Some new aspects of a HPLC-method for the determination of traces of formaldehyde in air

Summary A practicable method was developed for the routine determination of formaldehyde in air. Formaldehyde is sampled in small sampling tubes filled with Chromosorb P, coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (= DNPH). The sorbent is extracted with acetonitrile, and the different DNPhydrazones were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. UV-detection at = 345 nm was compared with electrochemical detection. The detection limit was 100 pg for UV- and 50 pg for electrochemical detection with a linear range of more than 3 decades, respectively. For the determination of formaldehyde in air the detection limit is 10 ppb with an average recovery of 99.3% and an estimated relative standard deviation S of 1.5%. This method was compared with the sampling by impingers using the same separation and detection method.

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Einige neue Aspekte einer HPLC-Methode zur Spurenbestimmung von Formaldehyd in Luft

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. G. Tölg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Mass spectrometric diagnosis of the surface nitriding mechanism in a d.c. glow discharge

Reactive constituents have been investigated in a molecular beam generated in the cathode surface glow area and surface boundary layer. Mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen form NH_x(x=0–4) compounds, which are of relevance in heterogeneous, plasma vs. metal nitriding reactions. Ammonia decomposition leads to NH_x(x=2–4). Strong cataphoretic enrichment of hydrogen has been observed in the cathode glow area. Heterogeneous reactions of NH_x with iron lead to the formation of iron nitrides via intermediates such as FeNH_2–3. In a pulsed d.c. glow discharge, increased sputtering and decreased hydrogen enrichment have been observed.     

Stereoselective Ring Opening of Electronically Excited Cyclohexa-2, 4-dienones: Cause and effect

The two conformers of a cyclohexa-2, 4-dienone with different substituents at C(6) on irradiation are believed to undergo ring opening stereospecifically affording a mixture of two configurationally isomeric diene-ketenes (and descendents thereof)- Exceptions are generally found for those dienones with one C and one O substituent or even with two C substituents, if one of them carries a polar group at a site able to interact through space with the ring C?O group. In these cases, only one of the two anticipated diene-ketenes (and descendents thereof) is produced. A thorough investigation of the photochemistry of a series of structurally different cyclohexa-2, 4-dienones on analytical as well as on preparative scale extends our mechanistic knowledge of the various routes from diene-ketenes into a variety of compound classes. Novel compound classes accessible to diene-ketenes are seven-membered carbocycles (by intramolecular aldolization of the zwitterion of appropriately substituted, transiently formed diene-(N, O)-ketene acetals) and β-lactams (by Staudinger reaction).