Preparation of Functionalized Imidazolium Salts under Microwave Irradiation

A direct alkylation of a substituted imidazole to prepare the corresponding functionalized ionic liquid has been developed in excellent yields under microwave irradiation.     

Dielectrophoresis with 3D microelectrodes fabricated by surface tension assisted lithography

This paper demonstrates the utilization of 3D semispherical shaped microelectrodes for dielectrophoretic manipulation of yeast cells. The semispherical microelectrodes are capable of producing strong electric field gradients, and in turn dielectrophoretic forces across a large area of channel cross‐section. The semispherical shape of microelectrodes avoids the formation of undesired sharp electric fields along the structure and also minimizes the disturbance of the streamlines of nearby passing fluid. The advantage of semispherical microelectrodes over the planar microelectrodes is demonstrated in a series of numerical simulations and proof‐of‐concept experiments aimed toward immobilization of viable yeast cells.     

A novel method for determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using dehydration reactions

Novel methods for the determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray (ES) ionization mass spectrometry have been developed using dehydration reactions between oxyanions and carboxylic acids at the ES interface. Twelve oxyanions (VO₃^?, CrO₄^2?, MoO₄^2?, WO₄^2?, BO₃^3?, SiO₃^2?, SiO₄^4?, AsO₄^4?, AsO₂^?, SeO₄^2?, SeO₃^2? and NO₂^?), out of 16 tested, reacted with at least one of four aminopolycarboxylic acids, i.e. iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid and triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′″,N′″‐hexaacetic acid, at the ES interface to produce the dehydration products that gave intense mass ion responses, sufficient for trace analysis. As examples, trace determinations of Cr^VI and silica in water samples were achieved after online ion exchange chromatography, where the dehydration product of CrO₄^2? and NTA (m/z 290) and that of SiO₄^4? and IDA (m/z 192) were measured. The limits of detection of the respective methods were 17 nM (0.83 ng Cr/ml) for Cr^VI and 0.17 μM (4.8 ng Si/mL) for SiO₄^4?. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.