Unique structural properties of the Mg-Al hydrotalcite solid base catalyst: an in situ study using Mg and Al K-edge XAFS during calcination and rehydration

The changes in the layered structure of Mg-Al hydrotalcite (Mg/ Al = 2) during heat treatment have been investigated by using in situ XAFS simultaneously at the Mg and Al K-edges. The development of unique in situ instrumentation allowed the coordination environments at both the Mg and Al centers to be monitored as a function of the temperature and heat treatment. The results of this study show that the hydrotalcite structure is highly flexible, and should lead to the further development of hydrotalcites as new solid basic catalysts. Moreover, the Mg and Al cations in the cation layers show different behavior as a function of temperature. The coordination of some octahedral Al ions decreases already at a temperature of 425 K, whereas the coordination about Mg does not show any modification at this temperature. However, hydrotalcite treated at 425 K, followed by cooling down to room temperature resulted in a complete reversal to the original octahedral Al coordination. It is proposed that Al-OH bond breakage occurs at 425 K, without the evolution of H2O. This bond is restored after cooling to room temperature. The actual dehydroxylation of hydrotalcite commences between 425 and 475 K, as indicated by a change in coordination of both the Mg and Al centers. This is accompanied by the evolution of H2O molecules and the changes are hence irreversible without the presence of excess water. Heat treatment at 725 K leads to the development of an MgO-like phase (octahedral Mg) and a mixed octahedral/tetrahedral Al phase. A subsequent rehydration at room temperature entirely restores the original coordination about the Al and Mg centers of hydrotalcite to a distance of 15 A, to which XAFS spectroscopy is sensitive.     

Type I and type II sensitizers based on Rose Bengal onium salts

Abstract— New Rose Bengal oniurn salts containing one or two iodonium, sulfonium, phosphonium, and pyrylium ions have been prepared as part of a program to develop sensitizers which can function as Type I radical photoinitiators and Type II energy transfer donors depending on experimental conditions. The absorption spectra of the onium salts in different solvents indicate an equilibrium between tight and loose ion pairs which depends on the solvent polarity, the cation and concentration. Typical Rose Bengal photochemistry requires the structure be that of the loose ion pair in the solvent of choice. Similar factors also influence bleaching behavior, and bleaching is the result of electron transfer processes. The quantum yields of singlet oxygen production from the onium salts in polar solvents are similar to that of the parent, Rose Bengal disodium salt.     

Analysis of primary aliphatic short-chain monoamines by LC in water samples

Several derivatization procedures with o-phthaldialdehyde-N-acetylcysteine (OPA-NAC) were compared for a rapid analysis of primary aliphatic short-chain monoamines in water samples by HPLC using a LiChorospher analytical separation column (100RP₁₈ mm i.d., 5 μm). Both the solution and the solid-support assisted off-line derivatization on C₁₈ SPE cartridges were inadequate options because of beginning degradation processes of the instable isoindol derivatives during their transfer to the analytical column. This problem was precluded with the on-column or solid-support assisted on-line derivatization. In the last mentioned procedure, the derivatization took place in a Hypersil C₁₈ precolumn ( mm i.d., 30 μm) connected with an additional preconcentration step resulting in better detection limits (0.002-0.040 μg ml⁻¹ requiring only 150 μl of water sample) than in the on-column procedure (0.08-0.16 μg ml⁻¹). The improved sample handling, the better control of parameters affecting reaction rates, the fully automation of this method with only 10 min analysis time for each sample are further advantageous. The potential of the solid-support assisted on-line derivatization was outlined and applied to water samples from several sources. Recovery values near 100% were obtained.     

Photoproteins as luminescent labels in binding assays

Certain marine organisms produce calcium-activated photoproteins that allow them to emit light for a variety of purposes, such as defense, feeding, breeding, etc. Even though there are many bioluminescent organisms in nature, only a few photoproteins have been isolated and characterized. The mechanism of emission of light in the blue region is the result of an internal chemical reaction. Because there is no need for excitation through external irradiation for the emission of bioluminescence, the signal produced has virtually no background. This allows for the detection of the proteins at extremely low levels, making these photoproteins attractive labels for analytical applications. In that regard, the use of certain photoproteins, namely, aequorin, obelin, and the green fluorescent protein as labels in the design and development of binding assays for biomolecules has been reviewed. In addition, a related fluorescent photoprotein, the green fluorescent protein (GFP), has been recently employed in bioanalysis. The use of GFP in binding assays is also discussed in this review.     

HPLC Determination of some antibilharzial antimonials by extraction of antimony

The antimonial drug (antimony potassium tartrate, antimony piperazine tartrate or antimony lithium thiomaleate) in aqueous solution or biological fluid is treated with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in the presence of a suitable masking reagent, the pH is adjusted to 9 +/- 0.5. and the antimony complex extracted with n-hexane and determined by reversed-phase HPLC with an ODS column and detection at 254 nm. The limits of detection are 20 ng (for antimony potassium tartrate and antimony lithium thiomaleate) and 16 ng (for antimony piperazine tartrate).     

Doppler-free laserspectroscopic investigations of hyperfine structure in the atomic cobalt spectrum

Performing Doppler-free laserspectroscopic investigations in the red wavelength region (640–670 nm) we were able to determine 10A-factors and 9B-factors of atomic cobalt levels. Now precise values of 18A-factors and 16B-factors of levels belonging to the configurations (3d+4s)⁹ are known. Fitting of the one-electron radial parameters to introduce agreement between experimental and theoretical hfs constants allows the prediction of hfs constants of not yet investigated fine structure levels. Values of the electric quadrupole moment of the Co⁵⁹ nucleus are determined in two electron configurations. The resulting mean value of the spectroscopic quadrupole moment isQ=0.35(3) barn.     

Spectrophotometric determination of acrivastine in urine and capsules

Three sensitive and accurate spectrophotometric methods are presented for the determination of the antihistaminic acrivastine (ACR) in capsules and urine. The first method utilizes the reaction of 2-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride in presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and pyridine. The violet colour of the resulting acid hydrazide is measured at 550 nm. The second method is based on alkaline oxidation of the drug with potassium permanganate and subsequent measurement of the formed manganate ion at 608 nm. The third method uses derivative spectrophotometry for the determination of ACR. The last method is extended to the in vitro determination of the drug in urine. All methods gave a relative standard deviation of less than 2%.     

Fluoridolyse von Cyclophosphazenen und linearen Polyphosphazenen

Fluoridolysis of Cyclophosphazenes and Lineary Polyphosphazenes The fluorination of nongeminal trans P₃N₃Cl₄(NEt₂)₂ and nongeminal trans P₃N₃Cl₃(NEt₂)₃ with the fluorination agent Et₃N · 0,6 HF ( B ) occurs under retention of configuration yielding P₃N₃Cl₂F₂(NEt₂)₂ and P₃N₃F₄(NEt₂)₂ or P₃N₃F₃(NEt₂)₃, respectively. P₃N₃Cl₆ is nearly quantitatively converted into P₃N₃F₆. Poly(dichlorophosphazene) reacts to a poly(difluorophosphazene), (PNF₂)_n, distinguished by a moderate solubility in THF.     

Use of long-chain alkylamines for preconcentration and determination of traces of molybdenum, tungsten and rhenium by atomic-absorption spectroscopy-II: molybdenum in soils, sediments and natural waters

Molybdenum is extracted as the thiocyanate complex with the quaternary long-chain aliphatic amine Aliquat 336 in chloroform, followed by evaporation of the solvent, dissolution in MIBK, and atomic-absorption spectroscopy. The method is simple, rapid and sensitive, with few interference problems for the determination of the Mo content of soils and sediments in the range 0.1-1.0 ppm with a relative standard deviation better than 5% when 1-g samples are used. Quantitative extraction from large volumes of aqueous solution has also been confirmed, allowing the determination of Mo in natural waters in the ppM range.     

Calculation of the 1J(PP) angular dependence in P2H4

Using the results obtained from an MO SCF ab initio calculation on P₂H₄ in four different conformations, the ¹J(PP) NMR coupling constants have been calculated. The ¹J(PP) values are highly dependent upon the rotational angle φ (?238.0 Hz in the eclipsed conformation, 10.9 Hz in the staggered one). The shape of the theoretical ¹J(PP) plot seems to be in good agreement with experimentally measured ¹J(PP) values.