Investigation of U(VI) extraction with calixarene: Application to analysis of urine sample

A macrocyclic molecule, the calix[6]arene 4₆, functionalized with carboxy groups, has been studied and its extraction efficiency towards uranium determined in a two phases solvent-extraction system. Two solvents, dichloromethane and benzene were used to follow uranium extraction from media containing sodium ions. The study of the extraction parameters allowed proposing an extraction scheme with each solvent. The extraction efficiency was found to increase with pH, with an optimal efficiency of nearly 100%. No decrease of uranium extraction was observed in synthetic solutions containing sodium ions (spiked with²²Na) and/or²³⁹Pu. Under specific conditions, almost 100% of uranium have been extracted by the calixarene from real urine samples.     

Neutron activation analysis of organohalogens in Chinese human hair

To effectively extract organohalogens from human hair, two factors, the extracting time and hair length on the extraction efficiency of organohalogens were studied by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and gas chromatograph-electron capture detector (GC-ECD), respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of extractable organohalogens (EOX) and extractable persistent organohalogens (EPOX) in hair samples from angioma and control babies were also measured by the established method. The results indicated that the optimal Soxhlet-extraction time for EOX and EPOX in hair was from 8 to 11 hours, and the extraction efficiencies for organochlorine pesticides in hair were in the order of powder >2 mm>5 mm. Also, the mean levels of EOC1 and EPOC1 in hair of the angioma babies were significantly higher than those in the control babies (P _EOC1<0.01; P _EPOC1<0.05), which implied the possible relationship between the environmental pollution and angioma.     

Effect of ionic liquids on the extraction of americium by diphenyl (dibutyl) carbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide in dichloroethane from nitric acid solutions

The present paper demonstrates that room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) added at 1–5 wt% to a diphenyl (dibutyl) carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (Ph₂Bu₂) solution increase the extraction coefficients of americium from nitric acid by more than two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the use of the RTIL—1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide makes the extraction possible even from 8 M HNO₃. This is an important attribute of such extraction system from the point of its possible application for radiochemical analysis of technological samples and environmental solutions, since many methods are based on transferring the solid samples into an 8 M HNO₃ solution. The extraction data obtained revealed that three Ph₂Bu₂ ligands are included into the coordination sphere of americium, two of which represent a compound with the nitrate anion and one with the RTIL anion.     

Use of integrated intensities of X-ray powder diffraction patterns of Mg<Subscript>1 − x</Subscript>Zn<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O solid solutions for the quantitative determination of their composition

X-ray diffraction spectra were obtained for polycrystalline samples of Mg_{1 ? x} Zn _x O solid solutions (x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) by X-ray powder diffraction. The theoretical integrated intensity ratio between the 111 and 002 reflections was plotted versus the percentage of zinc in the solid solutions. The possibility of extracting information on polycrystalline samples (the composition and the presence of microstructural features) from comparison of the theoretical and experimental integrated intensity ratios between the 111 and 002 reflections was investigated. The Le Bail procedure for the extraction of integrated intensities from X-ray powder diffraction patterns, followed by the use of these intensities in calculations with the SHELX-97 program package, was tested for the determination of the zinc fraction in polycrystalline samples of Mg_{1 ? x} Zn _x O solid solutions.     

Influence of sample pre-treatment on the determination of trace silver and cadmium in geological and environmental samples by quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The suitability of three different digestion procedures has been evaluated with regard to the quantitative determination of trace amounts of silver and cadmium in geological and environmental samples. Procedure A: extraction with aqua regia in an open vessel system; Procedure B: extraction with aqua regia in a closed pressurized vessel system; Procedure C: digestion with HF + HNO₃ in a closed pressurized vessel system. It was found that procedure A represented an effective way of extracting analytes from different types of geological samples while the effect of extracting interfering metals is low. Because it is interference-free, poses a low risk of contamination and is time-saving, sample treatment procedure A was preferred. For this digestion procedure, a series of Chinese geological reference materials was determined by ICP-MS, the results of which were found to be in reasonable agreement with the certified values.     

Information transfer in calix[4]arenes: influence of upper rim substitution on alkaline metal complexation at the lower rim

Novel calix[4]arene amides have been synthesized and their interaction with alkaline cations has been evaluated through extracting aqueous solutions of Li-, Na- and K-picrates with solutions of calix[4]arene amides in CH₂Cl₂. Electron-withdrawing groups on the upper rim of the calix[4]arene scaffold were found to have a negative effect on the absolute amount of metal ions extracted. The decreased extraction ability is accompanied by a higher selectivity towards sodium cations.     

Pathways of advanced oxidation of phenol by Fenton's reagent—Identification of oxidative coupling intermediates by extractive acetylation

Homogeneous Fenton reaction (H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ system) using significantly substoichiometric concentrations of H₂O₂ oxidant to oxidize phenol was characterized focusing on the formation of stable aromatic intermediates. Beyond the most abundant benzenediols, the pattern of aromatic intermediates was chiefly characterized by hydroxylated biphenyls and diphenyl ethers with different degrees of hydroxylation. Hydroxylated dibenzofurans (DBF), p,p′-dioxins, as well as highly condensed aromatic intermediates including polyols of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), could also be detected, but in lower concentrations. The formation of aromatic intermediates could be predicted on the basis of oxidative coupling reactions of resonance-stabilized radicals generated by the attack of the highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH*) on phenol. GC/MS identification of oxidative coupling intermediates was performed after derivatization of the solvent extracts. Derivatization reactions included silylation to give TMS (trimethylsilyl) ethers, as well as single-step extractive acetylation using acetic anhydride in alkaline aqueous solutions (pH 10.5) to give acetates. Solvent extraction of aqueous solutions, a prerequisite to generate TMS ethers, caused strong discrimination of polyols due to their low distribution coefficients in non-polar solvents. This discrimination could be overcome by extracting the in-situ formed acetates of the intermediates. Extractive acetylation allowed the detection of tri-, tetra-, and penta-hydroxylated aromatic intermediates generated by Fenton oxidation processes, which have been overlooked upto now. Thus, extractive acetylation to detect stable aromatic intermediates covering a wide range of hydroxylation degrees can foster the understanding, monitoring, and management of advanced oxidation processes, especially in the field of wastewater treatment.     

Application of ultra-low level liquid scintillation to the determination of 222Rn in groundwater

A procedure for the determination of ²²²Rn in environmental water samples using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was applied. The extractive scintillator RADONS^Ò and an ultra-low background 1220 QuantulusÔ were used. A minimum detectable activity of 0.1 Bq·l^?1 in 20 ml was found with low-diffusion polyethylene vials and 200 minute measurement time. Quenching effects and possible interferences due to the existence of other radionuclides in the extraction process were studied. The procedure was controlled by gamma-ray spectrometry of the ²²²Rn daughters. Applications to environmental samples collected from spas, wells, and public springs in Extremadura (Spain) are presented.     

Mesoporous Silica‐coated Magnetic Nanoparticles for Mixed Hemimicelles Solid‐phase Extraction of Phthalate Esters in Environmental Water Samples with Liquid Chromatographic Analysis

To extract, preconcentrate and determine the trace level of environmental contaminants, a novel mixed hemimicelles solid‐phase extraction (MHSPE) method based on mesoporous silica‐coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/meso‐SiO₂ NPs) as adsorbent was developed for extraction of phthalate esters from water samples. The Fe₃O₄/meso‐SiO₂ NPs were synthesized by using a combination of hydrothermal method and sol‐gel method. The obtained Fe₃O₄/meso‐SiO₂ NPs possessed a large surface area (570 m²/g), superparamagnetism, and uniform mesopores (2.8 nm). MHSPE parameters, such as the amount of surfactant, pH of sample, shaking and separation time, eluent and breakthrough volume that may influence the extraction of analytes greatly, were further investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction was completed in 20 min and a concentration factor of 500 was achieved by extracting 250 mL water sample. Detection limits obtained of butyl‐benzyl phthalate (BBP), di‐n‐butyl phthalate (DnBP), di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di‐n‐cotyl phthalate (DnOP) were 12, 21, 12, and 32 ng/L, respectively. The proposed method exhibited high extraction efficiency and relatively short time for extracting the target compounds.     

Separation and concentration of technetium using a Tc-selective extraction chromatographic resin

For⁹⁹Tc separation from environmental samples, liquid-liquid extraction, ion-exchange chromatography and coprecipitation, have been described. Although these methods are removing matrix elements, some combinations of them is necessary for purification and concentration of Tc. Besides, the procedures are time-consuming and generally a week or more is needed to purify Tc in the samples. In this study, a novel extraction chromatographic resin for the separation and preconcentration of Tc from several kinds of solutions is described. The material is shown to retain Tc efficiently and selectively from these solutions. Sorbed Tc is readily recovered using 5 ml of 12M HNO₃ and the recoveries with^95mTc are more than 97% for all sample solutions.     

Evaluating the complexation behavior and regeneration of boron selective glucaminium-based ionic liquids when used as extraction solvents

Glucaminium-based ionic liquids are a new class of solvents capable of extracting boron-species from water with high efficiency. The complexation behavior of these ILs with borate was thoroughly studied using ¹¹B NMR. Two different complexes, namely, monochelate complex and bischelate complex, were observed. ¹¹B NMR was used extensively to determine the formation constants for monochelate and bischelate complexes. The IL concentration was observed to have a significant effect on the IL–borate complexes. Using an in situ dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (in situ DLLME) method, the extraction efficiency for boron species was increased dramatically when lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (LiNTf₂) was used as the metathesis salt in an aqueous solution containing 0.1 M sodium chloride. IL regeneration after extraction was achieved using 0.1 M hydrochloric acid. The extraction efficiency of boron species was consistent when the IL was employed after three regeneration cycles. The selectivity of the IL for boron species in synthetic seawater samples was similar to performing the same extraction from Milli-Q water samples.     

Sulfhydryl-functionalised magnetic nanoparticles as sorbent in dispersive solid-phase extraction for the rapid enrichment of mercury species from natural water samples

The sulfhydryl-functionalised core-shell Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂–RSH MNPs)-based dispersive solid-phase extraction method was developed. The goal of this method is the extraction of mercury species from natural water samples. An interesting aspect of the method is that, thanks to the spontaneously aggregate, the MNPs with a sub-30-nm-size range could be fast and efficiently extracted by 0.45 μm pore size mixed cellulose esters membrane filter. Thus, the elution step can be conducted by passing small amounts eluent through the MNPs on the membrane. It is also found that addition of Ag⁺ to water sample could improve the elution efficiency, and furthermore, minimises the matrix effects during the extraction of mercury species from natural water samples. The feasibility of the method was studied, and extraction efficiency was evaluated. The results showed that, calculated at 5 ng/L spiked concentration levels, absolute recoveries were 89.4%, 91.9% and 64.2%, and enrichment factors (EFs) were 596, 613 and 428, for inorganic mercury, methylmercury and ethylmercury, respectively. The high EFs were achieved in 5 min of overall extraction time. The method was applied to groundwater and river water samples. The results showed that its suitability for use in fast extracting trace levels of mercury species from natural water samples.     

Adduct formation in the extraction of zinc oxinate into various organic solvents

The extraction of zincoxinate into 10 different organic solvents was investigated. By studying the dependence of the distribution upon pH, reagent concentration, and solvent concentration (in an inert medium), the species were identified and the extraction constants estimated. Correlations between the species type and the efficiency of extraction are postulated. The species extracting into 4-methyl-2-pentanone, I-butanol, and 4-methyl-2-pentanol is ZnR₂S₂, that extracting into benzene and chloroform is ZnR₂(HR)S, that extracting into butyl and pentyl ethers is ZnR₂S, that extracting into carbon tetrachloride is ZnR₂(HR), and that extracting into hexane and cyclohexane is ZnR₂(H₂O)₂. In these formulas, R is the oxinate ion, HR is oxine, and S is the organic solvent. It is suggested that the extraction behavior can be explained by assuming a water molecule to be attached to the ZnR₂S and ZnR₂(HR) species.     

Competitive solvent extraction of alkaline earth metals by ionizable nano-baskets of calixarene

The competitive solvent extraction of alkaline earth metals using different nano-baskets was investigated. The novelty of this work is to study the correlations between the isomer structure of calixarenes and their extraction properties. The objective was to quantify the effects of aryl groups in the ionisable pendant moieties, calixarene conformation, steric orientations (cis- and trans-) and relative positions (ortho- and para-) of pendant moieties upon the extraction efficiency, pH_1/2 and the selectivity of calix[4]arene complexes. Alkaline earth metals were extracted from aqueous solutions into chloroform by di-ionisable calix[4]arenes and were measured using ion chromatography. The results revealed that alternation of aryl group in the pendant moieties, changing their orientation from cis- to trans-analogues as well as from ortho- to para- analogues, showed no changes in the selectivity, the extraction efficiency and the pH_1/2 of calix[4]arene complexes. Changing the scaffold of calixarene's ring to the cone, 1,2-alternate and partial-cone conformers altered their complexation ability towards alkaline earth metals and their extraction efficiency.     

A density‐functional theory approach to the separation of K2ZrF6 and K2HfF6 via fractional crystallization

Because of the low absorption cross‐section for thermal neutrons of zirconium (Zr) as opposed to hafnium (Hf), Zr‐metal must essentially be Hf‐free (<100 ppm Hf) to be suitable for use in nuclear reactors. However, Zr and Hf always occur together in nature, and due to very similar chemical and physical properties, their separation is particularly difficult. Separation can be achieved by traditional liquid–liquid extraction or extractive distillation processes, using Zr(Hf)Cl₄ as feedstock. However, the production of K₂Zr(Hf)F₆ via the plasma dissociation route, developed by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation Limited (Necsa), could facilitate the development of an alternative separation process. In this theoretical study, the results of density‐functional theory (DFT) simulations of K₂Zr_(1‐z)Hf_zF₆ solid solutions [using Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP)] are presented, for which the supercell approach was applied in an attempt to determine whether solid solution formation during crystallization from aqueous solutions (fractional crystallization) is thermodynamically possible, which would hinder the separation efficiency of this method. Consequently, the calculated thermodynamic properties of mixing were used to evaluate the separation efficiency of Zr and Hf by fractional crystallization using a thermodynamic model to calculate the relative distribution coefficients. The small mixing enthalpies that were calculated from the DFT results, indicates that lattice substitution of Zr(IV) by Hf(IV) in K₂ZrF₆ could occur with relative ease. This is not surprising, considering the close similarities between Zr and Hf, and it was therefore concluded that K₂Zr_(1‐z)Hf_zF₆ solid solution formation might well restrict the separation efficiency of Zr and Hf by fractional crystallization of K₂Zr(Hf)F₆. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Influence of the solvent on the extraction of copper(II) from nitrate medium using salicylideneaniline

Different solvents including cyclohexane, dichloromethane, chloroform, toluene, 1-octanol, and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) have been evaluated in extracting copper(II) from nitrate medium by salicylideneaniline. Extracted species differs from solvent to solvent: CuL₂ in cyclohexane, toluene, 1-octanol, and methyl isobutyl ketone. However, in dichloromethane or chloroform, there are two complexes of the type CuL₂ and CuL₂(HL). The extraction constants and percentage of extraction (%E) are calculated for different solvents. Solvent played an important role in recovering copper(II) from the aqueous solution, thus affecting the extraction equilibrium and extraction efficiency. The nonpolar solvent showed better performance than the polar solvent. The maximum extraction efficiency was 85.75% at pH?=?4.5, which was from cyclohexane.     

Characterization of Mechanisms of Pesticide Retention in Soils Using the Supercritical Fluid Extraction Technique

Abstract

This research determined the relative effectiveness of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in extracting atrazine and its metabolites from soils which had been treated with atrazine for varying periods of time in order to characterize binding mechanisms. Aqueous methanol extraction was more effective than SFE in removing ¹⁴C atrazine residues from “aged” soils. The more polar the solvent system, the more ¹⁴C-atrazine residues were extracted. The order of polarity and extractability was aqueous methanol > SF-CO₂/5% methanol > SF-CO². Atrazine extraction efficiency using SF-CO₂, and SF-CO₂/.5% methanol decreased as samples “aged” in the field. The less than complete recovery of atrazine residues using the SFE technique could be seen as an indication that different binding mechanisms were involved in the retention of atrazine as well as its metabolites and that the binding mechanisms changed with time.     

Preparation of carbon coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles and their application for solid-phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water samples

The carbon coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/C) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction and applied as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents to extract trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from environmental water samples. The Fe₃O₄/C sorbents possess high adsorption capacity and extraction efficiency due to strong adsorption ability of carbon materials and large surface area of nanoparticles, and only 50 mg of sorbents are required to extract PAHs from 1000 mL water samples. The adsorption attains equilibrium rapidly and analytes are eluted with acetonitrile readily. Salinity and solution pH have no obvious effect on the recoveries of PAHs, which avoids fussy adjustment to water sample before extraction. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits of PAHs are in the range of 0.2–0.6 ng L⁻¹. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by the recoveries of spiked samples. Good recoveries (76–110%) with low relative standard deviations from 0.8% to 9.7% are achieved. This new SPE method provides several advantages, such as high extraction efficiency, high breakthrough volumes, convenient extraction procedure, and short analysis times. To our knowledge, this is the first time that Fe₃O₄/C nanoparticles are used for the pretreatment of environmental water samples.     

Headspace solvent microextraction and gas chromatographic determination of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples

Headspace solvent microextraction (HSME) was shown to be an efficient preconcentration method for extraction of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from aqueous sample solutions. A microdrop of 1-butanol (as extracting solvent) containing biphenyl (as internal standard) was used in this investigation. Extraction occurred by suspending a 3 μl drop of 1-butanol from the tip of a microsyringe fixed above the surface of solution in a sealed vial. After extraction for a preset time, the microdrop was retracted back into the syringe and injected directly into a GC injection port. The effects of nature of extracting solvent, microdrop and sample temperatures, stirring rate, microdrop and sample volumes, ionic strength and extraction time on HSME efficiency were investigated and optimized. Finally, the enrichment factor, dynamic linear range (DLR), limit of detection (LOD) and precision of the method were evaluated by water samples spiked with PAHs. The optimized procedure was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of PAHs in different water samples.     

Regularities in the extraction of B group vitamins with synthetic water-soluble polymers

Common regularities in the extraction of vitamins B₁, B₂, B₆, and B₁₂ from aqueous solutions of polymers (poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone, poly-N-vinylcaprolactam, and polyacrylamide) are studied. The effect of the polymer’s concentration and its structure on the distribution coefficients and the degree of extraction of the vitamins is established. Effective systems for extracting B group vitamins from water-salt solutions are developed as a result of screening stable two-phase systems based on water-soluble polymers.