Determination of trace metals by ICP-OES in plant materials after preconcentration of 1,10-phenanthroline complexes on activated carbon

In this work, 1,10-phenanthroline was used as a complexing agent for the separation and preconcentration of Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) on activated carbon. The metals were adsorbed on activated carbon by two methods: static (1) and dynamic (2). The optimal condition for separation and quantitative preconcentration of metal ions with activated carbon for the proposed methods was for (1) in the static methods in the pH range 7-9. The desorption was found quantitative with 8 mol dm⁻³ HNO₃ for Cd(II) (92.6%), Co(II) (95.6%), Pb(II) (91.0%), and with 3 mol dm⁻³ HNO₃ for Cd(II) (95.4%), Pb(II) (100.2%). The preconcentration factor was 100 with R.S.D. values between 1.0 and 2.9%. For (2), the dynamic method (SPE), the pH range for the quantitative sorption was 7-9. The desorption was found quantitative with 8 mol dm⁻³ HNO₃ for Cd(II) (100.6%), Pb(II) (94.4%), and reasonably high recovery for Co(II) (83%), Cu(II) (88%). The optimum flow rate of metal ions solution for quantitative sorption of metals with 1,10-phenanthroline was 1-2 cm³ min⁻¹ whereas for desorption it was 1 cm³ min⁻¹. The preconcentration factor was 50 for all the ions of the metals with R.S.D. values between 2.9 and 9.8%.The samples of the activated carbon with the adsorbed trace metals can be determined by ICP-OES after mineralization by means of a high-pressure microwave mineralizer. The proposed method provides recovery for Cd (100.8%), Co (97.2%), Cu (94.6%), Ni (99.6%) and Pb (100.0%) with R.S.D. values between 1.2 and 3.2%.The preconcentration procedure showed a linear calibration curve within the concentration range 0.1-1.5 μg cm⁻³. The limits of detection values (defined as “blank + 3s” where s is standard deviation of the blank determination) are 5.8, 70.8, 6.7, 24.6, and 10.8 μg dm⁻³ for Cd(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II), respectively, and corresponding limit of quantification (blank + 10s) values were 13.5, 151.3, 20.0, 58.9 and 33.2 μg dm⁻³, respectively.As a result, these simple methods were applied for the determination of the above-mentioned metals in reference materials and in samples of plant material.     

Investigation of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(I) complexation by glutathione and its component amino acids by ESI-MS and size exclusion chromatography coupled to ICP-MS and ESI-MS

The elucidation of structures of glutathione (GSH) complexes play an important role in the fundamental understanding of biochemical pathways of metal ion deactivation in plants. This article attempts to feature key studies for stoichiometry of metal complexes with glutathione and its constituent amino acids to obtain a better understanding of the different metal affinities of the complexation sites of glutathione. The SEC-ICP-MS experiments have indicated that oxidation process of glutathione was accelerated by metal ion presence in following order Cu⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺. The redox activity of metal ions was confirmed by ESI-MS experiments, which allowed to observe formation of glutathione disulphide (GSSG) in time. The stoichiometry of Cd²⁺, Cu⁺ and Pb²⁺ complexes with GSH was defined by observing the isotope pattern of investigated metals and hydrogen loss or transfer during binding. The complexes with metal bound to sulphur of 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometry were found in case of cadmium and lead. The number of hydrogen atoms lost during metal binding and the SEC-ESI-MS results allowed to elucidate that copper is bound by GSSG in ratio 1:1 and 1:2. Additionally, size exclusion chromatography coupled to electrospray MS allowed to differentiate more stable complexes from weak ones that could be created in the gas phase.     

Selective degradation of lignin and elimination of HO radicals in pulps by O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and UV laser flash irradiation

HO^. radical is an aggressive reagent to abstract hydrogen from diverse substitutes and lead them to degradation, however, in reaction of active oxygen species with lignins, complex phenolic polymers, in dispersed lignocellulose such as pulp for environment-benign delignification, HO^. radicals should be eliminated as more as possible to prevent cellulose from unfavorably concomitant degradation. A reaction system of O₃ is constructed under UV laser flash irradiation, and HO^. radicals are controlled efficiently by it. A new mechanism is proposed, for the first time, that O^. radicals generated from reaction of O₃ with UV laser flash irradiation might be the contributor to scavenge HO^. radicals.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of cocaine and benzoylecgonine by direct injection of human blood plasma sample into an alkyl-diol-silica (ADS) precolumn

A column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic method with UV detection for the determination of cocaine (COC) and benzoylecgonine (BZE) in human blood plasma samples is described. The method uses an alkyl-diol-silica ADS-C18 extraction precolumn. A 50- micro L plasma sample was introduced to the ADS precolumn in order to separate the analytes from proteins and endogenous compounds. The fraction containing COC and BZE was back-flushed and transferred to an Alltech mixed-mode C(18)/cation-exchange analytical column for final separation. The validation of the method revealed quantitative recoveries from 95.0 to 99.0% for COC at three different concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 micro g mL(-1)), and from 96.0 to 99.0% for BZE at the same concentration levels with coefficients of variation <4.00% (n=5). The detection limit (signal to noise ratio (S/N)>3) was 0.03 micro g mL(-1) for all the compounds with an injection volume of 50 micro L. However, it was possible to enhance the sensitivity further by injecting larger plasma volumes, up to 200 micro L, at the same optimal conditions. The overlap of sample preparation, analysis and reconditioning of the extraction column, increase the overall sample throughput to 5 samples h(-1). The developed method has been applied to human blood plasma samples from subjects suspected of cocaine abuse.     

Thermal decomposition of surface compounds for the generation of small quantities of acetaldehyde: Calibration of a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-flame ionization detection

The paper presents a new method for the generation of acetaldehyde in the amounts that allow to calibrate the measuring system. The method is based on thermal decomposition of surface compounds at the range 130-190 °C, in which an acetaldehyde as the decomposition product is released. The synthetic pathway leading to the desired surface compounds is described. Investigations demonstrated that the synthesis of the compounds on the surface of the support material (silica gel) was carried out homogeneously. The technique proposed was used for the generation of gaseous standard mixtures containing acetaldehyde for the calibration of a thermal desorber-gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector system.     

Determination of the apparent standard potential of the Dy/Dy(Ⅲ) system in the LiCl-KCl eutectic

The apparent standard potential of Dy/Dy(III) system in the LiCl-KCl eutectic has been determined by the logarithmic analysis of the semi-integrals of voltammograms, logarithmic analysis of chronopotentiograms and the open circuit potentiometry. The dysprosium equilibrium potentiab for various concentration of dysprosium chloride in the LiCl-KCl eutectic melt between 400-500℃ were first determined experimentally, and the apparent standard potential of this system and its temperature dependance have been calculated.     

锂离子电池PMMA-VAc聚合物电解质的制备与性质研究

以甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)和醋酸乙烯酯(VAc)为单体, 用乳液聚合法合成聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯-醋酸乙烯酯聚合物(PMMA-VAc), 并以此聚合物制备了新型聚烯烃膜支撑的聚合物膜及聚合物电解质. 用红外光谱(FTIR)、凝胶色谱(GPC)、差热和热重分析(DSC/TG)、扫描电镜(SEM)及电池充放电实验等方法研究了聚合物、聚合物膜和聚合物电解质的性质. 红外光谱结果表明, MMA与VAc通过各自的C＝C双键打开聚合成PMMA-VAc. PMMA-VAc易于分散在混合碳酸酯溶剂中并形成凝胶, 凝胶粘度随PMMA-VAc浓度的增加而增加, 当浓度为4%时成膜效果最佳. PMMA-VAc膜具有大量的微孔结构, 具有极强的吸液性能. PMMA-VAc膜具有良好的热稳定性: 在380 ℃范围内保持稳定. 聚烯烃膜支撑的PMMA-VAc膜室温下的离子电导率为1.85×10^－3 S•cm^－1, 用作为锂离子电池的聚合物电解质时, 电池具有良好的循环稳定性和倍率性能.     

Racemic ofloxacin separation by supported-liquid membrane extraction with two organic phases

As the relation of chirality and activities of drugs is researched deeply, people become to re-alize the clinic importance of chirality. The different enantiomers of a drug can have vastly differ-ent pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetic processes and toxicity[1,2]. The most well-docu- mented example is that of the drug substance thalidomide. Bitter lessons and scientific research promote the interest in single-enantiomer drugs, so the potential of the chiral drug market is enormous[3]. …     

Evaluation of the efficiency of extraction of PAHs from diesel particulate matter with pressurized solvents

Pressurized Fluid Extraction (PFE) was evaluated for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-derivatives from diesel particulate matter. Extraction conditions were set up by performing several tests in which temperature, solvent strength, pressure, and static time were gradually increased. The results obtained on a laboratory test material made of a "lean" (low content of soluble fraction) Diesel particulate matter indicate that very severe conditions were needed in order to obtain better recoveries of the higher molecular weight molecules. Moreover, extraction efficiency seems to be influenced by the amount of soluble matter in the particulate, so that a "lean" particulate appears more difficult to extract. Recoveries of the deuterated standards of certain PAHs (i.e. indeno[1,2,3- cd]pyrene) were incomplete even with the toughest conditions tested. Experiments carried out on a certified material (SRM 1650 from NIST) also indicate that PFE can perform a better extraction of some of the PAHs than the method used for certification, but still incomplete. Comparison of results obtained on the SRM with different extraction techniques suggests that the composition of the extract varies considerably with the extraction technique and conditions. It is relevant to notice that recent Diesel engines produce leaner particulate: for future materials more drastic extraction conditions will be required.