Flow injection-chemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry hyphenated system for organic mercury determination: A step forward

Monomethylmercury and ethylmercury were determined on line using flow injection-chemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry without neither requiring a pre-treatment with chemical oxidants, nor UV/MW additional post column interface, nor organic solvents, nor complexing agents, such as cysteine. Inorganic mercury, monomethylmercury and ethylmercury were detected by atomic fluorescence spectrometry in an Ar/H₂ miniaturized flame after sodium borohydride reduction to Hg⁰, monomethylmercury hydride and ethylmercury hydride, respectively. The effect of mercury complexing agent such as cysteine, ethylendiaminotetracetic acid and HCl with respect to water and Ar/H₂ microflame was investigated.The behavior of inorganic mercury, monomethylmercury and ethylmercury and their cysteine-complexes was also studied by continuous flow-chemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry in order to characterize the reduction reaction with tetrahydroborate. When complexed with cysteine, inorganic mercury, monomethylmercury and ethylmercury cannot be separately quantified varying tetrahydroborate concentration due to a lack of selectivity, and their speciation requires a pre-separation stage (e.g. a chromatographic separation). If not complexed with cysteine, monomethylmercury and ethylmercury cannot be separated, as well, but their sum can be quantified separately with respect to inorganic mercury choosing a suitable concentration of tetrahydroborate (e.g. 10^? 5 mol L^? 1), thus allowing the organic/inorganic mercury speciation.The detection limits of the flow injection-chemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry method were about 45 nmol L^? 1 (as mercury) for all the species considered, a relative standard deviation ranging between 1.8 and 2.9% and a linear dynamic range between 0.1 and 5 μmol L^? 1 were obtained. Recoveries of monomethylmercury and ethylmercury with respect to inorganic mercury were never less than 91%. Flow injection-chemical vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry method was validated by analyzing the TORT-1 certificate reference material, which contains only monomethylmercury, and obtaining 83 ± 5% of monomethylmercury recovered, respectively. This method was also applied to the determination of monomethylmercury in saliva samples.     

Bis(tetraethylammonium) tetrabromocobaltate(II) and bis(tetrabutylammonium) tetrabromomanganate(II): structure and magnetic properties

The crystal structures of tetrabromocobaltate(II) and tetrabromomanganate(II) salts of general formula [(C₂H₅)₄N]₂[CoBr₄] (1) and [(C₄H₉)₄N]₂[MnBr₄] (2) were determined. The manganese and cobalt cations are four-coordinated by bromide anions and they adopt a slightly distorted tetrahedral coordination. In the structure of both compounds there are neither hydrogen bonds nor any unusual short-range intermolecular interactions. Magnetic measurements of the powdered samples gave negative values of the Weiss constants equal to −4.9 and −1.1 K for (1) and (2), respectively, which suggest antiferromagnetic interactions to be transferred within the crystal lattice.     

A HTS Assay for the Detection of Organophosphorus Nerve Agent Scavengers

A new pro‐fluorescent probe aimed at a HTS assay of scavengers is able to selectively and efficiently cleave the P? S bond of organophosphorus nerve agents and by this provides non‐toxic phosphonic acid has been designed and synthesised. The previously described pro‐fluorescent probes were based on a conventional activated P? Oaryl bond cleavage, whereas our approach uses a self‐immolative linker strategy that allows the detection of phosphonothioase activity with respect to a non‐activated P? Salkyl bond. Further, we have also developed and optimised a high‐throughput screening assay for the selection of decontaminants (chemical or biochemical scavengers) that could efficiently hydrolyse highly toxic V ‐type nerve agents. A preliminary screening, realised on a small α‐nucleophile library, allowed us to identify some preliminary “hits”, among which pyridinealdoximes, α‐oxo oximes, hydroxamic acids and, less active but more original, amidoximes were the most promising. Their selective phosphonothioase activity has been further confirmed by using PhX as the substrate, and thus they offer new perspectives for the synthesis of more potent V nerve agent scavengers.     

Incommensurate magnetism in FeAs strips: neutron scattering from CaFe(4)As(3)

Magnetism in the orthorhombic metal CaFe(4)As(3) was examined through neutron diffraction for powder and single crystalline samples. Incommensurate [q(m) ≈ (0.37-0.39) × b*] and predominantly longitudinally (|| b) modulated order develops through a 2nd order phase transition at TN = 89.63(6) K with a 3D Heisenberg-like critical exponent β = 0.365(6). A 1st order transition at T2 = 25.6(9) K is associated with the development of a transverse component, locking q(m) to 0.375(2)b*, and increasing the moments from 2.1(1) to 2.2(3) μ B for Fe2+ and from 1.3(3) to 2.4(4) μB for Fe+. The ab initio Fermi surface is consistent with a nesting instability in cross-linked FeAs strips.     

On the applicability of the HSAB principle through the use of improved computational schemes for chemical hardness evaluation

Finite difference schemes, named Compact Finite Difference Schemes with Spectral-like Resolution, have been used for a less crude approximation of the analytical hardness definition as the second-order derivative of the energy with respect to the electron number. The improved computational schemes, at different levels of theory, have been used to calculate global hardness values of some probe bases, traditionally classified as hard and soft on the basis of their chemical behavior, and to investigate the quantitative applicability of the HSAB principle. Exchange acid-base reactions have been used to test the HSAB principle assuming the reaction energies as a measure of the stabilization of product adducts.     

Solvation of calcium ions in methanol-water mixtures: molecular dynamics simulation

Molecular dynamics simulations of CaCl2 solutions in water and methanol-water mixtures, with methanol concentrations of 5, 10, 50, and 90 mol %, at room temperature, have been performed. The methanol and water molecules have been modeled as flexible three-site bodies. Solvation of the calcium ions has been discussed on the basis of the radial and angular distribution functions, the orientation of the solvent molecules, and their geometrical arrangement in the coordination shells. Analysis of the H-bonds of the solvent molecules coordinated by Ca2+ has been done. Residence time of the solvent molecules in the coordination shell has been calculated. The preferential hydration of the calcium ions has been found over the whole range of the mixture composition. The water concentration in the first and second coordination shells of Ca2+ significantly exceeds the water content in the solution, despite the very similar interaction energy of the calcium ion with water and methanol. In aqueous solution and methanol-water mixtures, the first coordination shell of Ca2+ is irregular and long-living. The solvent molecules prefer the anti-dipole arrangement, but, in aqueous solutions and water-rich mixtures, the water molecules in the primary shell have only one H-bonded neighbor.     

Anion effect on the construction of copper(II) coordination polymers with the twisted ligand bis(4-pyridylthio)methane

The reaction of CuSO₄ · H₂O with 4-bpytm [4-bpytm = bis(4-pyridylthio)methane] in EtOH afforded the complex [Cu(SO₄)(4-bpytm)(H₂O)₃] · H₂O (1 · H₂O) while the reaction of 4-bpytm with Cu(NO₃)₂ · 3H₂O in EtOH afforded the complex [Cu(NO₃)₂(4-bpytm)₂] · H₂O (2 · H₂O). The reaction of 4-bpytm with Cu(NO₃)₂ · 3H₂O in EtOH/dmf under microwave irradiation afforded the pseudo-polymorph [Cu(NO₃)₂(4-bpytm)₂] · Solv (2 · Solv). Compound 1 · H₂O forms helical chains while compounds 2 · H₂O and 2 · Solv are 2D coordination polymers with a (4,4) topology based on rhombic grids in 2 · H₂O and on a parquet motif in 2 · Solv. The 3D supramolecular organization through hydrogen bonding is analyzed for the three compounds and their thermal behaviour was also investigated.     

Characterisation of poly(neutral red) modified carbon film electrodes; application as a redox mediator for biosensors

The polymer redox mediator, poly(neutral red) (PNR), has been synthesised and characterised electrochemically to investigate the best electropolymerisation and mediation conditions for application in enzyme biosensors and to clarify the mechanism of action. Neutral red was electropolymerised by potential cycling on carbon film electrode substrates by allowing the monomer to be oxidised during the full 20 cycles of polymerisation or reducing the positive limit of the potential window after the first 2 cycles to impede monomer oxidation with a view to obtaining longer polymer chains and a lesser degree of branching. Comparison was made with glassy carbon substrates. The PNR films on carbon film electrodes were characterised using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, as well as in glucose biosensors prepared with PNR. Glucose oxidase enzyme was immobilised by encapsulation in silica sol-gel and compared with that obtained by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The biosensors were evaluated by chronoamperometry in 0.1 M phosphate buffer saline solution, pH 7.0, and showed evidence of electron transfer between the enzyme cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide and PNR dissolved in the enzyme layer competing with PNR-mediated electrochemical degradation of H₂O₂ formed during the enzymatic process. This paper is dedicated to Professor Dr. Algirdas Vaskelis on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

First evaluation of the thermodynamic properties for spheres to elongated micelles transition of some propanediyl-alpha,omega-bis(dimethylalkylammonium bromide) surfactants in aqueous solution

The apparent and partial molar enthalpies, apparent molar volumes, and adiabatic compressibilities at 298 K of the aqueous solutions of the cationic gemini surfactants propanediyl-alpha,omega-bis(octyldimethylammonium bromide) (8-3-8) and propanediyl-alpha,omega-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium bromide) (12-3-12) have been measured as a function of concentration. The trends of the partial molar enthalpies versus concentration are the first well documented thermodynamic evidence of sphere to rod transition in the micellar phase, involving a detectable quantity of heat, and allow the determination of the change in enthalpy associated with this transition. The changes in enthalpies upon micellization and for the sphere to elongated micelles transition, DeltaH(s)(-->)(r), have been obtained from the experimental data by using a pseudo-phase transition approach: -1.5 kJ mol(-1) for 8-3-8 and -3.9 kJ mol(-1) for 12-3-12. No evidence of the above transition is found in the trends of volumetric properties versus m. The apparent adiabatic molar compressibilities for the compounds under investigation are also reported here for the first time: a negative group contribution for the methylene group is evaluated, when the surfactants are present in solution as a single molecule, reflecting its solvation structure. In the micellar phase, the -CH(2)- group contribution becomes positive. A value of 1.17 x 10(-3) cm(3) bar(-1) mol(-1) for the change in adiabatic molar compressibility upon micellization is obtained. The lower values of the methylene group contributions to the volumetric properties for the monomers support the hypothesis of partial association of the chains before the cmc.