MEMS technology in analytical chemistry

Microelectromechanical systems promise to revolutionize nearly every product category by bringing together silicon-based microelectronics with micromachining technology, moving us closer towards the realization of complete systems-on-a-chip. Anil Deisingh talks us through the basics of MEMS technology and the growing role of these new "micromachines" in analytical chemistry applications.     

Frequency of OH in solutions of n-butanol in carbon tetrachloride: effect of dilution

It is noted that the 1 <-- 0 transition for nuOH shows a blue shift as the relative concentration of n-butanol in a CCl4-n-butanol is reduced. The magnitude of the shift decreases for the 2 <-- 0 transition and there is almost no shift for the 3 <-- 0 transition. These observations are consistent with the observed red shift [Y. Mizugai, F. Takimoto, M. Katayama, Chem. Phys. Lett. 76 (1980) 615] on dilution for the 5 <-- 0 transition in n-butanol. The observations have been interpreted on the basis of formation of O-H....Cl hydrogen bond.     

Analytical aspects of some organic acids

Summary A direct titrimetric method for the estimation of iron(III) has been developed, which involves the adjustment of concentration of iron(III) andPh, dilution, addition of 1 ml of 2% indicator solution and titration with EDTA (30° to 35° C). It is based on the fact that the iron(III) forms a blue coloured complex which is destroyed at the 11 molar ratio making the end-point of the titration. Quantity of iron(III) as small as 23.2 mg can be titrated accurately when present in a volume of 100 ml. Study of interferences revealed that quite a number of elements like Be²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, UO₂ ²⁺ and Mn²⁺ does not interfere, whereas much interference is caused by Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, ZrO²⁺, V0²⁺, Al³⁺, Cr³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Ce⁴⁺ and Th⁴⁺. The method proposed for iron(III) is selective and should be of considerable use in many cases.Part III: See Z. analyt. Chem. 167, 332 (1959).     

Removal of actinides and fission products activity from intermediate alkaline waste using inorganic exchangers

Hydrated iron oxide or amorphous-Fe₂O₃·3.5 H₂O (HFeO), hydrated titanium oxide (HTiO) and hydrated thorium oxide (HThO) were synthesized and their applicability for the decontamination of intermediate level liquid wastes (ILLW) was tested. The sorption of a few actinides like plutonium and americium on HFeO, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹⁰⁶Ru on HTiO and ⁹⁰Sr on HThO was investigated as a function of pH, time and loading capacity of the hydrous oxide with metal ions. The influence of the total dissolved salt content was also monitored. Some of these parameters influenced the sorption behavior significantly. The radiation stability of these inorganic sorbents were studied by irradiating them up to 48 Mrad. Adsorbed actinides and fission products were successfully eluted from HFeO and from the mix-bed of HTiO and HThO by 0.5M nitric acid.The authors wish to thank Shri R. D. Changarani, Chief Superintendent NRG Facilities and Shri P. K. Dey, Head FRD for their valuable advice and constant support.     

Determination of thiol groups with o-diacetoxy-iodobenzoate

o-Diacetoxyiodobenzoate is used for determining thiol groups by two procedures. In the first, thiols are titrated directly with the reagent at pH 6-8, with leuco-2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and potassium iodide as indicator. In the second, thiols are treated at pH 7 with an excess of the reagent, the surplus being determined by reaction with excess of mercaptoacetic acid followed by back-titration of the latter with iodine. Both procedures yield results within 0.2% of the theoretical.     

Mössbauer effect of ferrous zirconium double sulphate

The Mössbauer spectrum of ferrous zirconium double sulphate FeZrO(SO₄)₂·8H₂O shows a quadrupole split doublet at room temperature. The results are discussed in terms of high-spin Fe(II) in distorted octahedral symmetry.     

195Pt, 1H and 31P PGSE diffusion studies on platinum complexes

The first example of the use of (195)Pt PGSE diffusion data (D values) to recognize the solvent dependence of aggregation of the hexachloroplatinate dianion in Na(2)PtCl(6) (1) and in H(2)PtCl(6) (2) is reported. In water, the ions are separated; however, in methanol the D values suggest ion pairing and/or aggregation. Additional (1)H and (31)P diffusion data for organometallic Pt complexes trans-PtX(Aryl)(L)(2) (where L = PEt(3) or PPh(3)) and Pt(C(7)H(4)O(2))(L(1))(L(2)) (where L(1) and L(2) = a variety of ligand types) reveal that phenyl phosphines afford relatively large hydrodynamic radii r(h). The presence of a substituent on the aryl ligand of PtX(Aryl)(L)(2) does not markedly affect the D values, whereas a substituent of similar size added to a PPh(3) group in Pt(C(7)H(4)O(2))(L(1))(L(2)) markedly changes both D and r(h) values. There is only a small concentration dependence of the D values in PtX(Aryl)(L)(2) on changing from 2 to 10 mM.     

Synthesis,structural and biochemical aspects of titanocene and zirconocene chelates of acetylferrocenyl thiosemicarbazones

The reactions of bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV)/zirconium(IV) dichloride with a new class of organometallic thiosemicarbazones (LH), derived by condensing acetylferrocene with substituted thiosemicarbazides, have been studied and two types of bimetallic products, viz. [Cp₂M(L)Cl] (M = Ti or Zr) and [CpZr(L)₃], have been isolated. On the basis of various physicochemical and spectral studies, five- and seven-coordinate structures have been assigned to these derivatives, respectively. Attempts have been made to establish a correlation between biological activity and the structures of the products.     

Mechanism of iridium(III) catalysis in the oxidation of diols by N-bromoacetamide

Summary The kinetics of iridium(III)-catalysed oxidation of 1,2-ethanediol and 1,4-butanediol by N-bromoacetamide (NBA) in HClO₄ in the presence of [Hg(OAc)₂] as a scavenger for Br^– have been investigated. The reactions are zero-order with respect to both diols, and first-order in NBA at low NBA concentrations, tending to zero order at high concentrations. The order in Ir^III decreases from unity to zero at high iridium(III) concentrations. A positive effect on the oxidation rate is observed for [H⁺] and [Hg^II] whereas a negative effect is observed for acetamide and [Cl^–]. Ionic strength does not influence the oxidation rate. (H₂OBr)⁺ is postulated as the oxidizing species. A mechanism consistent with the observed kinetic data is proposed.