Determination of platinum-group metals and lead in vegetable environmental bio-monitors by voltammetric and spectroscopic techniques: critical comparison

This paper reports voltammetric sequential determination of Pt(II), Pd(II), and Rh(III), by square-wave adsorption stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV), and Pb(II), by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV), in vegetable environmental matrices. Analytical procedures were verified by the analysis of the standard reference materials: Olive Leaves BCR-CRM 062 and Tomato Leaves NIST-SRM 1573a. Precision and accuracy, expressed as relative standard deviation and relative error, respectively, were always less than 6% and the limits of detection (LOD) for each element were below 0.096 g g^–1. Once set up on the standard reference materials, the analytical procedure was transferred and applied to laurel leaves sampled in proximity to a superhighway and in the Po river mouth area. A critical comparison with spectroscopic measurements is discussed.     

Dramatic changes in geometry after ionization: experimental and theoretical studies on the electronic properties of fluorocarbonyl (mono-, di-, and tri-) sulfur compounds

In this work, we present a complete study on He I photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) for the fluorocarbonyl mono-, di-, and trisulfur compounds FC(O)SCl, FC(O)SSCH(3), and FC(O)SSSC(O)F. After optimizations of the structure for stable conformers at different levels of theory, a complete theoretical study involving the calculation of the ionization energies using orbital valence Green's functional (OVGF) was performed. Calculations of radical-cationic forms were carried out in order to compare their properties with those of the neutral molecules. The first IP values are 10.7, 9.0, and 10.5 eV for FC(O)SCl, FC(O)SSCH(3), and FC(O)SSSC(O)F, respectively. The groups bonded to the S atom mainly influence the ionizations originating from the sulfur lone pairs. A wide electronic delocalization in the FC(O)S moiety can be deduced from experimental and theoretical results, which leads to a strong energetic stabilization of the n' '(S) (sulfur lone pair pi orbital). Other conclusions relate to effects on the substituents attached to the S atom and the importance of the molecular planarity in the orbital stabilization of the FC(O)S moiety for the neutral molecules. It is worthwhile mentioning that FC(O)SCl retains its planar structure after ionization, but drastic changes occur in the geometry of both FC(O)SSCH(3) and FC(O)SSSC(O)F. The FC(O)SSCH(3) molecule adopts a heavy atom planar structure after ionization. The FC(O)SSS moiety becomes a planar form after the ionization of the FC(O)SSSC(O)F molecule, whereas the second C(O)F group maintains its original conformation with respect to the SSS group.     

The effects of oxygenation on the optical properties of dimethyl-dithienothiophenes: comparison between experiments and first-principles calculations

Modifications of the optical properties of dimethyl-dithienothiophenes due to the oxygen functionalization of the central sulfur atom are investigated. We have measured the absorption, photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectra, the PL quantum efficiencies, and the PL decay times. These experimental results are interpreted and compared with first-principles time-dependent density-functional theory calculations, which predict, for the considered systems, excitation and emission energies with an accuracy of 0.1 eV. It is found that the oxygenation strongly changes optical and photophysical properties. These effects are related to the modifications of the energetically lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital and the energetically second highest occupied one, which change the relative position of the two lowest singlet and triplet excited states.     

Gadolinium(III) Complexes of dota‐Derived N‐Sulfonylacetamides (H4(dota‐NHSO2R)=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic Acid): A New Class of Relaxation Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

Four new ligands for lanthanide ions based on the H₃do3a (=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid) structure and bearing one N‐sulfonylacetamide arm were synthesized, i.e., H₄dota‐NHSO₂R=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acids 1a – e . A ¹⁵N‐NMR study of the ¹⁵N‐labelled Eu³⁺ complex of one such ligands, 1d , showed that the coordination of the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm involves the carbonyl O‐atom rather than the N‐atom. The relaxometric properties of the corresponding Gd³⁺ complexes were investigated as a function of pH and temperature. These complexes have relaxivities in the range 4.5–5.3 mM ^?1 s^?1, at 20 MHz and 25°, and are characterized by a single H₂O molecule in their inner coordination sphere. The mean residence lifetime of this molecule is relatively long (500–700 ns) compared to other anionic complexes. The slow rate of H₂O exchange can be justified by the extensive delocalization of the negative charge on the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm. The long residence time of the coordinated H₂O allowed the observation of the effect of the prototropic exchange on the relaxivity. The study of the interaction between the complex [Gd( 1e )]‐ and HSA revealed a weak affinity constant highlighting the importance of a localized negative charge on the complex to promote a strong interaction with the protein.     

Preparation, characterization and thiol-thione tautomeric studies of 2-thiono-4-methyl-5-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-trifluoromethylethyl)-1,3-thiazoline

The synthesis of a new trifluoromethyl 2-mercapto-1,3-thiadiazole derivative from 5,5,5-trifluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3-penten-2-one, its structural study in the solid state and in the liquid phase and the thiol-thione tautomeric equilibrium study of the title compound are reported. The crystalline structure shows short intermolecular FF contacts. Theoretical calculations using HF and DFT methods were performed. Vibrational spectra were calculated for both tautomers and compared with experimental data. The experimental and theoretical results can be interpreted in terms of the existence of a thione tautomer in the solid and in solution.     

Structural researches on the chelating behaviour of the biguanide ligand. The crystal structures of Co(C2H6N5)3 · 2H2O and Cu(C2H7N5)2CO3·4H20

Summary Crystals of the title compounds are both monoclinic, with unit cell dimensions:a = 9.293(5),b = 10.122(5),c = 16.737(7) Å. = 103.44(3)°,Z = 4, space groupP2₁/c for the cobalt derivative;a = 13.1ß5(7),b = 17.546(ß),c = 6.871(3) Å, = 107.01(4)°Z = 4, space groupP2₁/n for the copper derivative. The structures were solved from diffractometer data by the heavy-atom technique for the first compound and by direct methods for the second compound. Refinement by block diagonal least-squares gaveR = 5.9% for 3511 independent reflections andR = 8.8% for 2885 independent reflections for the cobalt and copper compound respectively. In both compounds the biguanide moiety behaves as a bidentate chelating ligand in a symmetrical tautomeric form, but it is deprotonated in the octahedral cobalt compound and neutral in the square planar copper compound.     

Polychloroprene rubbers used for adhesives: a small angle X-ray scattering preliminary investigation under stretching

Summary Three types of polychloroprene rubbers (Du Pont de Nemours Co. Neoprenes AD, WHV and W) used for adhesives and having different crystallization rates have been investigated.The mechanical properties of the Neoprenes samples were determined and the films were examined under stretching by SAXS for a preliminary investigation on their different superreticular order.

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Zusammenfassung Drei Typen von Polychloropren-Kautschuk mit verschiedener Kristallisationsgeschwindigkeit (Neoprene AD, WHV und W von Du Pont de Nemours), die als Klebemittel dienen, wurden als gedehnte Filme mechanisch und röntgenographisch (SAXS) untersucht. Sie zeigen Unterschiede in der Überstruktur.

     

Preserving the chromatographic integrity of high-speed supercritical fluid chromatography separations using time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The advantage of high-speed time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) detection for ultrafast qualitative supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry (SFC/MS) applications allows the superior resolving power of SFC to be exploited in high-throughput analysis. A chromatographic comparison of quadrupole MS and TOF-MS shows high-speed TOF total ion current data point sampling to be more indicative of fast SFC separations and corresponding short (1-2 s) baseline peak widths. Results shown for analysis of a six-compound mixture with two peaks eluting at 0.86 and 0.89 min exhibit >50% resolution by high-speed TOF data sampling, whereas the same peaks appear to coelute using quadrupole MS data sampling. Additionally, a marked improvement in the peak baseline widths is afforded by fast TOF data acquisition of 0.1 s/spectrum, resulting in a reduction in the baseline width, 1.6 s, of sulfanilamide in a four-compound mixture that is more than 2-fold greater than that achieved at the slower data acquisition of 0.5 s/spectrum. The resulting increase in resolution and improved peak shapes allow automatic integration routines to perform more effectively. For most classes of compounds amenable to high performance liquid chromatography, including druglike species, steroids, and polymers, the union of SFC with TOF-MS provides the maximum density of chemical information per unit time available with any high-speed chromatographic/mass spectrometric method.     

Atmospheric selenium in an industrialized area of Portugal

Summary Selenium is determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), based on measurement of the long-lived ⁷⁵Se nuclide. In the urban and industrialized areas of Portugal selenium contents have been found of the order of of 0.5-1 ng/m³ in PM10 and PM2.5, according to the data collected since 1994. From November 12, 2001 and for not more than 3 months, the Se contents in PM10 and PM2.5 increased by a factor of 1000 in the northern area of Lisbon. More than other nutrients, selenium illustrates the dichotomy between essentiality and toxicity. There is no legislation on Se for ambient air and on indoor ambient point threshold limit values (US and Germany legislation), were 100 times higher than the abnormal values found that winter. The increase was also visible for mercury although not to such an extent. Attempts were made to understand the trend, going into a study of the emission sources located in the area using both INAA and PIXE. It was concluded that the observation occurred due to abnormal meteorological wind direction, which pushed the pollutants towards the populated area, when usually they flow into the Tagus estuary.     

Palladium-catalyzed reaction of aryl iodides with acetic anhydride. A carbon monoxide-free synthesis of acetophenones

[reaction: see text] The palladium-catalyzed reaction of aryl iodides with acetic anhydride provides a straightforward and experimentally simple carbon monoxide-free route to acetophenones. The reaction tolerates a wide range of functionalized aryl iodides. Acetophenones are isolated in excellent yield with a variety of neutral, slightly electron-rich, and slightly electron-poor aryl iodides, whereas moderate yields are obtained with aryl iodides containing strongly electron-withdrawing substituents.