Use of participant EQA results to assess sample homogeneity and stability for qualitative analytes

International requirements for PT and EQA state that providers must demonstrate that samples are homogeneous and stable. However, testing for homogeneity and stability can be expensive, use samples that could otherwise serve as quality-control materials, and can also fail to detect significant inhomogeneity and instability. In some situations it may be preferable to use the results from participants to identify problems with sample lots, if historic results follow predictable distributions and a statistical decision rule can be produced. An unusually high proportion of incorrect results may indicate that samples were inhomogeneous or unstable. Conditions under which this can be demonstrated are discussed, and the efficacy of the proposal is demonstrated with two examples. This procedure is especially effective when there are a large number of participants and/or a historic small proportion of incorrect results. Providers who adopt this proposal will need to retain samples for testing and assume the risk of distributing bad samples.Presented at the Eurachem PT Workshop September 2005, Portorož, Slovenia     

Defect concentration in Ti-substituted YIG from TG curves

The article discusses theory and experiment about the measurement of defect concentration in Ti-substituted yttrium iron garnet by means of thermogravimetry techniques. The two possible cases arising from oxygen interchange with atmosphere, oxygen vacancies and interstitial cations, may be analyzed quantitatively from the derived expressions. The possibility of another type of defects being present in the samples, not associated to oxygen evolution, is not excluded. Measurements were carried out in air and CO₂ for different Ti contents. The substitution tends to increase slightly the defect parameter θ in YIG, while a CO₂ reducing atmosphere is much more effective than the Ti substitution for increasing θ. Calculations for a given single-phased sample sintered in air show two possibilities: a deficit of one oxygen atom for every 2.5 unit cells of 96 atoms, or one excess cation for every 3.5 cells. Other samples show very similar results. The accuracy involved in the measurements is about 2–3%.     

New Ba5M5−xPtxClO13 (M=Fe, Co) oxychlorides with layered perovskite-related structure

Crystals of Ba₅Fe_5−xPt_xClO₁₃ and Ba₅Co_5−yPt_yClO₁₃ were prepared for x=1.31, 1.51, 1.57, 1.59 and y=0, 0.97 and 1.08 in a BaCl₂ flux and investigated by X-ray diffraction methods. These compounds adopt a 10H perovskite structure built from the stacking of BaO₃ and BaOCl layers in the sequence (BaO₃)₄(BaOCl) with space group P6₃/mmc. The cation sites within the trimeric unit of face-sharing octahedra are occupied by Co or Fe and Pt ions, while the tetrahedral sites formed between BaO₃ and BaOCl layers are only occupied by Fe or Co. Moreover, oxygen stoichiometry indicates an average oxidation state for Co and Fe higher than +III, indicating the stabilization of Co⁴⁺ and Fe⁴⁺.     

Thermodynamic excess quantities in the adsorption of sodium alkylsulfonates at the air-solution interface

Colloid and Polymer Science - Data on the surface tension of sodium alkylsulfonate solutions at different temperatures and surfactant concentrations are presented. By applying the thermodynamic...     

Neutron activation analysis of final molasses from Cuban sugar industry

Thermal and epithermal non-destructive activation analyses have been performed on samples of final molasses from 14 different sugar factories, covering the most important regions in Cuba. From the first measurement after irradiation at the Triga Mark reactor (VTT), the concentration of more than 15 elements is reported. The almost constant elemental composition shows that they can be used equally for different purposes as animal foodstuff and for the manufacture of biotechnological products. This work is part of a research project developed in order to establish a complete characterization of Cuban sugar molasses.     

Influence of rotation and isotope effects on the dynamics of the N((2)D)+H(2) reactive system and of its deuterated variants

Integral cross sections and thermal rate constants have been calculated for the N((2)D)+H(2) reaction and its isotopic variants N((2)D)+D(2) and the two-channel N((2)D)+HD by means of quasiclassical trajectory and statistical quantum-mechanical model methods on the latest ab initio potential-energy surface [T.-S. Ho et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 3063 (2003)]. The effect of rotational excitation of the diatom on the dynamics of these reactions has been investigated and interesting discrepancies between the classical and statistical model calculations have been found. Whereas a net effect of reagent rotation on reactivity is always observed in the classical calculations, only a very slight effect is observed in the case of the asymmetric N((2)D)+HD reaction for the statistical quantum-mechanical method. The thermal rate constants calculated on this Potential-Energy Surface using quasiclassical trajectory and statistical model methods are in good agreement with the experimental determinations, although the latter are somewhat larger. A reevaluation of the collinear barrier of the potential surface used in the present study seems timely. Further theoretical and experimental studies are needed for a full understanding of the dynamics of the title reaction.     

Determination of lithium in human serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An efficient method was developed for the determination of nanogram levels of lithium in biological samples. Serum samples from human subjects from southeastern Spain, treated or not treated with lithium carbonate, were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples were previously treated with a matrix modifier consisting of 0.1% Triton X-100 and injected through a graphite tube with L'vov platform. The Li concentrations measured by the procedure described for the 3 certified reference samples used were not significantly different (p > 0.05) than certified levels. Sample recoveries and variability during several days, with coefficients of variation from 4.00 to 14.8%, demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of this technique. Mean Li concentration determined in the serum of individuals with psychiatric disorders treated with Li (n = 117, 5.077 +/- 1.795 microg Li/mL) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in individuals not treated with Li (n = 24, 1.902 +/- 2.054 ng Li/mL).     

Synthesis and antifolate activity of 8,10-dideazaminopterin

A synthesis of 8,10-dideazaminopterin, using 2,4-diamino-6-bromomethyl-8-deazapteridine ( 2 ) as a key intermediate, is described. Condensation of the triphenylphosphinylide derived from 2 with p-formylbenzoyl-L-glutamate afforded a 9,10-dehydro-8,10-dideazaminopterin ester intermediate 5 . Hydrogenation of the olefinic linkage and subsequent hydrolysis of the glutamate ester gave the title compound. 8,10-Dideazaminopterin was a potent growth inhibitor of folate dependent bacteria. It was 16 times more potent then methotrexate as an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase derived from L1210 leukemia cells, and showed strong activity against L1210 in mice.     

Resolving the different dynamics of the fluorine sublattices in the anionic conductor BaSnF(4) by using high-resolution MAS NMR techniques

19F and (119)Sn MAS NMR spectroscopy have been used to investigate the fluoride ion conductor, BaSnF(4), a member of the MSnF(4) family of fluorite-related anionic conductors containing double layers of Sn(2+) and M(2+) cations. Two fluorine sublattices were observed by (19)F MAS NMR, which could be assigned to specific sites in the lattice. The first sublattice is due to fluorine atoms located in Ba(2+) double layers and is rigid on the MAS NMR time scale at room temperature. The second sublattice comprises the fluoride ions between the Ba(2+) and Sn(2+) layers, and the few fluorine atoms that inhabit the Sn(2+)-Sn(2+) double layers. These ions are in rapid exchange with each other, and an extremely short correlation time tau(C) for the motion of these ions of <3 x 10(-)(5) s is obtained at -100 degrees C. T(1) measurements indicate that tau(C) approaches 10(-)(8) s at room temperature. (19)F-to-(119)Sn cross-polarization (CP) experiments confirmed the assignments of the resonances, and that the fluorine atoms located next to the tin atoms are extremely mobile at room temperature (and thus do not contribute to the CP process). Two-dimensional (19)F exchange experiments showed that exchange between the rigid and mobile lattice does occur, but at a much slower rate (tau(C) approximately 10 ms at 250 degrees C). Low-temperature (19)F MAS and (19)F-to-(119)Sn CP NMR spectra demonstrate that the motion of the fluoride ions has almost completely frozen out by -150 degrees C. The results are consistent with rapid two-dimensional (anisotropic) conductivity involving the fluoride ions between the Ba and Sn layers. Conductivity in three dimensions requires hops between the ions in the BaF(2)-like layers and the mobile ions. This process does occur, but with exchange rates that are at least 6-7 orders of magnitude slower.     

Intramolecular "Aryl-metal chelate ring" pi,pi-interactions as structural evidence for metalloaromaticity in (aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine)-copper(II) chelates: molecular and crystal structure of aqua(1,10-phenanthroline)(2-benzylmalonato)copper(II) three-hydrate

By reaction of Cu(2)CO(3)(OH)(2), 2-benzylmalonic acid (H(2)Bzmal), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), [Cu(Bzmal)(phen)(H(2)O)] x 3H(2)O (compound 1) has been obtained and characterized by thermal, spectral, magnetic, and X-ray diffraction methods. The molecular structure of 1 is remarkably similar to that of [Cu(Bzmal)(bipy)(H(2)O)] x 2H(2)O (compound 2, bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine). In both complexes, the aryl(Bzmal) ring produces an unexpected pi,pi-stacking interaction with the Cu(II)-(aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine) chelate ring, at an average distance d(pi)(-)(pi) of 3.40 A, involving roughly parallel and smoothly slipped rings. This insight is discussed as new structural evidence for metalloaromaticity of Cu(II)-(aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine) chelate rings. Interestingly, 1 recognizes itself by a weak intermolecular pi,pi-stacking interaction between aryl(Bzmal) ligands to give pairs of complex molecules. In contrast, there is an intermolecular pyridyl-pyridyl pi,pi-stacking interaction also forming pairs of complex molecules in 2.