Comparison of the Temperature Effect on the π∗←n and π∗←π Electronic Transition Bands of NO<Subscript>3</Subscript><Superscript>−</Superscript>(aq)

The effect of temperature on the π∗←π transition band in the UV absorption spectrum of NO₃⁻(aq) centered at ≈200 nm was studied in the temperature range 10–70 ^∘C. The observed temperature independence of this band was in contrast to the significant influence of temperature on the nitrate π∗←n transition reported recently by us. However, taking into account the electronic states involved in both the transitions, it was concluded that this finding was in accordance with our previous assumption that interconversion between spectrally distinct (with respect to π∗←n band) nitrate species included the rupture/formation of hydrogen bond(s) in the hydration shell of the nitrate ion.     

Improvement of electron capture efficiency by resonant excitation

A novel pulse sequence improving the efficiency for electron capture dissociation (ECD) of an unmodified Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer by more than an order of magnitude is presented. Commercially available FTICR instruments are usually equipped with a filament-based electron source producing an electron beam that has a rather small cross section. An ideal overlap between the rotating ion cloud and the electron beam appears to be a prerequisite for a high ECD efficiency. A reduced interception of the ion cloud and the electron beam is probably due to the contribution of the magnetron motion to the trajectory of the ions, resulting in a precession about the z-axis of the instrument. By increasing the kinetic energy and therefore increasing the cyclotron radii of the precursor ions by resonant excitation, the overlap of the rotating ion cloud with the electron beam is improved. By use of this protocol the efficiency of electron capture is substantially increased and consequently the acquisition time of ECD spectra is reduced significantly. The capability of resonant excitation of the precursor ions during the irradiation with electrons is demonstrated for standard peptides. This approach is particularly valuable for analysis and characterization of O-glycosylated peptides. In addition to amino acid sequence information, the attachment site of the labile glycan moiety is determined, and also radical-site-induced fragmentations of the glycosidic bonds are observed.     

Pulse plating effect on microstructure and corrosion properties of Zn–Ni alloy coatings

The influence of pulse plating parameters on the surface morphology, grain size, lattice imperfection and corrosion properties of Zn–Ni alloy has been studied. The coatings were electrodeposited in an alkaline cyanide-free solution. AFM was applied for surface morphology examination, XRD measurements were carried out for phase composition and texture analysis, electron probe microanalysis was used for alloy chemical composition studies, while electrochemical techniques were applied for corrosion performance evaluation. The pulse plated Zn–Ni coatings appeared to consist of the γ-Zn₂₁Ni₅ phase and the composition of the alloy depended on the plating parameters. The grain size, lattice imperfection and homogeneity of grain distribution were established to be the main factors determining corrosion behaviour of the coating. Presented at the 4th Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Greifswald, March 13–16, 2005     

The first decade of flow injection analysis: from serial assay to diagnostic tool

Some 804 papers on flow injection analysis published to the end of May 1985 are summarized. Past trends are discussed and new developments are briefly outlined.The paper entitled “Flow Injection Analysis. Part 1. A New Concept of Fast Continuous Flow Analysis” [1], which appeared in August 1975, was the first of some 804 papers [1/2-804] published on flow injection analysis (f.i.a.) during the past ten years. In the present contribution, all these papers are collected to record the status quo of the general method and to reveal the present trends in applications of f.i.a. and in the geographical distribution of the research activities. Important concepts and technological innovations are reviewed and the future development of f.i.a. is briefly outlined.     

Conformational structure of N-methylpropionamide and N-methylisobutyroamede. NMR shift reagent and IR study

The structures of the stable conformers of N-methyjpropionamide and N-methyliso-butyroamide in CCl₄, solution were determined by a combination of IR spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy with lanthanide shift reagents. N-methyl-propionamide was found to exist in the form of two rotational isomers, 1 and 2, with the ethyl group twisted out of the plane of the amide bond by the angles Ψ = 140 and 20°, respectively. For these two conformers, the enthalpy difference is ΔH = 2.13 ± 0.08 kcal mole^?1 and the entropy difference ΔS = 7.81 ± 0.55 cal mole^?1 grad^?1. N-methylisobutyroamide exists in a single form, with the two C-methyl group positions very close to those found in the two isomers of N-methylpropionamide.     

Swelling and dissolution of latex dispersions of the ethyl acrylate-methacrylic acid copolymers during alkalization

By using non-Newtonian viscometry and the static light-scattering method, changes in the structure of particles of latex dispersions of ethyl acrylate-methacrylic acid copolymer during alkalization with ammonium hydroxide were investigated. It was found that in dispersions with an acid content up to 20 wt% the particles only swell; at acid content between 20 and 40 wt% they decompose to smaller units represented by supermolecular aggregates of macromolecules, and only when approximately starting from 40 wt% of acid does the copolymer become molecularly dissolved. This means that even if dispersions with an acid content from c. 20 wt% are clarified by alkalization, no complete dissolution takes place.     

Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration of cadmium

The preconcentration of cadmium from aqueous colloid solution containing 8-hydroxyquinoline as extractant, laurylsulphate natrium as surfactant,n-butanol as co-surfactant was performed using micellar ultrafiltration technique. Filters with different pore size and materials were used to achieve a separation from liquid solutions. The cadmium recoveries depending on different conditions (pH, concentration of surfactant) were determined and the results are explained in the terms of colloidal parameters in the compare with the classical solvent extraction.     

Development and prevalidation of a method for phenol determination by solid-phase spectrophotometry

A simple, sensitive and rapid solid-phase spectrophotometric procedure was developed for the determination of traces of phenol with 4-aminoantipyrine as a reagent (AAP-SPS), and the optimal experimental conditions were established. This method was performed by sorption and direct absorbance measurements of the product phenol-AAP sorbed on the anion-exchanger Dowex 1-X4 (0.2 g) at 495 nm (absorption maximum) and 700 nm (non-absorption wavelength). The sensitivity offered by the AAP-SPS procedure was higher by a factor of 40 compared with the respective conventional spectrophotometric method. Metrological characteristics were established using a prevalidation strategy. The AAP-SPS procedure is characterized by a linear calibration function in the working range of 0.05–0.50 μmol, low standard deviation of procedure (±0.012), low limit of determination (0.021 μmol), and favorable random (±0.85 to ±11.27%) and systematic deviations (−4.55 to +11.50%). Moreover, the accuracy of the system investigated by the recovery test is acceptable (99–102%). Favorable working and performance characteristics make the new SPS method ideal for phenol monitoring in pharmaceutical preparations as well as other matrices.     

Isotachophoretic analysis of the dihydrofolate reductase reaction in the presence of methotrexate and ascorbic acid

The antifolate methotrexate (MTX) is widely used in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, we show that MTX (MTX-Glu1) and MTX-polyglutamates (MTX-Glu2-5) strongly inhibited the growth of the leukemic cell line MOLT-4. This effect, however, was mitigated by ascorbic acid. We investigated whether ascorbic acid is able to reduce dihydrofolic acid (DHF) to tetrahydrofolic acid (THF) directly or by circumventing the MTX inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). The inhibition of this NADPH-dependent reduction of DHF by MTX-Glun in the absence or presence of ascorbate, was determined by analytical isotachophoresis. Using 0.01 M HCl/histidine, pH 6.0, as a leading electrolyte (L) and 0.005 M 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES)/histidine, pH 6.0, as a terminating electrolyte (T), MTX-Glun derivatives including MTX-Glu1 could be easily separated, whereas the quantitative estimation of THF was not possible. A quantitative characterization of the DHFR reaction by measuring NADPH, NADP+ and ascorbate was achieved with another system (L: 0.01 M HCI/beta-alanine, pH 3.73; T: 0.01 M caproic acid, pH 3.27). Nanomolar concentrations of MTX-Glu1-5 inhibited consumption of NADPH and production of NADP+. Ascorbic acid was not able to reduce DHF, neither directly nor after inhibition of DHFR by MTX. However, ascorbic acid seemed to diminish the oxidation of THF and this may account for its capacity to reduce the inhibitory effect of MTX on MOLT-4 cells.     

Cyclic chronopotentiometry of nickel(II) at mercury electrodes in acidic perchlorate solutions: Case of higher order nonregenerative reactions following electron transfer

The reduction of Ni²⁺ ions at mercury electrodes in acidic perchlorate solutions, at perchlorate concentrations below 0.2 M, is characterized by absence of kinetic control in the preceding step, and by a complex reaction mechanism following the electron transfer. This reaction sequence is known to involve intermetallic compound formation between Ni and Hg and is best described, as shown here, by a parallel second and third order kinetic scheme. Apparent rate coefficients for this kinetic scheme were determined using cyclic chronopotentiometric data and fitting by digital simulation. A linearization test of computed kinetic rate coefficients versus the number of transitions permits quantitative tests of validity of assumptions made.