Development of the continuously variable volume reactor for flow injection analysis: Part 1. Design, capabilities and testing

A new apparatus for mixing sample and reagent in flow injection analysis (FIA) is described. The continuously variable volume reactor (CVVR) replaces the conventional mixing coil in a flow injection (FI) manifold to provide mixing and dilution. A linear actuator motor allows control of the chamber volume via LabVIEW software. The chamber volume can be incremented in steps of 1 μl over the range 68-1704 μl. In addition, the chamber has an integral variable-speed stirring unit that is also under computer control. Experiments were performed to evaluate the dispersion characteristics of this new device, evaluate the volume reproducibility, and understand the mixing characteristics. Use of the chamber is shown in the determination of iron(II) in pond water, and in NIST SRM 1643d with excellent results and a detection limit of 3.7 μg/l iron(II). Advantages of the CVVR and future research activities using the device are discussed.     

On-column derivatization-capillary electrochromatography with o-phthalaldehyde/alkylthiol for assay of biogenic amines

The elution behaviors of the biogenic amines, histamine (HA) and its metabolite methyl histamine (MHA), were evaluated by means of on-column derivatization (OCD)-capillary electrochromatography (CEC) which employed a monolithic octadecylsilica (ODS) capillary column (20 cm of effective length x 50 microm of inner diameter). Five kinds of alkylthiols, e.g., 2- hydroxyethylthiol (or 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)), ethanethiol (ET), 1-propanethiol (1-PT), 2-methyl-1-propanethiol (2-MPT) and 1-butanethiol (1-BT) were separately presented at 5 mM each in the OCD-CEC separation run buffer consisting of 60% acetonitrile in 5 mM o-phthalaldehyde (OPA)-10 mM borate buffer (pH 10). When 2-ME was present in the run buffer solution, both derivatives corresponding to HA and MHA migrated separately, but closely together through the capillary column. Replacement of 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution caused a delay in their elution profiles on the electrochromatogram and the separation between those two peaks became remarkably improved. The elution times of HA and MHA followed the increase in alkyl chain length or hydrophobicity of thiol, 1-BT > 2-MPT > 1-PT > ET > 2-ME. Performance of on-line preconcentrations of HA and MHA was also evaluated by varying the electrokinetic injection voltage from 1 kV to 8 kV. The peak area counts corresponding to HA recorded about 50 times higher when 2 kV was applied for 240 s to a 0.1 mM HA solution than when 8 kV was applied for 5 s. This method was next applied to a sample of human urine spiked with HA and MHA at levels of 0.1 microM each. Although HA and MHA peaks were not identifiable among the peaks corresponding to the materials in the urine matrix when OPA/2-ME was employed in a run buffer for the OCD-CEC, the separation and identification of their peaks became possible by replacing 2-ME with 1-BT in the run buffer solution.     

Synthesis of reduced complex oxides of molybdenum by fused salt electrolysis

Fused salt electrolysis has been used to prepare a number of reduced oxides of molybdenum with lanthanum, neodymium, and yttrium in single crystal or oriented polycrystalline form. The average valence of molybdenum in the various compounds ranged from 5.67 to 3.50. Previously unreported compounds include La₅Mo₄O₁₆ (triclinica = 5.64 Å,b = 20.7 0Å,c = 5.64 Å, α = 86.55°, β = 90.0°, γ = 93.45°); La₂Mo₂O₇ (orthorhombic,a = 12.19 Å,b = 6.05 Å,c = 3.87 Å); LaMo₂O₅ (hexagonal,a = 8.378 Å,c = 19.26 Å). In addition, single crystal specimens have been prepared of Y₂MoO₅,Ln₅Mo₃O₁₆(Ln =La, Nd) and metal atom cluster compounds of theA₂Mo₃O₈ type (A = Mg, Co, Ni, Zn).     

Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones with Sodium Triacetoxyborohydride. Studies on Direct and Indirect Reductive Amination Procedures(1)

Sodium triacetoxyborohydride is presented as a general reducing agent for the reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones. Procedures for using this mild and selective reagent have been developed for a wide variety of substrates. The scope of the reaction includes aliphatic acyclic and cyclic ketones, aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, and primary and secondary amines including a variety of weakly basic and nonbasic amines. Limitations include reactions with aromatic and unsaturated ketones and some sterically hindered ketones and amines. 1,2-Dichloroethane (DCE) is the preferred reaction solvent, but reactions can also be carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and occasionally in acetonitrile. Acetic acid may be used as catalyst with ketone reactions, but it is generally not needed with aldehydes. The procedure is carried out effectively in the presence of acid sensitive functional groups such as acetals and ketals; it can also be carried out in the presence of reducible functional groups such as C-C multiple bonds and cyano and nitro groups. Reactions are generally faster in DCE than in THF, and in both solvents, reactions are faster in the presence of AcOH. In comparison with other reductive amination procedures such as NaBH(3)CN/MeOH, borane-pyridine, and catalytic hydrogenation, NaBH(OAc)(3) gave consistently higher yields and fewer side products. In the reductive amination of some aldehydes with primary amines where dialkylation is a problem we adopted a stepwise procedure involving imine formation in MeOH followed by reduction with NaBH(4).     

Simultaneous quantification of terpenelactones and flavonol aglycones in hydrolyzed ginkgo biloba extract by liquid chromatography with inline ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detection

We report here a liquid chromatography (LC) method with inline ultraviolet/evaporative light scattering (UV/ELS) detection for the simultaneous quantification of the terpenelactones and flavonol aglycones in a single sample of hydrolyzed Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). The sample is hydrolyzed by a rapid and convenient oven heating method for 1 h at 90 degrees C with 10% hydrochloric acid. The 1 h hydrolysis was found to be equivalent to the 2.25 h reflux treatment for dry powder extract, where total flavonol glycosides were 28.4 and 28.1%, respectively. Acceptable precision was achieved for total terpenelactones [relative standard deviation (RSD) = 4.8%] by ELS detection, and total flavonol aglycones (RSD = 2.3%) by UV detection. The analytical range was 1.5 to 7.3% (w/w) for the individual terpenelactones (ELS) and 2.5 to 15.0% (w/w) for the individual glycosides (UV) calculated from the aglycones quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin. This improved method allows for the first time high throughput sample preparation coupled with the quantification of the predominant compounds generally used for quality control of GBE in a single assay.     

Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles on the Au(111) surface

The growth of titanium oxide nanoparticles on reconstructed Au(111) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ti was deposited by physical-vapor deposition at 300 K. Regular arrays of titanium nanoparticles form by preferential nucleation of Ti at the elbow sites of the herringbone reconstruction. The titanium oxide nanoclusters were synthesized by subsequent exposure to O(2) at 300 K. Two-and three-dimensional titanium oxide nanocrystallites form during annealing in the temperature range from 600 to 900 K. At the same time, the Au(111) surface assumes a serrated 110-oriented step-edge morphology suggesting step-edge pinning by titanium oxide nanoparticles. The oxidation state of the titanium oxide nanoparticles varies with annealing temperature. Specifically, annealing to 900 K results in the formation of stoichiometric TiO(2) nanocrystals as judged by the Ti(2p) binding energies measured in the x-ray photoelectron data. The nanodispersed TiO(2) on Au(111) is an ideal system to test the various models proposed for the enhanced catalytic reactivity of supported Au nanoparticles.     

Properties of aqueous solution of sodium glycocholate and a nonionic surfactant,and their mixtures

The micellar properties of aqueous binary mixed solutions of sodium glycocholate, NaGC, and octa-oxyethylene glycol mono-n-decyl ether, C₁₀E₈, have been studied on the basis of surface tensions, the mean aggregation number and the polarity of the interior of the micelles. The mean aggregation number, measured by steady state quenching method, decreased with the increase of the mole fraction of NaGC in the mixed system. The polarity of the interior, estimated by the ratio of first and third vibronic peak in a monomeric pyrene fluorescence emission spectrum, suggested that the hydrophobicity of intramicelles increased with the increase of the mole fraction of NaGC in the mixed system. These are considered to be caused by the differences in the chemical structure and the hydrophobic nature between NaGC and C₁₀E₈. The mean aggregation number and the polarity of the interior for each micelle near the CMC in lower total concentration of surfactants showed the tendency approaching those of pure micelle of the nonionic surfactant. This suggests that the ratio of NaGC in the initial micelles in the range of lower total concentration near the CMC is lower than that of the corresponding prepared mole fraction in the mixed system. This lower value was confirmed also from theoretical calculation of the ratio of NaGC at the CMC in the mixed micelle by regular solution treatment of Rubingh in the solution.     

Influence of surfactant addition on the stability of concentrated alumina dispersions in water

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of surfactant addition on the stability and viscosity of concentrated alumina dispersions. The stabilizing effects of several candidate surfactants were investigated for concentrated dispersions of two different pseudoboehmite aluminas at pH 4 and 7. The stabilities of concentrated alumina dispersions treated by pH adjustment alone and by pH adjustment combined with surfactant addition were compared to assess the degree to which the surfactant enhanced stability. The initial rate of mass removal from a sedimenting alumina dispersion was used as a measure of stability.

The anionic surfactants Surfine WNT-A and DOWFAX 3B2 were identified as effective in enhancing the stability of concentrated alumina dispersions. The optimal doses of these surfactants for stabilizing 15% by weight VERSAL™ 250 alumina dispersions at pH 4 were determined to be about 4.6 × 10⁻⁵ mol g⁻¹ for both surfactants. On the basis of the initial rate of mass removal, surfactant-stabilized 15 wt.% suspensions were found to be approximately 2.5 and 10.6 times more stable than similar dispersions stabilized electrostatically by pH adjustment alone. These more stable dispersions exhibited lower viscosities than observed for the alumina dispersions not subjected to surfactant addition. The results indicate that the stability of concentrated alumina dispersions can be enhanced by anionic surfactant addition, and that such surfactants may therefore help to control the rheology of concentrated dispersions of alumina in water.