Determination of traces of rare earth elements in geological samples

A procedure for the determination of traces of rare earth elements by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) is presented. The samples are decomposed either by fusion with lithium tetraborate or by acid attack in a microwave oven. Separation of the rare earth elements from accompanying elements is achieved by anion exchange. For the determination by ICP-OES the samples are injected in hydrochloric acid solution, for the determination by XRF the rare earth element traces are co-precipitated with rhodizonate and tannin and measured as a thin film on a membrane filter. All preconcentration steps have been optimized and tested using radiotracers. Furthermore the rare earth element contents of some international standard reference rocks have been determined; the results are compared to the certified values and other values given in the literature. The procedure is applied to a series of petrographically identical metabasites with different degrees of metamorphism to show the mobility of those ions under metamorphic conditions.     

Energetics of radical transfer in DNA photolyase

Charge separation and radical transfer in DNA photolyase from Escherichia coli is investigated by computing electrostatic free energies from a solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. For the initial charge separation 450 meV are available. According to recent experiments [Aubert et al. Nature 2000, 405, 586-590] the flavin receives an electron from the proximal tryptophan W382, which consequently forms a cationic radical WH(*)(+)382. The radical state is subsequently transferred along the triad W382-W359-W306 of conserved tryptophans. The radical transfer to the intermediate tryptophan W359 is nearly isoenergetic (58 meV uphill); the radical transfer from the intermediate W359 to the distal W306 is 200 meV downhill in energy, funneling and stabilizing the radical state at W306. The resulting cationic radical WH(*)(+)306 is further stabilized by deprotonation, yielding the neutral radical W(*)306, which is 214 meV below WH(*)(+)306. The time scale of the charge recombination process yielding back the resting enzyme with FADH(*) is governed by reprotonation of W306, with a calculated lifetime of 1.2 ms that correlates well with the measured lifetime of 17 ms. In photolyase from Anacystis nidulans the radical state is partially transferred to a tyrosine [Aubert et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1999, 96, 5423-5427]. In photolyase from Escherichia coli, there is a tyrosine (Y464) close to the distal tryptophan W306 that could play this role. We show that this tyrosine cannot be involved in radical transfer, because the electron transfer from tyrosine to W306 is much too endergonic (750 meV) and a direct hydrogen transfer is likely too slow. Coupling of specific charge states of the tryptophan triad with protonation patterns of titratable residues of photolyase is small.     

Long time dynamics of a polymer with rigid body monomer units relating to a protein model: Comparison with the rouse model

Simulation data from an off-lattice polymer model are compared with data from the Rouse model. The polymer model is built of sequentially connected rigid monomer units that represent the amide planes of a protein backbone. The time propagation of the dynamics of the polymer model is performed by a Monte Carlo method. The elementary Monte Carlo steps correspond to local confomational changes in a window of three consecutive monomer units. The time autocorrelation functions of end-to-end distances from segments within the linear chain molecule are considered in detail. Both models exhibit a stretched exponential decay pattern. A comparison of the data from the Rouse model and the computer simulation provide an estimate of the time unit of 15 ps for a full scan of the algorithm for local conformational changes along the chain. With a conservative estimate of the parameters governing the Rouse model this time unit is four orders of magnitude longer than the elementary time step of a conventional computer simulation of polymer dynamics based upon the classical equations of motion for all atoms. © 1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The mass spectral fragmentation of phenyl ω-dialkoxyethyl tellurides

The 70 eV mass spectrum of phenyl ω-dimethoxyethyl telluride [C₆H₅? Te? CH₂CH(OR)₂, R?CH₃]contains an intense peak at m/z 238 which corresponds to a rearrangement ion [C₆H₅? Te? OR]⁺. The formation of this species is further illustrated by the presence of a peak at m/z 241 in the spectrum of the hexadeuterated analog (R?CD₃) and a peak at m/z 252 in the spectrum of the ethyl analog (R?CH₂CH₃). These combined results illustrate the presence of only one of the alkoxyl groups in the rearrangement ion. Several other abundant ions that contain oxygen but not tellurium are present in the spectra of these compounds. High resolution analyses have aided in the determination of the origin and composition of several of the characteristic ions formed upon electron impact fragmentation of phenyl ω-dimethoxyethyl telluride.     

Comparison of microwave-assisted acid leaching techniques for the determination of heavy metals in sediments, soils, and sludges

Microwave-assisted EPA method 3051 for nitric acid leaching of environmentally key elements from sediments, soils, and sludges was tested, and the influence of leaching temperature and time on element recovery for an estuarine sediment (CRM 277) was investigated. The extraction efficiencies for four certified reference materials applying EPA method 3051, an optimized nitric acid procedure, and an aqua regia (HCl/HNO₃ 3:1) procedure were compared. Digestions were carried out in a high-pressure microwave system offering simultaneous temperature and pressure control for all digestion vessels employed. Eight elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. Extraction efficiency strongly depended on the applied leaching parameters and varied for certain elements among different materials when a nitric acid procedure was applied. In general, element recoveries obtained from the aqua regia procedure were superior to those obtained from nitric acid procedures and showed good agreement with the 95% confidence interval of the certified value for most of the elements investigated. Received: 27 March 1998 / Revised: 29 June 1998 / Accepted: 3 July 1998     

Vapor-liquid equilibria for the nitrogen-isobutane system

Vapor-liquid equilibria have been investigated experimentally for the nitrogen-isobutane system at temperatures from 120 K to 220 K and at pressures up to 150 bar. Below 126.5 K, two liquid phases were observed as pressure was increased to near the vapor pressure of pure nitrogen. The equilibrium ratio of nitrogen in the binary system and the Henry’s law constants for nitrogen in isobutane were determined from experimental data. The experimental phase equilibrium data were correlated by means of the Peng-Robinson equation of state.     

Redox potentials of chlorophylls and beta-carotene in the antenna complexes of photosystem II

Electron transfer (ET) processes in reaction centers (RC) of photosystem II (PSII) are prerequisites of oxygen generation. They are promoted by energy transfer from antenna to RC. Here, we calculated the redox potentials of chlorophylla/beta-carotene (Chla/Car) in PSII CP43/CP47 antenna complexes, solving the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann (LPB) equation based on the PSII crystal structure. The majority of antenna Chla redox potentials for reduction/oxidation were lower than those of RC Chla. Hence, ET events with excess electrons remain localized in the RC. Simultaneously antenna Chla can serve as an efficient cation sink to rereduce RC Chla if normal PSII function is inhibited. Especially three antenna Chla (Chl-47, Chl-18, and Chl-12) and two Car bridging the space between Chl(Z(D1)) and cytochrome (cyt) b559 have the same level of oxidation redox potential. Together with Chl(Z(D2)) they form an electron hole transfer pathway and temporary storage device guiding from the oxidized P680(+.) Chla to the cyt b559. This path may play a photoprotective role as efficient electron hole quencher.