Fundamental and applied investigations in plasma-source mass spectrometry for elemental analysis

The current status of plasma source-mass spectrometry (PS-MS) is reviewed. An overview of interference effects that exist, alternative plasma sources available, and mass spectrometer interface studies is provided. A discussion of current and future development areas in plasma source mass spectrometry is also included.     

A new integral method for the kinetic analysis of thermogravimetric data

Methods for the calculation of activation energies, pre-exponential factors and reaction orders from thermogravimetric data are briefly reviewed. A new integral method is proposed for the determination of these kinetic parameters, using data from pairs of TG curves produced at different heating rates. Employing accurate values of the temperature integral of the Arrhenius equation, tabulated over a range ofE andT, and a simple graphical procedure, the method offers advantages of speed and accuracy over those previously reported. It is suggested that at least one of the kinetic parameters should be allowed to move freely in order to achieve the best possible fit between calculated and experimental traces.     

Electric and thermogravimetric properties of brownmillerites based on barium oxides

The electric and thermogravimetric properties of oxygen-deficient perovskite-like complex oxides Ba₂HoGaO₅, Ba₂YGaO₅, Ba₂ScInO₅, and Ba₂Sc₂O₅ are studied. It is found that these phases are capable of intercalating water from a gas phase; however, the total water amount is smaller than the supposed nominal concentration of oxygen vacancies calculated from formula A₂BB′O₅[V _O]₁. A comparison of the temperature dependences of conductivities suggests that the highest oxygen-ion conductivity is inherent in the phases with a statistical arrangement of oxygen vacancies (Ba₂Sc₂O₅, Ba₂ScInO₅). In a humid atmosphere (when the contribution of proton conductivity is significant), the total conductivity alters in line with the oxygen-ion conductivity, i.e. it increases in the series Ba₂YGaO₅-Ba₂HoGaO₅-Ba₂ScInO₅-Ba₂Sc₂O₅.     

A new regression method based on independent component analysis

Based on independent component analysis (ICA), a new regression method, independent component regression (ICR), was developed to build the model of NIR spectra and the routine components of plant samples. It is found that ICR and principal component regression (PCR) are completely equivalent when they are applied in quantitative prediction. However, independent components (ICs) can give more chemical explanation than principal components (PCs) because independence is a high-order statistic that is a much stronger condition than orthogonality. Three ICs are obtained by ICA from the NIR spectra of plant samples; it is found that they are strongly correlated to the NIR spectra of water, hydrocarbons and organonitrogen compounds, respectively. Therefore, ICA may be a promising tool to retrieve both quantitative and qualitative information from complex chemical data sets.     

Kinetic analysis of DSC and thermogravimetric data on combustion of lignite

Thermal analysis increasingly being used to obtain kinetic data relating to sample decomposition. This work involves a comparative study of several methods used to analyse DSC and TG/DTG data obtained on the oxidation of Beypazari lignite. A general computer program was developed and the methods are compared with regard to their accuracy and the ease of interpretation of the kinetics of thermal decomposition. For this study, the ratio method was regarded as the preferred method, because it permits the estimation of reaction order, activation energy and Arrhenius constant simultaneously from a single experiment.The experimental part of this research was supported in part by NATO-SFS Project TU-Energy II. The authors express their appreciation to the NATO-SFS program for providing financial support for this project.     

Pyrolysis kinetics and chemical composition of Hazro coal according to the particle size

Summary The relationship between particle size and chemical composition of Hazro coal (origin: SE Anatolia, Turkey) has been examined by elemental analysis and by thermogravimetric pyrolysis. The chemical composition of the coal was determined by grinding sample particles physically and separating according to their size in mm by sieving. Particle size distribution of the coal and chemical composition of these fractions were given. The coal has been non-isothermally pyrolyzed in a thermogravimetric analyzer to determine the kinetic factors. Thermal gravimetric (TG/DTG) experiments were performed from ambient temperature to 800°C under a nitrogen atmosphere at heating rate 10 K min^-1 with five different particle size ranges. Kinetic parameters of the samples were determined using a Coats and Redfern kinetic model, assuming a first-order reaction. Depending on the particle size of the coal samples, the mean activation energy values varied between 49.1 and 84.6 kJ mol^-1. The results discussed indicate that activation energies increase as the particle size decreases.     

A method for semi-continuous measurement of dissolved elemental mercury in industrial and natural waters

Mercury in aqueous systems can be present in different chemical forms. Of these, dissolved elemental Hg(0) (DEM) is of great importance because it can readily be partitioned between air and water. Analytical methods used for determining DEM are conventionally based on removal of Hg(0) by purging, pre-concentration on gold and detection by either cold vapour atomic absorption (CV-AAS) or atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry (CV-AFS). At present, there is no agreed protocol for the measurement of DEM in aqueous samples. A new method is described here, which is based on continuous stripping of DEM by mercury-free nitrogen in a flow injection mode and detection by CV-AAS. The partitioning of DEM between aqueous and gas phases is largely dependent on the composition of the former. Moreover, calibration using the standard addition method is not possible due to the reactivity of DEM introduced from calibration solutions. Calibration is therefore done by reference measurements using a manual method for DEM involving quantitative removal and CV-AFS detection. DEM is then determined in the water sample by applying the partitioning factor. The optimised method is precise, sensitive and linear over a wide concentration range. It has provided comparable results with the manual method when applied on board a research vessel in the Mediterranean Sea (0.02–0.05 ng L^?1) and during a pilot laboratory-scale experiment on industrial aqueous media from wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) equipment (2–300 ng L^?1).     

Determination of various alcohols based on a new immobilized enzyme fluorescence capillary analysis

A novel method for the determination of ethanol in tequila based on the immobilized enzyme fluorescence capillary analysis (IE-EFCA) has been proposed. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was immobilized in inner surface of a capillary and an immobilized enzyme capillary bioreactor (IE-ECBR) was formed. After nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) as an oxidizer is mixed with alcohol sample solution, it was sucked into the IE-ECBR. The fluorescence intensity of the mixed solution in the IE-ECBR was detected at λ_ex = 350 nm and λ_em = 459 nm. The experimental conditions are as follows: The reaction time is 20 min; temperature is 40 °C; the concentrations of phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5) and NAD⁺ are 0.1 mol L⁻¹ and 5 mmol L⁻¹, respectively; immobilization concentration of ADH is 10 U L⁻¹. The determination range of ethanol is 2.0-15.0 g L⁻¹ (F = 10.44C + 6.6002, r > 0.9958); its detection limit is 1.11 g L⁻¹; and relative standard deviation is 1.9%. IE-EFCA method is applicable for the determination of the samples containing alcohol in medicine, industry and environment.     

Rapid and easy quantification of elemental sulphur in aqueous samples from biological reactors: the turbidimetric method revisited

Recent developments in wastewater treatment have led to a renewed interest to obtain elemental sulphur (S°) as a by-product from bioreactors. However, practical studies are limited by the gap of adequate analytical techniques for its determination. This paper provides a statistical study and matrix effect evaluation of an adapted spectrophotometric method for routine S° analyses in aqueous samples, based on a methodology previously described by Hart (1961). Four complex matrices were tested: domestic sewage and effluent samples from three different bioreactors. Tested performance criteria included linearity, matrix effect, limit of detection and quantification and S° recovery. Results were linear (R² = 0.99994) in the studied range (5 to 100 mg S° L^?1) and no matrix effect was observed. The accuracy was based on recovery values that varied from 100% to 106%. The colloidal S° separation and extraction protocol was also considered suitable for aqueous samples, reaching more than 99.0% of S° recovery.     

Syntheses based on elemental phosphorus,sulfur, and their derivatives

This review summarizes the data on the synthesis of various phosphorus-and-sulfurcontaining organic compounds based on the reactions of elemental phosphorus and sulfur and their derivatives (various types of esters of trivalent phosphorus thioacids) with a variety of organic compounds. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1706–1711, October, 1993.     

基于元素分析的污泥焚烧处置综合性评估

污泥的无害化处置和资源化利用是目前社会关注的重点,对污泥泥质的综合性评估是污泥处置和利用的前提。采用8个地区的出厂污泥,基于元素分析结果,综合考虑其碳排放量和风险性,对污泥“焚烧+灰渣利用”处置方式进行综合性评估。污泥的工业分析发现地区1、7、8污泥中的干基低位发热量均值分别为11.60 MJ/kg、10.39 MJ/kg和12.04 MJ/kg,有机物含量均值为53.98%、51.23%和54.97%,发热量和有机成分显著较高,发热量和有机成分存在显著正相关关系（p<0.05）。而地区1、2、6污泥的重金属含量较高,8个地区的污泥浸出液中镍、铜、锌所占比例较大,占总体约90%。从碳排放和风险性分析可得,地区1、7、8的碳补偿量分别为958.59 kgCO2/t、909.08 kgCO2/t和963.39 kgCO2/t,碳补偿量较大,总碳排放量较小,但地区1污泥在采用制砖、水泥熟料处置时综合污染指数分别为0.72和0.71,在污染警戒范围（0.7~1.0）。结果表明,地区1、7、8的出厂污泥宜采用“焚烧+灰渣利用”处置方式,但地区1污泥处置时需关注重金属污染风险。污泥的元素分析能为污泥的焚烧处置提供科学性指导。     

Simple and rapid method for evaluating stickiness of cotton using thermogravimetric analysis

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with nitrogen and oxygen as carrier gas is used for the analysis of cotton lint samples for evaluating their stickiness. The advantage of the low melting point of trehalulose, a commonly found sugar, in the presence of oxygen as carrier gas is used for the evaluation. The oxidation of sugar present in the cotton lint results in increased weight around the melting point, which is proportional to the sugar content. The decomposition of the sugar further results in weight loss. This method is compared with the sticky cotton thermodetector and viscosity method for the estimation of sugar content. Good agreement between the methods suggests the usefulness and simplicity of TGA for estimation of stickiness in cotton.     

Methods of multivariate data analysis applied to the investigation of fen soils

Fen soils from two sites of the Rhin-Havel-Luch, a peatland in the north-east of Germany, have been investigated. The samples have been collected in two horizons, representing different degrees of degradation and mineralisation of peat. Gravimetric measurements, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), elemental analysis, and ¹H low resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (LR-NMR) of the fen soil samples have been performed. By multivariate analysis of all the experimental data, especially by the principal component analysis (PCA) and by the cluster analysis, respectively, it was possible to classify the fen soils, to identify their characteristic properties, to detect temporal and local variations, and to prove representative field sampling. Furthermore, the correlation between variables of the applied analytical methods could be interpreted in context to the composition of fen soils and mutual influences of their properties.     

A new method for reversible immobilization of thiol biomolecules based on solid-phase bound thiolsulfonate groups

A new method for the reversible immobilization of thiol bimolecules, e.g., thiolpeptides and thiolproteins, to beaded agarose and other solid phases is reported. The method consists of an activation and a coupling step. The activation is based on oxidation of disulfides (or thiol groups via disulfides) present in a solid phase by hydrogen peroxide at moderately acidic pH. This oxidation leads to disulfide oxides (thiolsulfinate groups of which the majority are further oxidized to thiolsulfonate). The thiolsulfonate groups react easily with thiol compounds, which become immobilized via disulfide bonds. The pH range for thiol coupling is wide (pH 5-8), but for most thiols the reaction seems to proceed faster at pH>7. The stability of the reactive group to hydrolysis, especially at neutral and weakly acidic pH, is very high. The activated gel, therefore, can be stored as a suspension at pH 5 for extended periods. The method has been used to reversibly immobilize glutathione, β-galactosidase, alcohol dehydrogenase, urease, and papain, all with exposed thiol groups as well as thiolated bovine serum albumin and sweet-potato β-amylase. Depending on the thiol content of starting thiol-agarose, thiol-sulfonate-agarose derivatives with different binding capacities can be obtained. Thus, up to 5.0 mg (16 μmol) glutathione and 15 mg thiol-protein/mL gel derivative have been immobilized.     

A new procedure, based on combustion to sulphate and ion chromatography for the analysis of elemental sulphur in sediments

Summary A procedure exploiting the bomb preparation method for the analysis of total sulphur in organic materials has been developed for the determination of zero-valent sulphur (S^o) in sediments. Sediment samples were dried over magnesium oxide and sonicated in the presence of toluene to extract S^o. Toluene solutions were directly oxidized by combustion in a bomb containing sodium carbonate-bicarbonate buffer, which trapped sulphur species generated from S^o as sulphate ions. These were in turn analysed by suppressed anion chromatography with ion-conductivity detection. The method was used to determine the distribution of S^o in saltmarsh sediment cores.     

A new quality control material for marine environmental analysis

The implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and of the sediment-quality criteria related to the potential disposal of dredged materials is expected to involve a substantial increase in the number of chemical analyses performed in marine environmental control laboratories. The chemical characterization of sediments (metals, elemental composition, etc.) and the potential release of metals under changing environmental conditions are relevant when dealing with risk assessment. The present paper describes the preparation of a quality control material (QCM) harbor sediment carried out in a specifically equipped laboratory at the University of Barcelona. The results of homogeneity and stability studies for total metal content (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), extractable metal following the BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure (BCR-SEP), and total carbon content show the suitability of QCM for multi-parameter routine quality control (QC) in marine environmental laboratories.     

Considerations of the intermediate oxides via XPS elemental quantitative analysis for the thickness measurements of ultrathin SiO2 on Si

The thicknesses of intermediate oxides at the interface between ultrathin SiO₂ and Si substrates have been measured via XPS elemental quantitative analysis for some SiO₂/Si(100) and SiO₂/Si(111) samples with the silicon oxide thickness less than 2 nm. The measurements involve XPS determination of the Si relative atomic ratio, calculation of Si atomic densities for the intermediate oxide, etc. and then the intermediate oxide thicknesses and the number of monolayers are obtained by referencing the thickness data from two international comparisons for these samples. The results show that the thickness of the intermediate oxides is in the range 0.14–0.16 nm with an average value of 0.15 nm. The number of monolayers for the intermediate oxides at the interface is less than one monolayer with an average value of 0.60. In the present work, there are a series of approximations. By making these approximations many parameters, including L and R₀, used in the conventional calculation method are removed to give a simpler equation, which is valid when the thicknesses of SiO₂ overlayer and the intermediate oxides are very small. This, therefore, appears to be a simple and quick method to obtain approximate oxide thicknesses of modest accuracy. The present work does not in any way replace or improve on Eqns ( 2 –6) cited in the text. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Miniaturized preconcentration methods based on liquid–liquid extraction and their application in inorganic ultratrace analysis and speciation: A review

Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) is widely used as a pre-treatment technique for separation and preconcentration of both organic and inorganic analytes from aqueous samples. Nevertheless, it has several drawbacks, such as emulsion formation or the use of large volumes of solvents, which makes LLE expensive and labour intensive. Therefore, miniaturization of conventional liquid–liquid extraction is needed. The search for alternatives to the conventional LLE using negligible volumes of extractant and the minimum number of steps has driven the development of three new miniaturized methodologies, i.e. single-drop microextraction (SDME), hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of these novel preconcentration approaches and their potential use in analytical labs involved in inorganic (ultra)trace analysis and speciation. Relevant applications to the determination of metal ions, metalloids, organometals and non-metals are included.     

A novel protein analytical method based on hybrid-aptamer and DNA-arrayed electrodes

A novel protein assay method based on a DNA array was developed, in which human immunoglobulin E (hIgE) and its DNA aptamer were used as an analytical model. The target protein hIgE was captured by the aptamer in homogeneous solution and then the resulting hIgE-aptamer complex was hybridized onto probes self-assembled on the DNA array. Measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of electrodes before and after hybridization was compared. To test the selectivity of the method, four different probes with one to three mismatched bases were immobilized on respective electrodes. The results showed that the complex could be hybridized and detected out on the electrodes modified with the fully complementary sequences. In addition, the DNA array could be employed to analyze multiple samples selectively with the matched aptamer.