Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of floating organic drop followed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry as a fast technique for the simultaneous determination of heavy metals

A simple, rapid and efficient dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME–SFO) method, followed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was developed for the simultaneous preconcentration and determination of heavy metals in water samples. One variable at a time method was applied to select the type of extraction and disperser solvents. Then, an orthogonal array design (OAD) with OA₁₆ (4⁵) matrix was employed to study the effects of different parameters on the extraction efficiency. Under the best experimental conditions (extraction solvent: 140 μL of 1-undecanol; disperser solvent: 2.0 mL of acetone; ligand to metal mole ratio: 20; pH: 6 and without salt addition), the enhancement factor ranged from 57 to 96. The calibration graphs were linear in the range of 0.5–250 μg L⁻¹ for Mn, 1.25–250 μg L⁻¹ for Cr, Co and Cu with correlation coefficient (r) better than 0.990. The detection limits were between 0.1 and 0.3 μg L⁻¹. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to extraction and determination of the mentioned metal ions in the tap, sea and mineral water samples and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Extraction of trace amounts of mercury with sodium dodecyle sulphate-coated magnetite nanoparticles and its determination by flow injection inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

A new method for solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of trace amounts Hg(II) from environmental samples was developed by using sodium dodecyle sulphate-coated magnetite nanoparticles (SDS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs) as a new extractant. The procedure is based on the adsorption of the analyte, as mercury-Michler's thioketone [Hg₂(TMK)₄]²⁺ complex on the negatively charged surface of the SDS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs and then elution of the preconcentrated mercury from the surface of the SDS-coated Fe₃O₄ NPs prior to its determination by flow injection inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The effects of pH, TMK concentration, SDS and Fe₃O₄ NPs amounts, eluent type, sample volume and interfering ions on the recovery of the analyte were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.2-100 ng mL⁻¹ with r² = 0.9994 (n = 8). The limit of detection for Hg(II) determination was 0.04 ng mL⁻¹. Also, relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for the determination of 2 and 50 ng mL⁻¹ of Hg(II) was 5.2 and 4.7% (n = 6), respectively. Due to the quantitative extraction of Hg(II) from 1000 mL of the sample solution an enhancement factor as large as 1230-fold can be obtained. The proposed method has been validated using a certified reference materials, and also the method has been applied successfully for the determination of Hg(II) in aqueous samples.     

Efficient synthesis of arylaminotetrazoles in water

Arylaminotetrazole derivatives are synthesized efficiently by the reaction of arylcyanamides and sodium azide in the presence of ZnCl₂ under aqueous conditions at reflux. Generally, isomer of 5-arylamino-1H-tetrazole can be obtained from arylcyanamides carrying electron-withdrawing substituent on aryl ring and as the electropositivity of substituent is increased, the product is shifted toward the isomer of 1-aryl-5-amino-1H-tetrazole.     

Optimization of ion-pair based hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction combined with HPLC-UV for the determination of methimazole in biological samples and animal feed

Ion-pair based hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (IP-HFLPME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection was applied for the preconcentration and determination of methimazole in biological samples and animal feed. Optimization of the conditions for the high extraction efficiency was studied simultaneously using the experimental design. For the first step, the Plackett-Burman design was applied to screen the significant factors on the extraction efficiency. Central composite design (CCD) was then used for the optimization of important factors and the response surface equations were obtained. The optimum experimental conditions were donor phase pH, 12.2; extraction temperature, 45°C; extraction time, 50 min; sodium perchlorate concentration, 1.5 M; cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration, 0.65 mM, and without salt addition in donor phase. The limit of detection and the dynamic linear range were in the range of 0.1-0.7 μg L(-1) and 0.5-1000 μg L(-1) , respectively. Preconcentration factors were obtained in the range of 93-155 in different matrices. Finally, the performance of the proposed method was tested for the determination of trace amounts of methimazole in plasma, urine, bovine milk, and animal feed samples, and satisfactory results were obtained (RSDs < 7.1%).     

Determination of phenolic compounds in environmental water samples after solid-phase extraction with β-cyclodextrin-bonded silica particles coupled with a novel liquid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A novel approach for the sample pre-treatment and determination of eight phenolic compounds in environmental water samples has been developed by hyphenating solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) techniques based on solid organic drop combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS). After pre-concentration and purification of the sample through column containing 60 mg of β-cyclodextrin-bonded silica particles as stationary phase, under the optimum conditions, LPME technique has been performed on the eluent solution. Under the selected conditions, limit of detection (LOD) of 0.002-0.04 μg/L (S/N=3), limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.007-0.15 μg/L (S/N=10), pre-concentration factor of 752-3135 and linearity range of 0.01-25 μg/L have been obtained. A reasonable repeatability (RSD≤9.5%, n=5) with satisfactory coefficient of determination has been obtained between 0.9981 and 0.9997. The relative recoveries of the waste, sea, river and well water samples were higher than 79%.     

Ab initio study of the stability and electronic properties of wurtzite and zinc-blende BeS nanowires

In this work we study the structural stability and electronic properties of the Beryllium sulfide nanowires (NWs) in zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) phases (with triangle and hexagonal cross sections), using first principle calculations within the plane-wave pseudopotential method. A phenomenological model is used to explain the role of dangling bonds in the stability of the NWs. In contrast to the bulk phase, the ZB-NWs with diameters less than 133.3 Å are found to be less favorable over the WZ-NWs, in which the surface dangling bonds (DBs) on the NW facets play an important role to stabilize the NWs. Furthermore, both ZB- and WZ-NWs are predicted to be semiconductor and the values of the band gaps are dependent on the surface DBs as well as the size and shape of the NWs. Finally, we obtain atom projected density of states (PDOSs) by calculating the localized density of states on the surface atoms, as well as on the core and edge atoms.     

Catalytic applications of an organosuperbase dendron grafted on mesoporous SBA-15 and a related palladium complex in Henry and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions

An efficient synthetic method for the synthesis of a basic amine dendron grafted on SBA-15 and a related Pd(II) complex as two novel catalysts has been developed. The prepared catalysts were evaluated in Henry and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions and were found to exhibit excellent heterogeneous catalytic activity in green media, and could be easily separated and reused several times.     

Solvent-Free,Cross-Aldol Condensation Reaction Using Silica-Supported,Phosphorus-Containing Reagents Leading to α,α′-Bis(arylidene)cycloalkanones

This article describes an efficient, simple, and clean method for the synthesis of α,α′-bis(arylidene, furylidene and cinnamylidene)cycloalkanones under solvent-free conditions. The cross-aldol condensation of cycloalkanones with aldehydes in the presence of silica-supported phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅/SiO₂) or silicaphosphinoxide (silphox, [POCl_3-n(SiO₂)_n]) as heterogeneous reagents produces the title compounds in good to excellent yields.     

Convergent One‐Pot Synthesis of 3‐Substituted Quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones under Solvent‐Free Conditions

A convenient method for the synthesis of 3‐substituted quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones using the convergent reactions of formic acid, a primary amine, and isatoic anhydride under solvent‐free conditions and with brief microwave irradiation is described.     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan-boehmite nanocomposite membranes for pervaporative ethanol dehydration

Abstract

Pervaporative ethanol dehydration was studied using some chitosan-boehmite nanocomposite membranes. Nanocomposite membranes were prepared by incorporation of 1 and 2?Wt. % loading of the boehmite nanoparticles synthesized by the low temperature sol-gel process. The prepared samples were characterized by FTIR, FESEM and XRD analysis. The results showed the filler particles uniform distribution within the chitosan matrix. Pervaporation performance of the prepared pristine and the nanocomposite membranes were evaluated for ethanol dehydration. The 2?Wt. % loaded boehmite nanocomposite membrane exhibited highest ethanol dehydration performance for 20?Wt. % water content feed at 50?°C as 0.513?kg/m² h and 676 as permeation flux and separation factor revealed ～50% and 2 times increments, respectively.