Determination of uranium and thorium concentrations in some West Malaysian limestones using neutron activation and delayed neutron analysis

Concentrations of uranium and thorium in some West Malaysian limestones have been determined using neutron activation and delayed neutron analyses. These limestones are mainly calcium carbonates and contain uranium and thorium in concentrations of about a few parts per million.     

Efficient Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds by N,N‐Dichloro‐4‐Methylbenzenesulfonamide under Mild Conditions

A number of aldehydes and ketones were prepared by oxidation of alcohol by N,N‐dichloro‐4‐methylbenzenesulfonamide under mild and neutral conditions in good to high yield in dichloromethane at room temperature.     

Titrimetric microdetermination of salicylic, acetylsalicylic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids by amplification reactions

A novel titrimetric method with amplification has been developed for the determination of 0.05–2.0 mg of salicylic, acetylsalicylic, or p-hydroxybenzoic acid. It depends on bromination of these compounds by bromine to tribromophenylhypobromite, which liberates iodine when treated with iodide. The liberated iodine is extracted with chloroform, reduced to iodide, oxidation of the resulting iodide with bromine, and iodometric titration of the iodate produced gives the sixfold amplification method. The coefficient of variation does not exceed 1% for above 0.5 mg of the studied compounds, but increases to 2.8% at the 0.05-mg level.     

Characterization of a Novel Tellurite Selective Electrode

Tellurium was determined by introducing a solid membrane for the selective determination of tellurite ion. An electrode composed of a compressed disk containing a mixture of HgTeO₃and Hg₂Cl₂was found to give a typical Nernstian response of 29 mV/concentration decade for the concentration range 10⁻⁵to 10⁻¹M). The connection was made by Hg metal instead of aqueous inner filling. The optimum pH was 3.5–10.5. The selectivity of the electrode toward several inorganic and organic anions was estimated. The electrode was applied to the determination of tellurium in binary mixtures with a mean recovery of 98.99% and relative standard deviation range of 0.19–0.51%.     

Titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods for the determination of cerium(IV) in aqueous solution

A titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods for cerium(IV) determination have worked out. The first method relies upon the treatment of cerium(IV) solution with an excessive amount of iodide; the liberated iodine is extracted into chloroform, then reduced to iodide. The latter is iodometrically determined after 6- or 36-fold amplification. The spectropho-tometric finish is based upon the reaction of the titled ion with iron(II), in the presence of hexacyanoferrate(II), to form an intense prussian blue color suitable for the trace determination of cerium(IV) ion.     

Spectrophotometric assay of cephalosporins in pharmaceutical products,using chromotrope 2B and chromotrope 2R

A simple, rapid and sensitive Spectrophotometric method is proposed for the determination of cephadroxil (I), cephalexin (II) and cephradine (III). The method is based on ion-pair complex formation between these derivatives and Chromotrope 2B (C2B) or Chromotrope 2R (C2R), to give a highly coloured radical anion. The coloured products are quantified spectrophotometrically at 542 and 564 nm for C2B and C2R, respectively. The optimization of the experimental conditions is described. The method has been used for the determination of 0.4–15, 0.4–14 and 0.4–18 g/ml of drugs I, II and III, respectively. The accuracy of the method is indicated by the excellent recovery (100.0±1.7%) and the precision is supported by the low relative standard deviations 1.5%. The sensitivity of the method is discussed and the results are compared with the official method. The interference from common degradation products and excipients was also studied. The proposed method was applied successfully to the determination of the different cephalosporins in dosage forms, with good precision and accuracy. The results were compared with those given by the official B.P. 1993 method.     

Synthesis of α-hydroxy-β-lactams

A convenient synthesis of α-hydroxy-β-lactams has been devised that involves the annelation of an inline with benzyloxyacetyl chloride and triethylamine and subsequent hydrogenolysis in the presence of palladium on carbon. In most cases a cis-β-lactam was obtained. A thioimidate can also be used as the imino component in the annelation reaction but the hydrogenolysis step fails. The annelation of the appropriate thiazoline to a 6-epi-penicillin derivative occurred much more readily with benzyloxyacetyl chloride than with azidoacetyl chloride.     

Application of Alizarine Derivatives as Chromogenic Reagents for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Some Sulfa Drugs

A spectrophotometric procedure for the determination of six pharmaceutical sulfonamides containing a primary aromatic amino group using alizarine (I), alizarine blue (II), alizarine red (III), and quinalizarine (IV), that offers advantages of simplicity, rapidity, sensitivity, precision, and stability, has been developed. The proposed method is based on the formation of colored products with the chromogenic reagents (I-IV). A linear correlation was found between absorbance at λ_max and the concentration. For more accurate results, Ringbom optimum concentration ranges are evaluated. The molar absorptivities (ε), absorptivities (a), and Sandell sensitivities for all sulfonamides derivatives with the chromogenic reagents tested were calculated. The procedures developed are applied for bulk sulfa drugs and some of their dosage forms.     

The use of Omega Chrome Fast Blue 2G in the microdetermination of some metals

Summary Omega Chrome Fast Blue 2G has been found to be a suitable indicator for the detection of the equivalence point of calcium, magnesium and manganese in the presence of cadmium, nickel, and aluminium, when they are masked by the addition of cyanide or triethanolamine. It is also a suitable indicator for the back titration of aluminium using calcium or magnesium as a back titrant.This dye has also been found to be a suitable reagent for the colorimetric determination of calcium, magnesium, manganese and thorium.