Resolution of a Mononitrophenol Isomers Mixture by Differential Alternative Pulses Voltammetry

The high resolution second order voltammetric technique, Differential Alternative Pulse Voltammetry (DAPV), was applied for the simultaneous quantification of the mononitrophenol (NP) isomers. Complete resolution of the three isomers was achieved at concentration ratios as high as 1 : 5, employing the corresponding anodic and cathodic peaks appeared on the DAPV curve. The working glassy carbon electrode was modified by a nanocomposite of graphite nanopowder and Au nanoparticles to increase the sensitivity. The linear concentration range was found to be extended up to 125 μmol L^?1 for both the m‐NP and p‐NP isomers, while the o‐NP isomer presented calibration plot of two linear sections: up to 100 μmol L^?1 and up to 225 μmol L^?1. The LOD was found to be as low as 1.5 μmol L^?1, 2.5 μmol L^?1, and 0.5 μmol L^?1 for o‐NP, m‐NP, and p‐NP, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by quantification of spiked tap waters samples. No interference was observed from a range of phenolic compounds such as phenol, 4‐aminophenol, 4‐chlorophenol, 2,4‐dinitrophenol, and resorcinol.     

Utilization of an ionic liquid in situ preconcentration method for the determination of the 15 + 1 European Union polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in drinking water and fruit‐tea infusions

An ionic liquid (IL) in situ preconcentration method was optimized and applied to the monitoring of the 15 + 1 European Union polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and fruit‐tea infusions. The optimized method utilizes 10 mL of water (or infusion) containing 38 μL of the IL 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride and a content of 36.1 g/L NaCl, which are mixed with Li‐NTf₂ (340 μL, 0.2 g/mL), followed by vortex (4 min) and centrifugation (5 min). The obtained microdroplet containing hydrocarbons is diluted with acetonitrile and injected into an HPLC with UV/Vis and fluorescence detection. The method presented average enrichment factors of 127 for water (tap water and bottled water) and 27 for two fruit‐tea infusions; with average relative recoveries of 86.7 and 106% for water and fruit‐tea infusions, respectively. The method was sensitive, with detection limits ranging from 0.001 to 0.050 ng/mL in water, and from 0.010 to 0.600 ng/mL in fruit‐tea infusions, for the fluorescent hydrocarbons. Real extraction efficiencies ranged from 12.7 to 58.7% for water, and from 20.2 to 117% for the infusions. The method was also fast (～12 min) and free of organic solvents in the extraction step.     

Monitoring chlorophenols in industrial effluents by solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of 19 chlorophenols in industrial effluents samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry has been developed. Four kinds of different SPME fibres have been studied. Among them, the polyacrylate and carbowax®-divinylbenzene fibres were the most adequate. The extraction process was optimized by means of the experimental design, which allows the study of a large number of factors with a reasonable number of experiments. The optimized method allows the determination of the studied chlorophenols in complex matrices with a high organic content with detection limits down to 0.07?ng?mL^?1 and RSD ranging from 4.4% to 13.8%. The recovery studies with spiked real effluent samples at low levels of chlorophenols ranged from 59.8% to 142.1% for the lowest level (0.5?ng?mL^?1) and from 79.6% to 115.8% for the highest spiked level (2?ng?mL^?1). These results show the suitability of the proposed method to monitor chlorophenols in complex samples. 2,4,5-TCP was detected at concentrations close to its limits of detection in effluents coming from an oil refinery.     

Micellar Extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Certified Marine Sediment

Abstract

In the present study the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from a certified marine sediment (SRM 1941a) with a micellar medium of polyoxyethylene 10 lauryl ether by micro-wave- and ultrasound-assisted method has been evaluated. The analysis of extracts has been carried out by HPLC with fluorimetric detection and wavelength programming. Hydrocarbons with more than three rings gave average recoveries of 77.4% and 86.5%, by microwave- and ultrasound-assisted methods respectively, with a mean relative standard deviation better than 6.2%.     

Modeling the active site of cytochrome oxidase: synthesis and characterization of a cross-linked histidine-phenol

A cross-linked histidine-phenol compound was synthesized as a chemical analogue of the active site of cytochrome c oxidase. The structure of the cross-linked compound (compound 1) was verified by IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. Spectrophotometric titrations indicated that the pK(a) of the phenolic proton on compound 1 (8.34) was lower than the pK(a) of tyrosine (10.1) or of p-cresol (10.2). This decrease in pK(a) is consistent with the hypothesis that a cross-linked histidine-tyrosine may facilitate proton delivery to the binuclear site in cytochrome c oxidase. Time-resolved optical absorption spectra of compound 1 at room temperature, generated by excitation at 266 nm in the presence and absence of dioxygen, indicated a species with absorption maxima at approximately 330 and approximately 500 nm, which we assign to the phenoxyl radical of compound 1. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of compound 1, obtained after UV photolysis, confirmed the generation of a paramagnetic species at low temperature. Because the cross-linked compound lacks beta-methylene protons, the EPR line shape was dramatically altered when compared to that of the tyrosyl radical. However, simulation of the EPR line shape and measurement of the isotropic g value was consistent with a small coupling to the imidazole nitrogen and with little spin density perturbation in the phenoxyl ring. The ground-state Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum of compound 1 showed that addition of the imidazole ring perturbs the frequency of the tyrosine ring stretching vibrations. The difference FT-IR spectrum, associated with the oxidation of the cross-linked compound, detected significant perturbations of the phenoxyl radical vibrational bands. We postulate that phenol oxidation produces a small delocalization of spin density onto the imidazole nitrogen of compound 1, which may explain its unique optical spectral properties.     

A new look at Jarvis' distribution formula

Starting from the well-known transformation law for the Klein functions, we give a proof of a fairly general multiplicative distribution formula for the Siegel functions associated to isogenous complex lattices. This formula has as an immediate consequence the remarkable distribution formula proved by Jarvis in 2000 on the occasion of Rolshausen's thesis on the second K-group of an elliptic curve.     

Dibutyl 2-(trifluoromethyl)cyclopropylboronate as a useful (trifluoromethyl)cyclopropyl donor: application to antagonists of TRPV1

Dibutyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)cyclopropylboronate 2, available in one step from commercially available reagents, serves as a useful (trifluoromethyl)cyclopropylating reagent by participating in a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling. The use of boronate ester 2 in medicinal chemistry was exemplified by preparation of TRPV1 receptor antagonists.     

Vibrational modes of rare‐earth formates

In this work we investigate the room‐temperature Raman spectra of several rare‐earth [RE(HCOO)₃; RE = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb and Y] formates. Polarized measurements were carried out for La(HCOO)₃ yielding the observation of most of the Raman‐active phonons predicted by group theory analysis. The respective assignment is given based on the formate vibrations and correlations with previous results in other RE(HCOO)₃ systems. The wavenumber ‘softening’ observed when RE goes from Y to La is accounted for the lattice expansion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Boron doped carbon nanotubes via ceramic catalysts

A facile metal catalyst free route to synthesize boron doped (0.6%–1.0%) carbon nanotubes via ceramic nanowires in which the formation of the nanowires (probably serving as templates), the carbon nanotubes and their doping all occur unanimously in the reaction, is presented.