Advances in ion chromatography: speciation of μ 1−1 levels of metallo-cyanides using ion-interaction chromatography

Fe(CN)^4?₆, Cu(CN)^3?₄, Co(CN)^3?₆, Fe(CN)^3?₆, Ni(CN)^2?₄ and Cr(CN)^3?₆ are determined by ion-interaction chromatography using a C₁₈ column and methanol-tetrahydrofuran-10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.9) (25 + 1 + 74, v/v/v) containing 5 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide as mobile phase, with spectrophotometric detection at 214 nm. Detection limits are in the range 0.01–0.5 mg 1^?1. In an alternative approach, an automated on-line sample preconcentration technique is used wherein a 2-ml volume of sample containing metallo-cyanides is loaded onto a C₁₈ precolumn which has been equilibrated with the above mobile phase. The bound solutes are then eluted from the precolumn to a C₁₈ analytical column where they are separated using the same mobile phase as employed to equilibrate the precolumn. Detection limits are in the rate 0.08–1.58 μg 1^?1 and calibration graphs are linear up to 200 μg 1^?1. The preconcentration step is shown to give quantitative recoveries for all species except Fe(CN)^4?₆ and (CN)^3?₄. The iron(II) complex does not bind quantitatively to the precolumn, and extensive studies with the copper complex suggested that low recoveries were due to dissociation and ligand-exchange reactions occurring during the chromatographic separation process. Negative interference effects were observed for Cl^? and SO^2?₄ when present at a level of 250 mg 1^1?, and UV-absorbing anions such as Br^?, SCN^?, NO^?₂ and NO^?₃ caused positive interference when present at concentrations as low as 1 mg 1^?1. The negative interferences could be reduced by diluting the sample and the positive interferences could be eliminated by incorporating an additional step in the preconcentration process, in which UV-absorbing anions bound to the precolumn after sample loading were eluted selectively using an eluent consisting of 10 mM NaCl in phosphate buffer (pH 6.7).     

Ion chromatographic separation of hydrogen ion and other common mono- and divalent cations

We introduced an approach to the ion chromatographic determination of common mono- and divalent cations including hydrogen ion and demonstrated the ability of a C30 column dynamically coated first with dodecylsulfate and then with 18-crown-6 ether to separate the cations by ion-exchange mechanism. Using an ethylenediamine solution containing a small concentration of 18-crown-6 ether and lithium dodecylsulfate at pH 6.2 as eluent, the cations were eluted in the order Li < Na+ < NH4+ < H+ < K+ < Mg2+ < Ca2+ with symmetrical peaks. The conductivity vs. concentration plots were linear about three orders of magnitude, from millimolar to micromolar; and the detection limits were all < 0.6 microM. Rainwater was analyzed directly using this ion chromatographic system with satisfactory results.     

Separation of thiosulfate and the polythionates in gold thiosulfate leach solutions by capillary electrophoresis

A technique for the separation of thiosulfate (S(2)O(3) (2-)), polythionates (S(x)O(6) (2-), x = 3 to 5) and the gold(I) thiosulfate complex (Au(S(2)O(3))(2) (3-)) using capillary electrophoresis with simultaneous UV detection at 195 and 214 nm is presented. The five species were separated in under 3 min with a total analysis time of 8 min, using an electrolyte containing 25 mM 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2',2"-nitrilotriethanol (bis-tris) adjusted to pH 6.0 with sulfuric acid and an applied voltage of -30 kV. While the gold(I) thiosulfate complex could be separated from the other analytes of interest under these conditions, the quantification of this complex was not possible due to inconsistent peak areas and peak splitting effects induced by the sulfur-oxygen species in the leach matrix. Detection limits calculated for 3s pressure injection at 50 mbar ranged between 0.5-2 microM. The method was linear over the ranges 40-8000, 10-2000, 10-2000, and 5-2000 microM for thiosulfate, trithionate, tetrathionate, and pentathionate, respectively. The technique was applied successfully to leach liquors containing 0.5 M ammonium thiosulfate, 2 M ammonia, 0.05 M copper sulfate and 20% w/v gold ore, diluted 1:100 prior to analysis.     

Trace determination of arsenic species by capillary electrophoresis with direct UV detection using sensitivity enhancement by counter- or co-electroosmotic flow stacking and a high-sensitivity cell

Stacking techniques used independently and also with a high-sensitivity cell (HSC) were employed to optimise sensitivity and detection limits in the direct photometric detection of the following eight arsenic species by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE): arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylarsonic acid (Roxarsone), p-aminophenylarsonic acid (p-ASA), 4-nitrophenylarsonic acid (4-NPAA), and phenylarsonic acid (PAA) (target analytes). The stacking mechanisms, optimised stacking and separation conditions, and concentration sensitivity enhancement factors were discussed and compared for (i) normal stacking mode (NSM, sometimes also referred to as field-amplified stacking) in an uncoated fused-silica capillary in the counter-electroosmotic flow (EOF) mode, (ii) large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) with polarity switching, and (iii) the less often applied stacking method of co-EOF NSM stacking with EOF reversal using a poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDDAC)-coated capillary. The optimal injection volumes were 7.4, 60 and 17.2% of the total capillary volume, for the above three methods, respectively. LVSS with polarity switching gave the lowest limit of detection (LOD). The use of the HSC further reduced the LOD of each target analytes by a factor of 5-8 times. By combining LVSS and HSC, LODs of the target analytes could be reduced by a factor of 218-311, to 5.61, 9.15, 11.1, and 17.1 microg/L for As(III), DMA, MMA, and As(V), respectively. The method was demonstrated to be applicable to the determination of the target analytes in tap water and lake water, with recoveries in the range of 89.4-103.3%.     

Determination of monovalent inorganic anions in high-ionic-strength samples by electrostatic ion chromatography with suppressed conductometric detection

A new ion chromatographic (IC) system has been established by using micelles of 3-(N,N-dimethylmyristylammonio)propanesulfonate (Zwittergent 3-14) loaded onto a reversed-phase packed column as the separation column with an electronic rotary switching valve packed-bed suppressor for conductometric detection of inorganic anions. An aqueous H3BO3-Na2B4O7 solution has been demonstrated to be the most desirable eluent for this IC system. The relationship between retention time and the concentration of the borate eluent was determined for a series of model anionic analytes and this relationship was found to be opposite to that exhibited in a conventional anion-exchange IC system. The rapid elution and complete separation of monovalent inorganic anions were obtained by initially using a high-concentration borate solution as the eluent for a short-period, and then switching to a lower-concentration borate eluent to complete the separation. Detection limits for nitrite, bromide, nitrate, and chlorate were 0.85, 0.88, 0.95 and 4.8 microM, respectively, when a 7.0 mM Na2B4O7 eluent was used. Moreover, the ability to directly detect these monovalent anions in samples containing high concentrations of sulfate and/or chloride ions provided a major advantage of this approach.     

Modelling,optimisation and control of selectivity in the separation of aromatic bases by electrokinetic chromatography using a neutral cyclodextrin as a pseudostationary phase

A simple mathematical model describing the separation of a series of aromatic bases by electrokinetic chromatography using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) as a pseudostationary phase is described. The model takes into account changes in electrolyte pH and the different formation constants between the neutral and charged forms of the analytes with the CD. Constants in the model were obtained within the two-dimensional experimental space defined by pH and [beta-CD] with nonlinear regression using only five experimental points. These constants agreed with expected trends in analyte-CD interactions and predicted much higher formation constants for the neutral analyte-CD complex than for the charged analyte-CD complex. Correlation between predicted and observed mobilities using additional 20 points within the experimental space gave r(2) = 0.995. Optimisation of the pH and [beta-CD] was performed using both the normalised resolution product and minimum resolution product criteria and provided two optimum separations which exhibited different selectivities. Differences between predicted and observed migration times at these optima were less than 2.5 and 5% for the normalised resolution product and the minimum resolution criteria, respectively. In both cases the correct migration order was predicted. The model was also applied successfully to the optimisation of conditions for the separation of a specific mixture of analytes or for conditions under which particular analytes migrated in a desired order.     

Simultaneous ion-exclusion/cation-exchange chromatography of anions and cations in acid rain waters on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin by elution with sulfosalicylic acid

A simple, selective, and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of anions (sulfate, nitrate, and chloride) and cations (sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) in acid rain waters was developed using ion-exclusion/ cation-exchange chromatography with conductimetric detection. A weakly acidic cation-exchange resin column (Tosho TSKgel OA-PAK-A) and a sulfosalicylic acid-methanol-water eluent was used. With a mobile phase comprising 1.25 mM sulfosalicylic acid in methanol-water (7.5:92.5) at 1.2 ml/min, simultaneous separation and detection of the above anions and cations was achieved in about 30 min. Linear calibration plots of peak area versus concentration were obtained over the concentration ranges 0-1.0 mM for anions (R=0.9991) and 0-0.5 mM for cations (R=0.9994). Detection limits calculated at S/N=3 ranged from 4.2 to 14.8 ppb for the anions and from 2.4 to 12.1 ppb for the cations. The reproducibility of retention times was 0.14-0.15% relative standard deviation (RSD) for anions and 0.18-0.31% for cations, and reproducibility of chromatographic peak areas was 1.22-1.75% RSD for anions and 1.81-2.10% for cations. The method was applied successfully to the simultaneous determination of anions and cations in aerosols transported from mainland China to central Japan, as determined by a meteorological satellite data analyzer.     

Spectroscopic investigation and thermal behavior of new carbonyl complexes [M(CO)4(N—N)(CuX)], (M = W,Mo; N—N = 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline; X = Cl,SCN)

[M(CO)₄(N—N)] reacts with CuCl to give new heterobimetallic metal carbonyls of the type [M(CO)₄(N—N)(CuCl)], M = W, Mo; N—N = 2,2-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). Reactions of [M(CO)₄(N—N)(CuCl)] with NaSCN produced the series of complexes of general formula [M(CO)₄(N—N)(CuSCN)]. The i.r. spectral of all the bimetallic carbonyls exhibited the general four (CO) band patterns of the precursors. The u.v.–vis. spectral data for precursors and products showed bands associated with * (nitrogen ligands), dd (intrametal), as well as MLCT d* (nitrogen ligands) and MLCT d *(CO) transitions. The [M(CO)₄(N—N)(CuX)] (X = Cl, SCN) emission spectra showed only one band associated with the MLCT transition. The t.g. curves revealed a stepwise loss of CO groups. The initial decomposition temperatures of the [M(CO)₄(N—N)(CuX)] series suggest that the bimetallic compounds are indeed thermally less stable than their precursors, and the X-ray data showed the formation of MO₃, CuMO₄, Cu₂O and CuO as final decomposition products, M = W, Mo. The spectroscopic data suggests that the heterobimetallic compounds are polymeric.     

Ion chromatographic analysis of cyanate in gold processing samples containing large concentrations of copper(I) and other metallocyanide complexes

An ion chromatographic (IC) method was developed for the determination of cyanate in gold cyanidation samples containing large concentrations of metallo-cyanide complexes. The analysis was performed on a Waters HC IC-Pak A anion-exchange column with an anthranilic acid eluent, with detection achieved using indirect UV at 355 nm. Two procedures were developed for removal of the metallo-cyanide complexes prior to the IC analysis. The first was a manual off-line method which used solid-phase extraction cartridges containing a strong anion-exchange resin to trap the complexes and to then enable determination of cyanate without interference. In the second approach, an automated on-line method was developed which used an anion-exchange guard column to trap the complexes and a column switching valve to allow backflushing of the cyanate from the guard column. This enabled the total analysis to be performed in a time of 10–14 min, depending on the sample composition. Finally, a comparison of results obtained by the standard Kjeldahl nitrogen method for cyanate and the IC method revealed an interference in the Kjeldahl method for samples containing large concentrations of Cu(I)-cyanide complexes.     

Crystal Structure of a New Ammonium Potassium Selenomolybdate Compound K3.31(NH4)0.69[Se2Mo5O21]·2H2O

An inorganic compound formulated as K_3.31(NH₄)_0.69[Se₂Mo₅O₂₁]·2H₂O has been synthesized by conventional solution method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, IR, UV-Vis spectroscopies behaviors. The structure of the title compound has been determined from a single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n, with a?=?9.9371(2) ?, b?=?23.3545(2) ?, c?=?10.5179(2) ?, β?=?114.12(3)°, V?=?2227.7(5) ?³ and Z?=?4. It was revealed that the Strandberg-type polyoxoselenomolybdate cluster can be considered as a ring formed by five distorted edge- and corner-sharing MoO₆ octahedra, capped on both poles by a selenate pyramids sharing three vertices with the ring molybdenum centers. The Strandberg clusters are connected with ammonium ions and water molecules through hydrogen-bonding interactions which ensure the cohesion of the structure into a three-dimensional network.