Application of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the rapid and sensitive determination of cobalt in urine

Recently, cobalt (Co) is reported to be taken as a supplement by athletes for improving anaerobic performance. For the diagnosis of abuse, the limit of detection (LOD) of Co in the analysis should be lower than the concentrations of Co in plasma and urine of normal persons. A simple, rapid and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of Co in urine. Co was complexed with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and extracted with isoamyl alcohol in the presence of citric acid. The detection of Co was achieved by injecting a 1-μL aliquot of isoamyl alcohol containing Co-DDC complex directly into an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS-MS) instrument without chromatographic separation. The quantification was performed using selected reaction monitoring at m/z 291 of the product ion Co(C₄H₁₀NCS)₂⁺ which was produced by collision-induced dissociation from the precursor ion Co(DDC)₂⁺ at m/z 355. ESI-MS-MS data were obtained in less than 10 min with an LOD of 0.05 μg L⁻¹ and a linear calibration range of 0.1-100 μg L⁻¹ using 10 μL of urine. The procedure was validated with certified reference materials (SRM 2670a and SRM 1643e). This method is suitable for the analysis of Co in the laboratories already equipped with an ESI-MS-MS instrument.     

Determination of cyanide in blood by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry after direct injection of dicyanogold

An electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS-MS) method has been developed for the determination of cyanide (CN^–) in blood. Five microliters of blood was hemolyzed with 50 μL of water, then 5 μL of 1 M tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution was added to raise the pH of the hemolysate and to liberate CN^– from methemoglobin. CN^– was then reacted with NaAuCl₄ to produce dicyanogold, Au(CN)₂^–, that was extracted with 75 μL of methyl isobutyl ketone. Ten microliters of the extract was injected directly into an ESI-MS-MS instrument and quantification of CN^– was performed by selected reaction monitoring of the product ion CN^– at m/z 26, derived from the precursor ion Au(CN)₂^– at m/z 249. CN^– could be measured in the quantification range of 2.60 to 260 μg/L with the limit of detection at 0.56 μg/L in blood. This method was applied to the analysis of clinical samples and the concentrations of CN^– in the blood were as follows: 7.13 ± 2.41 μg/L for six healthy non-smokers, 3.08 ± 1.12 μg/L for six CO gas victims, 730 ± 867 μg for 21 house fire victims, and 3,030 ± 97 μg/L for a victim who ingested NaCN. The increase of CN^– in the blood of a victim who ingested NaN₃ was confirmed using MS-MS for the first time, and the concentrations of CN^– in the blood, gastric content and urine were 78.5 ± 5.5, 11.8 ± 0.5, and 11.4 ± 0.8 μg/L, respectively.     

A sensitive fluorescence reagent for the determination of aldehydes from alcoholic beverage using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and mass spectrometric identification

A pre-column derivatization method for the sensitive determination of aldehydes using the tagging reagent 2-[2-(7H-dibenzo[a,g] carbazol-7-yl)-ethoxy] ethyl carbonylhydrazine (DBCEEC) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and APCI-MS identification has been developed. The chromophore of fluoren-9-methoxy-carbonylhydrazine (Fmoc-hydrazine) reagent was replaced by 2-[2-(7H-dibenzo[a,g] carbazol-7-yl)-ethoxy] ethyl functional group, which resulted in a sensitive fluorescence tagging reagent DBCEEC. DBCEEC could easily and quickly labeled aldehydes. The maximum excitation (300 nm) and emission (400 nm) wavelengths did not essentially change for all the aldehyde derivatives. Derivatives were sufficiently stable to be efficiently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The derivatives showed an intense protonated molecular ion corresponding m/z [M + (CH₂)_n]⁺ in positive-ion mode (M: molecular weight of DBCEEC, n: corresponding aldehyde carbon atom numbers). The collision-induced dissociation of protonated molecular ion formed fragment ions at m/z 294.6, m/z 338.6 and m/z 356.5. Studies on derivatization demonstrated excellent derivative yields in the presence of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) catalyst. Maximal yields close to 100% were observed with a 10 to 15-fold molar reagent excess. Separation of the derivatized aldehydes had been optimized on ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C₈ column with aqueous acetonitrile as mobile phase in conjunction with a binary gradient elution. Excellent linear responses were observed at the concentration range of 0.01-10 nmol mL⁻¹ with coefficients of >0.9991. Detection limits obtained by the analysis of a derivatized standard containing 0.01 nmol mL⁻¹ of each aldehyde, were from 0.2 to 1.78 nmol L⁻¹ (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3).     

Analysis of perchlorate in foods and beverages by ion chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (IC-ESI-MS/MS)

A new IC-ESI-MS/MS method, with simple sample preparation procedure, has been developed for quantification and confirmation of perchlorate (ClO₄⁻) anions in water, fresh and canned food, wine and beer samples at low part-per-trillion (ng l⁻¹) levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an analytical method is used for determination of perchlorate in wine and beer samples. The IC-ESI-MS/MS instrumentation consisted of an ICS-2500 ion chromatography (IC) system coupled to either an API 2000™ or an API 3200™ mass spectrometer. The IC-ESI-MS/MS system was optimized to monitor two pairs of precursor and fragment ion transitions, i.e., multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). All samples had oxygen-18 isotope labeled perchlorate internal standard (ISTD) added prior to extraction. Chlorine isotope ratio (³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl) was used as a confirmation tool. The transition of ³⁵Cl¹⁶O₄⁻ (m/z 98.9) into ³⁵Cl¹⁶O₃⁻ (m/z 82.9) was monitored for quantifying the main analyte; the transition of ³⁷Cl¹⁶O₄⁻ (m/z 100.9) into ³⁷Cl¹⁶O₃⁻ (m/z 84.9) was monitored for examining a proper isotopic abundance ratio of ³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl; and the transition of ³⁵Cl¹⁸O₄⁻ (m/z 107.0) into ³⁵Cl¹⁸O₃⁻ (m/z 89.0) was monitored for quantifying the internal standard. The minimum detection limit (MDL) for this method in de-ionized water is 5 ng l⁻¹ (ppt) using the API 2000™ mass spectrometer and 0.5 ng l⁻¹ using the API 3200™ mass spectrometer. Over 350 food and beverage samples were analyzed mostly in triplicate. Except for four, all samples were found to contain measurable amounts of perchlorate. The levels found ranged from 5 ng l⁻¹ to 463.5 ± 6.36 μg kg⁻¹ using MRM 98.9 → 82.9 and 100 μl injection.     

Cyanide ion colorimetric chemosensor based on protonated merocyanine in EtOH

This Letter aimed to develop an efficient method for the determination of cyanide ion (CN⁻). A novel colorimetric chemosensor 4-[(1E)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-1-allylpyridinium bromide (HPEAPB) was synthesized. HPEAPB displayed good selectivity toward CN⁻ over other competing anions in ethanol. A color change from yellow to red was immediately observed upon the addition of CN⁻ and the limit of detection (LOD) was 3.4 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. The sensing mechanism was discussed by UV–vis, ¹H NMR titration, and a comparison study. Colorimetric test paper for CN⁻ was prepared by attaching HPEAPB to a chromatography paper, which could be used to detect CN⁻ in environmental samples as simply as a pH-indicator paper for pH value. The LOD of the test paper for CN⁻ was 2.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹. This detection method for CN⁻ has potential applications in cyanide ion containing fields by combination of rapid and real-time advantages.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, structural, Raman, and luminescence studies of Am[M(CN)2]3·3H2O and Nd[M(CN)2]3·3H2O (M=Ag, Au): Bimetallic coordination polymers containing both trans-plutonium and transition metal elements

The polymeric compounds consisting of the man-made element, americium, and gold and silver dicyanides were prepared under mild hydrothermal conditions at 120 °C. It was found that the americium ion and the transition metal ions are interconnected through cyanide bridging in the compounds. Given the similarities in the radii of americium and neodymium, crystals of the latter were also characterized for comparison purposes. The four compounds are isostructural and crystallize in the hexagonal space group, P6₃/mcm, with only slight differences in their unit cell parameters. Crystallographic data (MoKα, λ=0.71073 Å): Am[Ag(CN)₂]₃·3H₂O (1), a=6.7205(10) Å, c=18.577(3) Å, V=726.64(19), Z=2; Am[Au(CN)₂]₃·3H₂O (2),a=6.666(2) Å, c=18.342(3) Å, V=705.9(4), Z=2; Nd[Ag(CN)₂]₃·3H₂O (3), a=6.7042(4) Å, c=18.6199(14) Å, V=724.77(8), Z=2; and Nd[Au(CN)₂]₃·3H₂O (4), a=6.6573(13) Å, c=18.431(4) Å, V=707.2(2), Z=2. The coordination around the Am and/or Nd consists of six N-bound CN⁻ groups resulting in a trigonal prismatic arrangement. Three capping oxygen atoms of coordinated water molecules complete the tricapped trigonal prismatic coordination environment, providing a total coordination number of nine for the f-elements. Raman spectroscopy, which compliments the structural analyses, reveals that the four compounds display strong signals in the ν_CN stretching region. When compared with KAg(CN)₂ or KAu(CN)₂, the ν_CN stretching frequencies for these compounds blue-shift due to bridging of the dicyanometallate ions with the f-element ions. There is subsequent reduction in electron density at the cyanide center. Compared with the silver systems, the ν_CN frequency appears at higher energy in the gold dicyanide complexes. This shift is consistent with the structural data where the carbon-nitrogen bond distance is found to be shorter in the gold dicyanides.     

Nanogold-actuated biomimetic peroxidase for sensitized electrochemical immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen in human serum

We present a method for the simultaneous determination of guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA) and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) from urine by protein precipitation and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The chromatographic separation was performed using a cation exchange column with an elution gradient of 0.1 mM and 20 mM ammonium acetate buffers. GSA was detected with the mass spectrometer in negative ion mode monitoring at m/z 174.1, and GAA, creatinine, arginine, and homoarginine were in positive ion mode monitoring at m/z 118.1, 114.1, 175.1, and 189.1, respectively. As an internal standard, l-arginine-¹³C₆ hydrochloride and creatinine-d₃ (methyl-d₃) were used. The calibration ranges were 0.50-25.0 μg mL⁻¹, and good linearities were obtained for all compounds (r > 0.999). The intra- and inter-assay accuracies (expressed as recoveries) and precisions at three concentration levels (1.00, 5.00 and 25.0 μg mL⁻¹) were better than 83.8% and 7.41%, respectively. The analytical performance of the method was evaluated by determination of the compounds in urine from male C57BL/J Iar db/db diabetes mellitus (DM) mice. The values of GSA and GAA corrected by the ratios of the individual compounds to creatinine were significantly increased in DM mice compared with control mice. These results indicated that the newly developed method was useful for determining urinary guanidino compounds and metabolites of arginine.     

Simultaneous screening analysis of multiple beta-blockers in urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode

A rapid screening procedure is described for the simultaneous determination of 13 β-blockers in urine at the range of 0.010-1.0 μg mL⁻¹. The procedure involves N-ethoxycarbonyl (EOC) derivatization of β-blockers in urine sample, followed by extraction and further conversion to trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives for the analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode (GC-SIM-MS). The characteristic fragment ions at m/z 260 and m/z 144, and [M − 15]⁺ ions permitted sensitive and selective detection of most of the β-blockers in the presence of co-extracted urinary amino alcohols at much higher levels. The whole procedure of EOC/TMS derivatization with subsequent GC-SIM-MS analysis was linear (r ≥ 0.9988). The LODs were varied from 0.03 to 2.7 ng mL⁻¹. The ranges of precision (%relative standard deviation) and accuracy (%relative error) of the overall procedure at two different added amounts (0.02 and 0.5 μg mL⁻¹) in urine matrix varied from 1.3 to 9.4 and from −9.6 to 9.7, respectively. The recoveries were measured to be ranged from 90.4 to 109.7%.     

Novel transformation of molybdenum-coordinated 2-pyrazinecarbonitrile ligand: Nucleophilic addition of cyanide to carbon–nitrogen triple bond

The control of the presence of OH⁻/CN⁻ nucleophiles in an aqueous-ethanolic solution of [Mo(CN)₄O(pcn)]²⁻ anions (pcn = 2-pyrazinecarbonitrile) allows for selective transformation of the organonitrile ligand. The nucleophilic addition of CN⁻ to the triple bond of the pendant nitrile group in pcn results in reduction of the nitrile group to an imine which is subsequently deprotonated and coordinated to the molybdenum(IV) atom in a bidentate mode to afford the complex anion [Mo(CN)₃O(pnccn)]²⁻ (Hpnccn = pyrazinecyanoimine), as revealed by its X-ray crystal structure. Such a synthetic and crystallographic demonstration of the reduction of an organonitrile with the capture of a metal-bound imine intermediate is uncommon. Elemental analysis verified the formulation [PPh₄]₂[Mo(CN)₃O(pnccn)]·2.5H₂O (1) and the physicochemical behaviour of [Mo(CN)₃O(pnccn)]²⁻ was investigated using spectroscopy (IR, UV–Vis and NMR) and cyclic voltammetry. The compound is the first known example with coordinated primary imine group among cyanocomplexes of Mo. The structural and spectroscopic properties of 1 are compared with those of the compounds resulting from the competitive metal-assisted ligand hydrolysis. The equilibrium constant for the protonation of the cyanoimine ligand, pK = 5.54 ± 0.03, has been determined by the spectrophotometric titrations at room temperature.     

Trace determination of thiosulphate and thioglycolic acid using novel inhibitory kinetic spectrophotometric method

Sulphur containing compounds such as sodium thiosulphate (STS) and thioglycolic acid (TGA) inhibit the rate of cyanide substitution by nitroso-R-salt (NRS) in hexacyanoruthenate(II) catalysed by Hg(II) ions due to their strong binding tendencies with Hg(II) catalyst. This inhibitory effect of sodium thiosulphate and thioglycolic acid is used as the basis for their determination at micro levels. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically at 525 nm (λ_max of [Ru(CN)₅NRS]³⁻ complex) under optimised reaction conditions at 8.75 × 10^− 5 M [Ru(CN)₆⁴⁻], 3.50 × 10^− 4 M [NRS], pH 7.00 ± 0.02, ionic strength (µ) 0.1 M (KCl) and temp 45.0 ±0.1 °C. The modified mechanistic scheme is proposed to understand the inhibition caused by sulphur containing compounds (STS and TGA) on Hg(II) catalysed substitution of cyanide by NRS in [Ru(CN)₆]⁴⁻. The range of analytical concentration of inhibitor depends upon two factors; the amount of Hg(II) catalyst present in the indicator reaction and the stability of the Hg(II)-inhibitor complex under consideration. Under optimum conditions STS and TGA have been determined in the range of 0.98-7.0 × 10^− 6 M and 0.30-7.0 × 10^− 6 M. The detection limits for STS and TGA were found to be 3.0 × 10^− 7 M and 1.0 × 10^− 7 M respectively.     

Profiling of 19-norsteroid sulfoconjugates in human urine by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

19-Nortestosterone (nandrolone) major metabolites in human urine are excreted as sulfoconjugated and glucuroconjugated forms. A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method in negative ESI mode was developed for direct quantification of 19-norandrosterone sulfate (19-NAS) and 19-noretiocholanolone sulfate (19-NES). For both sulfoconjugates, the [M−H]⁻ ion at m/z 355 and the fragment ion at m/z 97 were used as the precursor and product ions, respectively. The purification method involved a complete and rapid separation of sulfates and glucuronides in two extracts after loading the sample on a weak anion exchange solid phase extraction support (SPE Oasis^® WAX). Then, sulfates were separated by LC (Uptisphere^® ODB, 150 mm × 3.0 mm, 5 μm) and analyzed on a linear trap and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The lower limit of detection (LLOD) and lowest limit of quantification (LLOQ) were of 100 pg mL⁻¹ and 1 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Assay validation demonstrated good performances in terms of trueness (92.0-104.9%), repeatability (0.6-7.2%) and intermediate precision (1.3-10.8%) over the range of 1-2500 ng mL⁻¹. Finally, 19-NAS and 19-NES in urine samples collected after intake of 19-norandrostenedione (nandrolone precursor) were quantified. This assay may be easily implemented to separate glucuronide and sulfate steroids from urine specimens prior to quantification by LC/MS/MS.     

Mechanism study on inorganic oxidants induced inhibition of Ru(bpy)₃²+ electrochemiluminescence and its application for sensitive determination of some inorganic oxidants

Inhibited Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ electrochemiluminescence by inorganic oxidants is investigated. Results showed that a number of inorganic oxidants can quench the ECL of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system, and the logarithm of the decrease in ECL intensity (ΔI) was proportional to the logarithm of analyte concentrations. Based on which, a sensitive approach for detection of these inorganic oxidants was established, e.g. the log-log plots of ΔI versus the concentration of MnO₄⁻, Cr₂O₇²⁻ and Fe(CN)₆³⁻ are linear in the range of 1 × 10⁻⁷ to 3 × 10⁻⁴ M for MnO₄⁻ and Cr₂O₇²⁻, and 1 × 10⁻⁷ to 1 × 10⁻⁴ M for Fe(CN)₆³⁻, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ M, 2 × 10⁻⁸ M, and 1 × 10⁻⁸ M, respectively. A series of experiments such as a comparison of the inhibitory effect of different compounds on Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA ECL, ECL emission spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra etc. were investigated in order to discover how these inorganic analytes quench the ECL of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA system. A mechanism based on consumption of TPrA intermediate (TPrA^·) by inorganic oxidants was proposed.     

Determination of levodopa by capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection

A rapid and simple method using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed for the determination of levodopa. This method was based on enhance effect of levodopa on the CL reaction between luminol and potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) in alkaline aqueous solution. CL detection employed a lab-built reaction flow cell and a photon counter. The optimized conditions for the CL detection were 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M luminol added to the CE running buffer and 5.0 × 10⁻⁵ M K₃[Fe(CN)₆] in 0.6 M NaOH solution introduced postcolumn. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range from 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ M (r = 9991), and a detection limit of 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ M (signal/noise = 3) for levodopa were achieved. The precision (R.S.D.) on peak area (at 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ M of levodopa, n = 11) was 4.1%. The applicability of the method for the analysis of pharmaceutical and human plasma samples was examined.     

Application of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayer on polycrystalline gold electrode as a nanosensor for determination of Ag(I)

Fabrication and application of a voltammetric sensor based on gold 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayer (Au-MBT SAM) for determination of silver ion is described. Preliminary experiments were performed to characterize the monolayer. The surface pK_a determined for the MBT monolayer is 7.0. This value was obtained by impedimetric titration of the monolayer in the presence of Fe(CN)₆^3−/4− as a redox probe. The extent of surface coverage was evaluated as 1.52 × 10⁻⁹ mol cm⁻² based on charged consumed for reductive desorption of the monolayer in the 0.50 M NaOH solution. Then the sensor was used for determination of Ag(I) by square wave voltammetry. The parameters affecting the sensor response, such as pH and supporting electrolyte, were optimized. A dynamic calibration curve with two linear parts was obtained in the concentration ranges of 5 × 10⁻⁸-8 × 10⁻⁷ and 1 × 10⁻⁶-1 × 10⁻⁵ M of Ag(I). The detection limit adopted from cathodic striping square wave voltammetry was as 1 × 10⁻⁸ M for n = 7. Furthermore, the effect of potential interfering ions on the determination of Ag(I) was studied, and an appropriate method was used for the elimination of this effect.     

Layer-by-layer thin film-coated electrodes for electrocatalytic determination of ascorbic acid

Multilayer thin films composed of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) have been prepared on the surface of a gold (Au) disk electrode by a layer-by-layer deposition of PAH and CMC and ferricyanide ions ([Fe(CN)₆]³⁻) were confined in the film. [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ ions can be successfully confined in the films from weakly acidic or neutral [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ solutions, while, in basic solution, [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ ion was not confined. The [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ ion-confined Au electrode showed clear redox peaks in the cyclic voltammogram around 0.35 V versus Ag/AgCl. The amounts of [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ ions confined in the films depended on the thickness of the films or the number of layers in the LbL films. The [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻ ion-confined Au electrode was used for electrocatalytic determination of ascorbic acid in the concentration range of 1-50 mM.     

Organotin compounds: an ionophore system for fluoride ion recognition

Ion-selective properties were established for membrane electrodes prepared by using organotin compounds of type (L^CNRSnF₂)_n, (R = n-Bu (I), = Ph (II)) and (L^CNSnF₃)_n (III) (L^CN = C₆H₄(CH₂NMe₂)-2). Electrodes formulated with the optimized membranes containing the organotin compounds I-III as ionophores and sodium tetraphenylborate (10-30%) exhibited high selectivity for fluoride over other anions. An electrode prepared with ionophore II using dibutyl phthalate as the plasticizer and 15% sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as anion additive, possesses the best potentiometric response characteristics. It shows a detection limit of 7.9 × 10⁻⁷ M with a slope of 62.7 mV decade⁻¹ of activity in buffer solutions of pH 5.5. The interference from other anions is suppressed under this optimized measurement conditions. An entirely non-Hofmeister selectivity sequence (F⁻ > CH₃COO⁻ > Cl⁻ > I⁻ ∼ Br⁻ >ClO₄⁻ > NO₂⁻ > NO₃⁻ > SCN⁻) with remarkable preference towards fluoride is obtained. The influence on the electrode performances by anion additive was studied, and the possible response mechanism was investigated by UV-vis spectra. The electrode has been used for direct determination of fluoride in drinking mineral water with satisfactory results.     

Preparation of a new solid state fluoride ion selective electrode and application

A new solid state fluoride ion selective electrode composed of 70% Ag₂S, 10% Cu₂S and 20% CaF₂ has been developed. An analytically useful potential change occurred, from 1 × 10⁻⁶ to 1 × 10⁻¹ M fluoride ion. The slope of the linear portion (1 × 10⁻¹-1 × 10⁻⁵ M) was about 26 ± 2 mV/10-fold concentration changes in fluoride. It was found that pH change between 1 and 8 had no effect on the potential of the electrode. There was no interference of most common cations such as K^+, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ and anions such as Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻ and PO₄³⁻. The lifetime of the electrode was more than 2 years, when used at least 4-5 times a day, and the response time was about 60 s.The measurements were made at constant ionic strength (0.1 M NaNO₃) and at room temperature. This electrode has been used for the determination of fluoride ion in Ankara city tap water and in bottled spring water using standard addition method. The validation of the electrode has been made with a commercial fluoride ion selective electrode (Orion) and high consistency was obtained.     

Amperometric biosensor based on reductive H2O2 detection using pentacyanoferrate-bound polymer for creatinine determination

Pentacyanoferrate-bound poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI[Fe(CN)₅]) was selected as a mediator for amperometric creatinine determination based on the reductive H₂O₂ detection. Creatinine amidohydrolase (CNH), creatine amidohydrolase (CRH), sarcosine oxidase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and PVI[Fe(CN)₅] were crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode for a creatinine biosensor fabrication. Reduction current was monitored at −0.1 V in the presence of creatinine and O₂. It is revealed that PVI[Fe(CN)₅] is suitable as a mediator for a bioelectrocatalytic reaction of POD, since PVI[Fe(CN)₅] neither reacts with reactants nor works as an electron acceptor of SOD. The amounts of PVI[Fe(CN)₅], PEGDGE, and enzymes were optimized toward creatinine detection. Nafion as a protecting film successfully prevented the enzyme layer from interferences. The detection limit and linear range in creatinine determination were 12 μM and 12–500 μM (R² = 0.993), respectively, and the sensitivity was 11 mA cm⁻² M⁻¹, which is applicable for urine creatinine tests. The results of the creatinine determination for four urine samples measured with this proposed method were compared with Jaffe method, and a good correlation was obtained between the results.     

Characterization of steroidal saponins in crude extract from Dioscorea nipponica Makino by liquid chromatography tandem multi-stage mass spectrometry

The liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem multi-stage mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MSⁿ) method was developed for the analyses and characterization of steroidal saponins in plant extract from the rhizome of Dioscorea nipponica Makino. The HPLC experiments were performed by means of a reversed-phase C₁₈ column and a binary mobile phase system consisting of water and acetonitrile under gradient elution conditions. Pseudoprotodioscin, methyl protodioscin and dioscin were identified by comparing the retention times, UV spectra and the fragmentation properties of [M − H]⁻ ions with the authentic standards. Four groups of steroidal saponin isomers possessed the [M − H]⁻ ions at m/z 1063, 1045, 901 and 1047, respectively, were observed during the LC-ESI(−)-MS analysis, and three groups of them except the pair of isomers with the [M − H]⁻ ions at m/z 1047 could be differentiated by LC-ESI(−)-MS³. Furthermore, the ESI-MSⁿ fragmentation behaviors of the [M + Li]⁺ ions of pseudoprotodioscin and methyl protodioscin have been investigated, and the observed information helped the structural elucidation of the more abundant isomer with the [M − H]⁻ ion at m/z 1047. As the result, a special sugar sequence of the saccharide chains was observed that not glucose but rhamnose might be connected with the hydroxyl group at C-3 position of the steroidal aglycone.     

Synthesis, structural characterization and Li ion conductivity of a new vanado-molybdate phase, LiMg3VMo2O12

A new vanado-molybdate LiMg₃VMo₂O₁₂ has been synthesized, the crystal structure determined an ionic conductivity measured. The solid solution Li_2−zMg_2+zV_zMo_3−zO₁₂ was investigated and the structures of the z=0.5 and 1.0 compositions were refined by Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray (XRD) and powder neutron diffraction (ND) data. The structures were refined in the orthorhombic space group Pnma with a∼5.10, b∼10.4 and c∼17.6 Å, and are isostructural with the previously reported double molybdates Li₂M₂(MoO₄)₃ (M=M²⁺, z=0). The structures comprise of two unique (Li/Mg)O₆ octahedra, (Li/Mg)O₆ trigonal prisms and two unique (Mo/V)O₄ tetrahedra. A well-defined 1:3 ratio of Li⁺:Mg²⁺ is observed in octahedral chains for LiMg₃VMo₂O₁₂. Li⁺ preferentially occupies trigonal prisms and Mg²⁺ favours octahedral sheets. Excess V⁵⁺ adjacent to the octahedral sheets may indicate short-range order. Ionic conductivity measured by impedance spectroscopy (IS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements show the presence of a phase transition, at 500-600 °C, depending on x. A decrease in activation energy for Li⁺ ion conductivity occurs at the phase transition and the high temperature structure is a good Li⁺ ion conductor, with σ=1×10⁻³-4×10⁻² S cm⁻¹ and E_a=0.6 to 0.8 eV.