Application of semidifferential electroanalysis to anodic stripping voltammetry

A new voltammetric technique, Semidifferential electroanalysis, in which the semiderivative, e, of the current, i, is measured as a function of electrode potential, has been applied for detection in anodic stripping voltammetry. The semiderivative of the current is defined by [fx131-1.tif] Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Tl⁺ in 0.1 M KNO₃ at different pH values were tested as samples on a hanging mercury drop working electrode. Symmetrical sharp peaks were observed for the re-dissolution processes of metal amalgams formed during pre-electrolysis at -1.0 V vs. SCE. The peak potentials of e vs. E curves for the above three amalgams agreed well with the literature values for d.c. polarographic half-wave potentials. The peak heights were proportional to the pre-electrolysis time up to about 5 min, to the potential scan rate in the range 60–160 mV s^-1, and to the concentrations of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Tl⁺ in the original solution in the range 10^-6–10^-9 M. The relative standard deviation for the determination of Cd²⁺ was about ±4% at the 2 × 10^-5 M level.     

Random-phase-approximation calculations on triplet spectra of conjugated molecules

Random-phase approximations (RPA) have been applied to the calculation of the triplet π-π* transition spectra of 18 conjugated molecules in the framework of Pariser-Parr-Pople approximations. It is found that the normal RPA (n-RPA) shows the triplet instability for most molecules in the Nishimoto-Mataga approximation of electron-repulsion integrals. However, it is shown that this instability can be circumvented by the use of the renormalized RPA (r-RPA) in which the correlated ground states are calculated by the second-order perturbation theory. It is also shown that even in the n-RPA the suitable parametrization of electron-repulsion integrals removes this instability. It is ascertained that such an increasing order of energies as ω(n-RPA)<ω(Tamm-Dancoff approximation)<ω(r-RPA) holds for most of energy levels.     

Association behavior of fluorine-containing and non-fluorine-containing methacrylate-based amphiphilic diblock copolymer in aqueous media

Fluorine-containing amphiphilic block copolymers, poly(sodium methacrylate)-block-poly(nonafluorohexyl methacrylate) (NaMAm-b-NFHMAn) (m:n = 61:12, 72:33, 64:57), and the corresponding non-fluorine-containing amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(sodium methacrylate)-block-poly(hexyl methacrylate) (NaMAm-b-HMAn) (m:n = 64:10, 69:37, 67:50), were synthesized. Both polyNaMA-b-polyNFHMA and polyNaMA-b-polyHMA formed micelles above critical micelle concentrations, (cmc's), around 3 x 10(-5) to 1 x 10(-4) mol/L, while neither polymer decreased surface tension of aqueous solutions. The size and shape of the micelles were examined by dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and small-angle X-ray scattering. PolyNaMA-b-polyHMA appeared to form only spherical micelles, while polyNaMA-b-polyNFHMA with a long NFHMA segment formed both spherical and rodlike micelles. The micelles of fluorine-containing block copolymers were obviously larger than those of non-fluorine-containing block copolymers with the same chain length and the same hydrophilic/hydrophobic chain ratio. The fluorine-containing block copolymer selectively solubilized fluorinated dye into the water phase when a mixture of decafluorobiphenyl and 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene was added to the micelle solution.     

ISOLATION OF BLEPHARISMIN-BINDING 200 kDa PROTEIN RESPONSIBLE FOR BEHAVIOR IN Blepharisma

Abstract— The ciliated protozoan, Blepharisma, shows an avoidance reaction (step-up photophobic response) in response to light stimulation. A profile of a gel-permeation of a crude detergent-solubilized sample of the cells resulted in several red-colored fractions. Among these blepharismin-containing fractions, the fractions III-V did not contain amino acids. The peak of fraction II monitored by 580 nm absorbance was much smaller. A prominent peak appeared in fraction I, which contained a large amount of amino acids. The absorption spectrum of fraction I was well fitted to the action spectrum of the step-up photophobic response, although free pigment (blepharismin) also fitted. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of this fraction resulted in a thicker band corresponding to molecular mass of 200 kDa. These results suggest that the 200 kDa chromoprotein (blepharismin-protein complex) is responsible for the step-up photophobic response in Blepharisma. The absorption spectrum of free chromophore dissociated from the chromophore-protein complex was identical to free red pigment termed blepharismin. The absorption spectrum of the other fractions agreed with that of thin-layer chromatography-purified red pigment, indicating that the pigments contained in these fractions are free pigment dissociated from the chromophore-protein complex.     

Catalytic determination of ultratrace amounts of Cu(II) by the oxidative coupling reaction of 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone with N,N-dimethylaniline

Summary Copper (II) catalyzes the coupling reaction of 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) with N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) to form an intensely colored dye (_max=590 nm) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia as an activator. On the basis of this reaction, a highly sensitive and selective catalytic method for Cu(II) has been developed. As little as 10^–9 M Cu(II) can be determined by measuring the absorbance of the reaction product at a fixed time (20 min at 40°C). Sandell's sensitivity calculated from the working curve is 1.3×10^–3 ng cm^–2. The method was applied to water analysis and some comments on the analysis of copper in river water were added.Presented at the 1st International Symposium on Kinetics in Analytical Chemistry, Córdoba, Spain, September 28th, 1983.