competition for active sites of the sorbent is overcome using a highly selective macrocycle immobilized on silica gel (Pb-02). Lead is adsorbed on a microcolumn (50 μl) packed with Pb-02, and after washing the column with dilute nitric acid, air is introduced to remove all solution from the column and connecting tubing. The sorbed analyte is then eluted quantitatively into the graphite tube atomizer, preheated to 100°C, with 36 μl of ETDA solution (0.035 mol l⁻¹, pH 10.5), propelled by air in order to minimize dispersion. The collection efficiency was 77% and with a sample loading flow rate of 3 ml min⁻¹ and a 60 s preconcentration time, the enhancement factor was 77 and the throughput was 17 samples per hour. The relative standard deviation (n = 10) at the 300 ng l⁻¹ level was 2.7%, and the detection limit (3σ) was 0.4 ng l⁻¹. No interference from heavy metals was observed, but ions of Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺ and K⁺ were found to interfere when the concentration ratios of interferent to lead exceeded values of 2000, 20 000 and 200 000, respectively. Quantitative recovery of lead was achieved from sodium, magnesium, aluminum, lanthanum and heavy metal salt solutions. The high selectivity and sensitivity, combined with extremely low blank values, make the proposed technique particularly attractive for the analysis of high-purity reagents, semiconductors and other high-purity materials. Results are presented for the determination of lead in some high-purity reagents.     

A simple, efficient and highly selective deprotection of t-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) ethers using silica supported sodium hydrogen sulfate as a heterogeneous catalyst

t-Butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) ethers have been efficiently and selectively deprotected using silica supported sodium hydrogen sulfate (NaHSO₄·SiO₂) as a heterogeneous catalyst at room temperature to regenerate the parent alcohols in high yields.     

Determination of hydrogen peroxide by using a flow injection system with immobilized peroxidase and long pathlength capillary spectrophotometry

The development of a highly sensitive method for the determination of nanomolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in the liquid phase is described. This paper demonstrates for the first time a flow injection analysis (FIA) system with immobilized enzyme reactor combined with a total internal reflective cell (a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC)) and spectrophotometric detection, for the development of an improved procedure for the determination of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the newly synthesized 4-aminopyrazolone derivative, 4-amino-5-(p-aminophenyl)-1-methyl-2-phenyl-pyrazol-3-one (DAP), is used as a color coupler in its oxidative condensation with the sodium salt of N-ethyl-N-sulphopropylaniline sodium salt (ALPS) which acts as a hydrogen donor. Immobilization of peroxidase is achieved by coupling the periodate-treated enzyme to aminopropyl controlled-pore glass (CPG) beads. The determination of hydrogen peroxide is carried out in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer and the product is monitored at 590 nm with a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector equipped with fiber optics in a fully computerized system. The interference of different species, mainly ionic, was investigated.The method permits detection down to 4 nmol l⁻¹ hydrogen peroxide (signal-to-noise ratio=3). A linear calibration graph was obtained over the range 20-700 nmol l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) at 300 nmol l⁻¹ H₂O₂ is 1.7% (n=7). The method was successfully applied for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in samples from a vat-cleaning process.     

Comparison of soluble manganese(IV) and acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection using flow injection and sequential injection analysis for the determination of ascorbic acid in Vitamin C tablets

The limits of detection (3s) for ascorbic acid were 5×10⁻⁸ M with acidic potassium permanganate using both flow injection analysis (FIA) and sequential injection analysis (SIA) whereas the soluble manganese(IV) afforded 1×10⁻⁸ M and 5×10⁻⁹ M for FIA and SIA, respectively. Determinations of ascorbic acid in Vitamin C tablets were achieved with minimal sample pretreatment using a standard additions calibration and gave good agreement with those of iodimetric titration.     

Determination of proline in wine using flow injection analysis with tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence detection

Flow injection methodology is described for the determination of proline in red and white wines using tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence detection. Selective conditions were achieved for proline at pH 10, while other amino acids and wine components did not interfere. The precision of the method was less than 1.00% (R.S.D.) for five replicates of a standard (4 × 10⁻⁶ M) and the detection limit was 1 × 10⁻⁸ M. The level of proline in white and sparkling wines using the developed methodology was equivalent to those achieved using HPLC-FMOC amino acid analysis. SPE removal of phenolic material was required for red wines to minimize Ru(bipy)₃³⁺ consumption and its associated effect on accuracy.     

Thioacetamide chemically immobilized on silica gel as a solid phase extractant for the extraction and preconcentration of copper(II), lead(II), and cadmium(II)

Thioacetamide immobilized on silica gel was prepared via the Mannich reaction. The extraction and enrichment of copper(II), lead(II), and cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions has been investigated. Conditions for effective extraction are optimized with respect to different experimental parameters in both batch and column processes prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The optimum pH ranges for quantitative adsorption are 4.0-8.0, 2.0-7.0, and 5.0-10.0 for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II), respectively. Pb(II) and Cd(II) can be desorbed with 3 mol/L and 0.1 mol/L HCl/HNO3, and Cu(II) can be desorbed with 2.5% thiourea. The adsorption capacity of the matrix has been found to be 19.76, 16.35, and 12.50 mg/g for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II), respectively, with the preconcentration factor of approximately equal to 300 for Pb(II) and approximately equal to 200 for Cu(II) and Cd(II). Analytical utility is illustrated in real aqueous samples generated from distilled water, tap water, and river water samples.     

Adsorption of Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes on a silica gel surface chemically modified with 2-mercaptoimidazole

The isotherms of adsorption of MeX₂ (Me = Cu²⁺, Co²⁺; X = Cl^–, Br^–, ClO ₄ ^– ) by silica gel chemically modified with 2-mercaptoimidazole (SiMI) were studied in acetone and ethanol solutions, at 25 °C. Covalently attached 2-mercaptoimidazole molecule to silica gel surface adsorbs MeX₂ from solvent by forming a surface complex. The metal is bonded to the surface through the nitrogen atom of attached 2-mercaptoimidazole. At low loading, the electronic and ESR spectral parameters indicated that the Cu²⁺ complexes are in a distorted-tetragonal symmetry field. The d-d electronic transition spectra showed that for Cu(ClO₄)₂ complex, the peak of absorption did not change for any degree of metal loading and for Cl^– and Br^– complexes, the peak maxima shifted to higher energy with lower metal loading. The CoX₂(X = Cl^–, Br^–, ClO ₄ ^– ) analogues possess a distorted-tetrahedral field.     

Infrared studies of surface carbonate binding to diimine-tricarbonyl Re(I) and Mn(I) complexes in mesoporous silica

Abstract

Diimine-tricarbonyl Re(I) and Mn(I) complexes have demonstrated interesting activity in photocatalytic and electrochemical CO₂ reduction. In this study, we take a surface chemistry approach to investigate interactions of CO₂ with Re(I) and Mn(I) complexes in the presence of triethylamine. The molecular complexes were adsorbed on the surface of a mesoporous silica. Under dark conditions, formation of metal-carbonate adducts was observed by infrared spectroscopy in the presence of CO₂, triethylamine, and surface silanol groups. The Langmuir adsorption model was utilized to extract quantitative information regarding surface carbonate binding to the two molecular complexes. The results indicate that binding of carbonate was much stronger on the Re(I) center than on Mn(I), consistent with prior observations regarding the relative activities of these complexes in CO₂-reduction catalysis.     

Synthesis of a rhodium(I) carbonyl complex with a chiral aminodiphosphine ligand and its immobilization onto aminopropyl functionalized silica gel

The reaction of [Rh(CO)₂(µ-Cl)]₂ with two molar equivalents of a chiral ligand, (R)-N,N-bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)-1-phenylethylamine(PNP*) yield a mono-carbonyl complex, [Rh(CO)Cl(η²-P,P-PNP*)] (1), in which the potentially tridentate PNP* ligand coordinates in a bidentate fashion through P,P bonding. The complex was characterized by elemental analysis, FAB mass, IR, UV-Vis, ¹H- and ³¹P{¹H}-NMR spectroscopy. Variable temperature (223–298 K) ³¹P{¹H}-,NMR spectra of 1 showed a mixture of cis and trans isomers in the solution with the trans predominating at room temperature and the cis at lower temperature. Complex 1 was immobilized on silica through axial coordination of amine from 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized silica. The immobilized materials were characterized by elemental analysis (N₂), FTIR, DTA–TGA, N₂-adsorption, XRD, and SEM analysis.     

Flow injection chemiluminescence determination of carbaryl using photolytic decomposition and photogenerated tris (2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III)

A flow injection (FI) system combined with two photochemical processes is developed for the sensitive and rapid determination of carbaryl. It is based on the on-line photo-conversion of carbaryl into methylamine which subsequently reacts with Ru(bpy)₃³⁺ generated through the on-line photo-oxidation of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ with peroxydisulphate. The linear concentration range of application was 0.04-4.0 μg ml⁻¹ of carbaryl, with an R.S.D. of 1.2% (for a level of 0.50 μg ml⁻¹) and a detection limit of 0.012 μg ml⁻¹. The sample throughput was 200 injections per hour. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by determining carbaryl in commercial formulations, water, soil, grain and blood serum.     

In situ surface plasmon study of the electropolymerization of Fe(vbpy)3 onto a gold surface

Sequential multilayer electropolymerization of Fe(vbpy)₃²⁺ (vbpy=4-vinyl-4′-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine) onto a thin gold electrode was followed in situ with surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPS) using a 1 mW HeNe laser at 6328 Å. The robustness of the gold film electrode necessary for electrochemical deposition in 0.10 M tetraethylammonium perchlorate+acetonitrile is imparted by use of a thin film of 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane attached to a SF10 slide to which the metal is covalently bonded. As each polymer layer is deposited by cycling a potentiostat from 0.0 to −1.75 and back to 0.0 V, a plasmon spectrum (reflectivity versus prism angle) is obtained. SP analysis of the angular shift of the spectrum, which increases as the polymer layer thickens, yields an estimate of both the thickness and index of refraction of the polymer film. We found that the plasmon spectrum shifts to higher angles as the polymer layer thickens, along with a progressive decrease in the depth of the resonance minimum. Our modeling shows this unusual spectral behavior involving the resonance minimum is consistent with a Fe(vbpy)₃²⁺ chromophore absorption at 6328 Å, along with thickening of the polymer film. This work demonstrates that SPS is a viable in situ technique for obtaining thickness measurements of electrodeposited thin films.     

Kinetic analysis of the thermal stability of lithium silicates (Li4SiO4 and Li2SiO3)

The kinetics describing the thermal decomposition of Li₄SiO₄ and Li₂SiO₃ have been analysed. While Li₄SiO₄ decomposed on Li₂SiO₃ by lithium sublimation, Li₂SiO₃ was highly stable at the temperatures studied. Li₄SiO₄ began to decompose between 900 and 1000 °C. However, at 1100 °C or higher temperatures, Li₄SiO₄ melted, and the kinetic data of its decomposition varied. The activation energy of both processes was estimated according to the Arrhenius kinetic theory. The energy values obtained were −408 and −250 kJ mol⁻¹ for the solid and liquid phases, respectively. At the same time, the Li₄SiO₄ decomposition process was described mathematically as a function of a diffusion-controlled reaction into a spherical system. The activation energy for this process was estimated to be −331 kJ mol⁻¹. On the other hand, Li₂SiO₃ was not decomposed at high temperatures, but it presented a very high preferential orientation after the heat treatments.     

Evaluation of tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonate)ruthenium(II) as a chemiluminescence reagent

Previous studies have suggested that tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonate)ruthenium(II) (Ru(BPS)₃⁴⁻) has great potential as a chemiluminescence reagent in acidic aqueous solution. We have evaluated four different samples of this reagent (two commercially available and two synthesised in our laboratory) in comparison with tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bipy)₃²⁺) and tris(1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) (Ru(phen)₃²⁺), using a range of structurally diverse analytes. In general, Ru(BPS)₃⁴⁻ produced more intense chemiluminescence, but the oxidised Ru(BPS)₃³⁻ species is less stable in aqueous solution than Ru(bipy)₃³⁺ and produced a greater blank signal than Ru(bipy)₃³⁺ or Ru(phen)₃³⁺, which had a detrimental effect on sensitivity. Although the complex is often depicted with the sulfonate groups of the BPS ligand in the para position on the phenyl rings, NMR characterisation revealed that the commercially available BPS material used in this study was predominantly the meta isomer.