Concentration effects in gel permeation chromatography : IV. Contribution of viscosity phenomena and macromolecular expansion

The changes in elution volumes with the changes in the concentration of an injected polymer solution are caused by several contributing effects. Under model conditions, it is possible to assume only the effect of a viscosity gradient in a zone moving along the column and the effect of the concentration dependence of the hydrodynamic volume of a macromolecular coil. The non-Gaussian shape of the zone and the dependence of the width of the elution curve on concentration are factors that complicate the theoretical treatment of concentration effects. The described physico-chemical model allows to evaluate the ratio of mentioned two contributions in the concentration dependence of elution volumes. According to this model, the contribution of the concentration dependence of the hydrodynamic volume does not exceed about 20% of the total change in elution volume with the varying concentration under real experimental conditions. The efficiency of the columns used and the total injected volume of the polymer solution affect this ratio only negligibly. It is obvious from a comparison with earlier results that these conclusions are not fundamentally changed even by the revised model of the concentration dependence of the swelling factor.     

On-line filtration system for determining total chromium and chromium in the soluble fraction of industrial effluents by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Two manifolds were assessed for the purpose of determining both the total chromium content and that present as a soluble form in industrial effluents by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-FAAS). To determine the chromium content in the soluble fraction the samples were used without additional treatment, a 0.45 microm filter being included in the FI system. To determine the total chromium content, the samples were acidified with nitric acid 20% (v/v) and heated for 30 s in a microwave oven (temperatures of about 70 degrees C were reached). The problem posed by the very different concentration range in which total and soluble chromium are present was overcome by using programmed flow rate methodology and by only partially emptying the sample loop. A personal computer controlled both the rotation speed of a peristaltic pump and the volume of sample injected into the system, thus obtaining the dispersion degree required. Using the manifold proposed, the chromium content in the soluble fraction can be determined in the 0.5-20 microg mL(-1) range using a 10 microg mL(-1) single standard for calibration. To determine the total chromium content, a calibration line in the 20-200 microg mL(-1) range was obtained using a single 50 microg mL(-1) chromium standard solution. The reliability of the semi-automatic devices was verified by comparing the results obtained with those found by treating the samples and using both FAAS in a conventional way and a spectrophotometric method using diphenylcarbazide at the 95% confidence level (ANOVA test). The proposed procedures showed a RSD lower than +/-3%.     

Infrared and electronic spectra of copper (II) complex of maleonitriledithiolate and 4,4'-dimethyl-2, 2'-bipyridine and their theoretical studies

The molecular structure and binding, as well as infrared and electronic spectroscopic properties for the title complex Cu(mnt)(dmbpy)(mnt(2-)=maleonitriledithiolate, dmbpy=4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) were studied in this paper. With semi-empirical PM3 and non-empirical DFT (B3LYP/6-311G*) methods, the molecular geometry of the complex was optimized and corresponding vibrational spectra in the gaseous state were obtained. The calculated results derived from DFT were more reasonable than those from PM3. The point group of Cu(mnt)(dmbpy) in isolated gaseous state was C(2), in which Cu(II) adopted a distorted tetrahedral geometry and the dihedral angle between the N(2)Cu and S(2)Cu planes was about 29.814 degrees. And a complete assignment to the IR spectra of such a complicated molecule was exhibited. With ZINDO/S method an electronic spectrum was calculated. The results showed that the calculated values generally agreed with the observed ones. And a detailed explain was made on its electronic spectra.     

Determination of iron at ng/ml level by solid phase spectrophotometry after preconcentration on cation exchange filters

A cationic exchanger paper is used to retain analytes in solution and, after drying, to analyze directly by measuring the UV-Vis absorbance of the paper. The method was applied to determination of iron using its known 1,10-phenanthroline complex. Using 100 ml of sample the applicable concentration range was between 1.0 and 10.0 ng/ml with a detection limit of 0.2 ng/ml and a RSD around 2%. The method was applied to determination of iron total in snow, human serum and wine.     

Nucleocyclitols. Synthesis of substituted purinyl-muco-inositol derivatives

Several carbocyclic nucleoside analogs possessing a 6-substituted purine linked to a mesylated muco-inositol were synthesized. The coupling of triethylamine-activated 6-chloropurine with 2,3-anhydro-l,5,6-tri-O-(methanesulfonyl)-epi-inositol gave a 6-chloro purinyl muco-inositol amenable to further synthetic transformations in the heterocyclic moiety by substitution of the chlorine atom by nitrogen nucleophiles such as methylamino, diethylamino, benzylamino, hydrazino, morpholino, hydroxylamino, piperidino, and glycyl groups.     

Some applications of gel-permeation chromatography in investigations of structure and the solution properties of radical-initiated poly(vinyl chloride)

The applicability of the published universal calibration parameters for gel-permeation chromatography on polystyrene standards and poly(vinyl chloride) samples with a defined structure has been compared. It was shown experimentally that of several theoretically possible molecular weight averages attributed to the elution volume at the position of the peak maximum, the root mean-square average molecular weight M _Rms = (M _wM _n)^0.5 shows the best accordance. The molecular weights obtained by gel-permeation chromatography were compared with those determined by viscometry, osmometry, and the light-scattering method. The reproducibility of gel-permeation chromatography measurements is 3%, and the average variance of the results as compared with results obtained by the above methods is about 8%. It was also found that the gel-permeation chromatography does not involve any anomalies interfering with results obtained by other methods.     

On-line preconcentration of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in sea-water by sorbent-extraction and total mercury determination by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry

A comparative study of three mercury chelate forming reagents [diethyldithiocarbamate, pyrrolidin-1-yldithioformate and diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone)] has been carried out for the preconcentration of ultratrace amounts of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in silica C(18) minicolumns as the solid sorbent. Sample flow injection in-line sorbent extraction was coupled with continuous cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) for detection. Results showed the superiority of the carbamate type reagents over the dithizone for the on-line formation and preconcentration of the corresponding mercury chelates. Using diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) as reagent, aqueous sample volumes of 100 ml can be preconcentrated with 100% efficiency for both inorganic mercury and methylmercury. Quantitative release of the retained DDC chelates was obtained for volumes of eluent (ethanol) of 50 microl. Following the proposed procedure, detection limits of 16 ng/l. of mercury were achieved for sample volumes of 25 ml. The relative standard deviation was +/- 3.4% at 0.5 microg/l. Hg(II) levels. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of low levels of mercury in sea-water.     

Continuation calculations of boron- (aluminum-, titanium-, and nickel-) doped La13 clusters

In this work, we have calculated boron-, aluminum-, titanium-, and nickel-doped La13 clusters by DMOL method based on the density-functional theory. Two doping modes are employed: surface and center doping. The boron, aluminum, and nickel atoms prefer to occupy the surface sites while the titanium atom prefers to occupy the center site. The doped La13 clusters with these four kinds of atoms have lower binding energy than pure La13 clusters. The icosahedral isomers are of lower binding energy than cubotahedral and decahedral isomers for La12B(-1), La12Al(-1), and La12Ni, while doping makes the cubotahedral La12Ti stable with a binding energy a little lower than icosahedral La12Ti. There are electronic shell effects in icosahedral La12B(-1) and La12Al(-1). The icosahedral La12B(-1) is promising to be formed during the doped process experimentally. Furthermore, we have also discussed the distorted structures of center doping by bond lengths, density of states, and charge transfers.     

Experimental observation of light-induced solitary waves of analyte bands in capillary electrophoresis.

The phenomenon of electrophoresis in free solution has been studied theoretically down to the molecular level for decades. In addition, intermolecular photo-induced proton transfer reactions, which occur in a wide class of molecules (phenols and aminoarenes) as well as proteins (green fluorescent protein), were also studied extensively. However, the study of the effect of light-induced electrophoretic mobility changes of the analytes in electrophoresis was begun only recently. In the present work, capillary zone electrophoresis was chosen as the environment to measure the magnitude of these electrophoretic mobility shifts induced by light. Background electrolytes (running electrolytes) with high refractive indices were developed, allowing the capillary to work like an optical fiber. The experimental conditions for obtaining stable coupling and guided laser light along the liquid core are discussed. Experimental evidence of band compression is observed, leading to a solitary wave behavior of the analyte band (2-naphthol). These solitary waves result from competition between thermal diffusion (dispersion mechanism) and a nonlinear (band compression) effect due to the combined electrophoresis phenomenon and absorption of guided light by the molecules of the band (which are subjected to a "reversible intermolecular proton transfer reaction" as one of their decay routes). The possibilities of applying this effect to different methods and techniques are also discussed.     

Stability of tin etiopurpurin

Formulations of the tin etiopurpurin (SnET2) have been observed to undergo a spectral change on storage in dimethylformamide solution. This results in an alteration in the action spectrum, with enhanced photodynamic activity at lower wavelengths and decreased activity at 660 nm. On the basis of structural considerations, a reduced analog of SnET2 was prepared with an absorbance maximum at 640 nm. Formation of this product, termed SnET2H(2) relieves steric strain inherent in the parent molecule. Nuclear magnetic resonance, spectral and photodynamic data are consistent with the formation of SnET2H(2) during SnET2 storage. Slight modifications in the original synthesis are also reported, resulting in improved yields of intermediate products.