Application of X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that employs the use of higher plants for the clean-up of contaminated environments. Progress in the field is however handicapped by limited knowledge of the biological processes involved in plant metal uptake, translocation, tolerance and plant–microbe–soil interactions; therefore a better understanding of the basic biological mechanisms involved in plant/microbe/soil/contaminant interactions would allow further optimization of phytoremediation technologies. In view of the needs of global environmental protection, it is important that in phytoremediation and plant biology studies the analytical procedures for elemental determination in plant tissues and soil should be fast and cheap, with simple sample preparation, and of adequate accuracy and reproducibility. The aim of this study was therefore to present the main characteristics, sample preparation protocols and applications of X-ray fluorescence-based analytical techniques (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry—EDXRF, total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry—TXRF and micro-proton induced X-ray emission—micro-PIXE). Element concentrations in plant leaves from metal polluted and non-polluted sites, as well as standard reference materials, were analyzed by the mentioned techniques, and additionally by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results were compared and critically evaluated in order to assess the performance and capability of X-ray fluorescence-based techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies. It is the EDXRF, which is recommended as suitable to be used in the analyses of a large number of samples, because it is multi-elemental, requires only simple preparation of sample material, and it is analytically comparable to the most frequently used instrumental chemical techniques. The TXRF is compatible to FAAS in sample preparation, but relative to AAS it is fast, sensitive and multi-elemental. The micro-PIXE technique requires rather expensive instrumentation, but offers multi-elemental analysis on the tissue and cellular level.     

Spatial and temporal probing of a laser-induced plasma plume by cavity ringdown spectroscopy

The laser-induced plasma plume of a Ti target in vacuum is probed by the technique of cavity ringdown spectroscopy. A model is developed to perform a forward convolution of atomic absorption line profile measurements. The model accounts for laser-induced plasma characteristics such as anisotropy of the plume and velocity distributions of the ablated particles as well as of the cavity ringdown features such as geometry and time selectivity. The absorption lineshapes of atomic transitions are calculated and discussed for given sets of parameters. Calculated line profiles are fitted to experimental line profiles obtained from nanosecond-laser ablation of the target and provide data about the plume dynamics.     

Gold-ligand interaction studies of water-soluble aminoalcohol capped gold nanoparticles by NMR

Novel reproducible preparations of gold nanoparticles capped by aminoalcohols have been set up by reduction of HAuCl4 with NaBH4 in aqueous solution. The characterization of Au@aminoalcohol nanoparticles performed by 1H NMR, ATR-FTIR, UV-vis spectroscopies, and TEM microscopy highlighted the binding site and the nature of the Au-NH bond.     

Aflatoxin B(1) adsorption by natural and copper modified montmorillonite

Adsorption of aflatoxin B(1) (AFB1) by natural montmorillonite (MONT) and montmorillonite modified with copper ions (Cu-MONT) was investigated. Both MONTs were characterized using the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis, thermal analysis (DTA/TGA) and scanning electron miscroscopy/electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The results of XRPD and SEM/EDS analyses of Cu-MONT suggested partial ion exchange of native inorganic cations in MONT with copper occurred. Investigation of AFB1 adsorption by MONT and Cu-MONT, at pH 3, 7 or 9, showed that adsorption of this toxin by both MONTs was high (over 93%). Since AFB1 is nonionizable, no differences in AFB1 adsorption by both MONTs, at different pHs, were observed, as expected. Futhermore, it was determined that adsorption of AFB1 by both MONTs followed a non-linear (Langmuir) type of isotherm, at pH 3. The calculated maximum adsorbed amounts of AFB1 by MONT (40.982mg/g) and Cu-MONT (66.225mg/g), derived from Langmuir plots of isotherms, indicate that Cu-MONT was much effective in adsorbing AFB1. Since, the main cation in an exchangeable position in MONT is calcium, and in Cu-MONT both calcium and copper, the fact that ion exchange of inorganic cations in MONT with copper increases adsorption of AFB1 suggests that additional interactions between AFB1 and copper ions in Cu-MONT caused greater adsorption.     

Isostructural materials achieved by using structurally equivalent donors and acceptors in halogen-bonded cocrystals

We demonstrate the supramolecular and structural equivalence of two halogen-bond donors (I and Br) and three acceptors (O, NH and S) through the synthesis of seven isostructural halogen-bonded cocrystals, involving six different molecules: 1,4-dibromo- and 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (donors) and thiomorpholine, thioxane, morpholine, and piperazine (acceptors). The formation of isostructural cocrystals indicates how cocrystallization may be used to overcome shape and functional group dissimilarities that control molecular arrangement in the solid state. The differences in composition between the seven isostructural cocrystals directly affect the strength and nature of halogen bonds between their constituents, allowing the systematic variation of cocrystal physical properties, in particular the melting point, without affecting their crystal structure. Replacement of each O or S halogen-bond acceptor with an NH group provided an approximate 70 degrees C increase in melting point, whereas the replacement of I with Br as the halogen-bond donor lowered the melting point of the resulting solid by a similar amount.     

Isn't self-assembly a misnomer? Multi-disciplinary arguments in favor of co-assembly

Self-assembly is a ubiquitous physicochemical phenomenon. It is inherent to molecular recognition effects in the biological domain, and thus presents a basis for understanding the constitution and dynamic organization of living beings. However, it is argued in this paper that the very notion of self-assembly presents an incorrect and misleading one for the physical effects that it stands for. Self-assembly presents a misnomer as each self-assembly process not only depends on, but also includes a certain degree of ordering in the immediate surrounding of the 'self-assembling' entities. Claims are provided to support the idea that every self-assembly process is, in fact, a co-assembly event, as it implies mutual changes and structuring of both the 'self-assembled' system and its nearest surrounding. This point of view is related to the systemic observation that there could be no physical qualities independent on the context of their existence. In order to illustrate that the concept of co-assembly presents only an instance of a more profound and systemic philosophy of life, the examples of the interplay between internal and external factors of development are provided from the fields of quantum and classical physics, biology, evolutionary theory and psychology.     

Reversible intramolecular C-C bond formation/breaking and color switching mediated by a N,C-chelate in (2-ph-py)BMes2 and (5-BMes2-2-ph-py)BMes2

A diboron compound with both 3-coordinate boron and 4-coordinate boron centers, (5-BMes2-2-ph-py)BMes2 (1) and its monoboron analogue, (2-ph-py)BMes2 (2) have been synthesized. Both compounds are luminescent but have a high sensitivity toward light. UV and ambient light cause both compounds to isomerize to 1a and 2a, respectively, via the formation of a C-C bond between a mesityl and the phenyl group, accompanied by a drastic color change from yellow or colorless to dark olive green or dark blue. The structures of 1a and 2a were established by 2D NMR experiments and geometry optimization by DFT calculations. Both 1a and 2a can thermally reverse back to 1 and 2 via the breaking of a C-C bond, with the activation barrier being 107 and 110 kJ/mol, respectively. The N,C-chelate ligands in 1 and 2 were found to play a key role in promoting this unusual and reversible photo-thermal isomerization process on a tetrahedral boron center. Reactions with oxygen molecules convert 1a and 2a to 5-BMes2-2-[(2-Mes)-ph]-pyridine (1b) and 2-(2-Mes)-ph-pyridine (2b), respectively.     

A potential high-throughput method for the determination of lipase activity by potentiometric flow injection titrations

Potentiometric FIA titrations were performed to determine enzyme activities of lipase type B from Candida antarctica, CAL-B. Two substrates, triacetin and tributyrin were hydrolyzed in phosphate buffer solutions, and the concentration change of the base component of the buffer was titrated in a carrier solution containing hydrochloric acid and potassium chloride. The system was calibrated with butyric acid and acetic acid, respectively. FIA titration peaks were evaluated with respect to peak height and peak area. Butyric acid and acetic acid could be titrated in the buffer solution from 3 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹ to 0.1 mol L⁻¹. The detection limit of enzyme activity was determined to be 0.07 U mL⁻¹ (15 min reaction time) and the minimum activity was calculated to be 0.035 units corresponding to 35 nmol min⁻¹. The specific activities of lipase B for the hydrolysis of tributyrin and triacetin were determined as 16 ± 2 U mg⁻¹ and 2 ± 0.2 U mg⁻¹ (per mg commercial lipase preparation), respectively.     

Study of interactions of concentrated marine dissolved organic matter with copper and zinc by pseudopolarography

The interaction of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with copper and zinc in a concentrated seawater sample was characterised by pseudopolarography. Measurements performed at increased concentrations of copper(II) ions showed successive saturation of active DOM sites which indicate possible partition of copper between (i) free or labile complexes, (ii) reduced and released within the potential window of the method, and (iii) electroinactive copper complexes. Pseudopolarograms measured at pH 4 indicate a release of copper which was bound to the active sites of DOM that formed non-labile complexes. Variation of the peak position and half-peak width along the scanned deposition potentials and with the increasing concentration of copper bear the information about the complex electrochemical processes at the electrode surface and in the bulk of the solution. Pseudopolarograms of zinc showed a strong dependence of the peak current and the peak position along the scanned deposition potentials on pH values, indicating preferentially complexation of zinc with carboxylic-like active sites of DOM in the measured sample. Pseudopolarography is a valuable method in the trace metal complexation and speciation studies, serving as a fingerprint of the analysed sample.     

Use of Different Salt Solutions in Salting-Out TLC of Co(III) Complexes on Silica Gel

Saturated aqueous solutions of 28 different salts have been studied as a potential mobile phases for salting-out thin-layer chromatography, on silica gel, of a series of four mixed bis-aminocarboxylato cobalt(III) complexes. In addition, by linear regression analysis of chromatographic data obtained for fifteen mixed aminocarboxylato Co(III) complexes (four series) with solutions of ammonium chloride, three alkali metal chlorides, and four alkaline earth metal chlorides, four linear dependences previously established on different adsorbents with (NH₄)₂SO₄ solutions were confirmed. The qualities of the separations achieved with the salts were compared and Li⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ chlorides are proposed as the most suitable.