Study on selective quantitative determination of barium by sulphonazo III in complex matrices

Selective quantitative determination of barium by commercially available Sulphonazo III was studied in complex matrices. The application of two more promising methods was tried, but interferences derived from cations and anions present in natural waters and waste waters made them unuseful.     

Development and Validation of a Fast Reversed-Phase Ion-Pairing Liquid Chromatographic Method for Simultaneous Determination of Eight Cephalosporin Antibiotics in Pharmaceutical Formulations

A fast and reliable single method was developed for rapid screening of cephalosporin oral dosage forms aimed to the detection of counterfeit and substandard drugs that might be illegally commercialised. Nine cephalosporin compounds, ceftibuten, cefatrizine, cefadroxil, cefaclor, cefprozil (Z) and (E)-isomers, cefixime, cephalexin and cefradine were separated in a six minutes chromatographic run by using a Symmetry^® C18 column (50 × 4.6 mm I.D., 3.5 μm particle size) and an UV detector set at 254 nm. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile-methanol-phosphate buffer (50 mM) containing 1-pentanesulfonic acid sodium salt (7 mM) adjusted to pH=2.1 with phosphoric acid (9:13:78 v/v/v). Validation of the method showed it to be robust, precise, accurate and linear over the concentration range of analysis.     

The electronic structure of N4O62+ and the bonding interaction of NO+ and NO3−

The results are reported of an MO-SCF-CNDO/2 study of the experimental and optimal geometries of the N₄O₆²⁺ion cluster. The calculations are shown to support the stable existence of the N₄O₆²⁺ complex and the suggestion of its discoverers [1] on the role of NO⁺ in the N₂O₄ solutions. The proposed interpretation of the bonding interaction explains why the shortest N β O distances are found with the NO⁺ ions which have their nitrogen atoms displaced out of the NO₃^? plane.     

Dilute solution properties of sodium amylopectin xanthate

Sodium amylopectin xanthate, prepared by xanthation of potato amylopectin in alkaline medium, was fractionated and the fractions in 1M NaOH were characterized by viscometry and light scattering. The expansion factor α was determined from the expression due to Orofino and Flory. The value of a of the Mark-Houwink relation, [η] = KM^a, was also determined. Its weight-average molecular weight, end-to-end distance, branching, and other parameters in alkali solution were also evaluated. From the data, it was concluded that the sodium amylopectin xanthate molecule had a polydisperse random-coil chain configuration in 1M NaOH and had no tendency to aggregate in this medium.     

The electronic structure of propiolic acid and propynal

A CNDO/2 calculation of ths total energy and electron distribution of propiolic acid and propynal shows that their dipole moment originates almost entirely from the charge distribution of the COOH and CHO groups and receives only a small contribution from the CCH group. These results provide a satisfactory explanation of very recent microwave dipole moment measurements on propiolic acid.     

Optimization of harvesting, extraction, and analytical protocols for UPLC-ESI-MS-based metabolomic analysis of adherent mammalian cancer cells

In this study, a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics protocol was optimized for quenching, harvesting, and extraction of metabolites from the human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1. Trypsin/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment and cell scraping in water were compared for sample harvesting. Four different extraction methods were compared to investigate the efficiency of intracellular metabolite extraction, including pure acetonitrile, methanol, methanol/chloroform/H₂O, and methanol/chloroform/acetonitrile. The separation efficiencies of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with UPLC-QTOF-MS were also evaluated. Global metabolomics profiles were compared; the number of total detected features and the recovery and relative extraction efficiencies of target metabolites were assessed. Trypsin/EDTA treatment caused substantial metabolite leakage proving it inadequate for metabolomics studies. Direct scraping after flash quenching with liquid nitrogen was chosen to harvest Panc-1 cells which allowed for samples to be stored before extraction. Methanol/chloroform/H₂O was chosen as the optimal extraction solvent to recover the highest number of intracellular features with the best reproducibility. HILIC had better resolution for intracellular metabolites of Panc-1 cells. This optimized method therefore provides high sensitivity and reproducibility for a variety of cellular metabolites and can be applicable to further LC/MS-based global metabolomics study on Panc-1 cell lines and possibly other cancer cell lines with similar chemical and physical properties.

Estimation of Olefin Dimerisation Products by GC/GC–MS and IR Techniques

A GC and IR based protocol was developed for monitoring the isobutene dimerisation process wherein the complete characterisation of the products was carried out by GC coupled with mass spectrometry. In the dimerisation process, LPG from FCC process comprising a mixture of saturated and unsaturated C4 hydrocarbons is subjected to a dimerisation process using a catalyst to produce C8 hydrocarbons. The reaction is carried out keeping in view the demand for high-octane blending components in gasoline. The isooctene generated in the process (mainly from the dimerisation of isobutene) is converted into isooctane having the RON and MON value 100. The monitoring process requires the use of two different column chemistries, viz., a 100 m CPSIL PONA CB non-polar column for C8 and its isomers and an Alumina PLOT column for C4 hydrocarbons. A 100 m non-polar column does not separate the C4 mixture since the column is meant for gasoline range products containing C5 and above hydrocarbons. Therefore, a need was felt for an improvised method which can handle both the analyses simultaneously. A cryogenic oven program starting from 0 °C was developed for separating the isomers of C4 hydrocarbons and C8 hydrocarbons on a single column during the single run by Detailed Hydrocarbon Analyzer. The data obtained using the cryo programme was validated with data obtained using Alumina PLOT column on C4 mixture since the Alumina PLOT column is the widely accepted column chemistry for separating the C4 hydrocarbons. An IR method for the estimation of the total olefin content was developed using 2,2,4-trimethyl pentene-1 as the reference standard. The total olefins generated during the process were identified by GC–MS, quantified by DHA-FID and validated by infrared spectroscopy. A good correlation was found between GC and IR spectral results (correlation coefficient R ²  = 0.99).     

Mechanistic dichotomy in the solvent dependent access to E vs. Z-allylic amines via decarboxylative vinylation of amino acids

The solvent plays an important role in the photophysical properties of donor–acceptor based photocatalysts. The solvent-dependent access to E vs. Z-allylic amines was achieved via decarboxylative vinylation of amino acids with vinyl sulfones. Detailed experimental studies have been conducted to understand the role of the solvent in the reactivity and stereoselectivity of the vinylation reactions.

A solvent-dependent access to E vs. Z-allylic amines was achieved via decarboxylative vinylation of amino acids. Detailed experimental studies have been conducted to understand the role of the solvent in the reactivity and stereoselectivity of the vinylation reactions.     

Influence of environment and grain size on magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Mn–Zn ferrite

Nanocrystalline Mn_1−xZn_xFe₂O₄ (0.2?x?0.9) was prepared by mechanical alloying of the concerned oxide precursors and subsequent annealing in air and Ar atmosphere, respectively. Milling and annealing in air produces Zn-ferrites (ZnFe₂O₄) instead of Mn–Zn ferrites as MnO converts to higher oxides at higher oxygen partial pressure and fails to dissolve in the spinel phase. This is confirmed by careful quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis using Rietvelt profile matching and also by the non-saturating paramagnetic nature of the magnetization response with very low saturation level of these spinels milled and annealed in air. On the other hand, single-phase Mn–Zn ferrite results from the identical precursor oxide blend when milling and annealing are carried out under controlled (Ar) atmosphere. The average grain size of the as-milled and annealed powders, measured by Rietvelt refinement, varies between 6–8 and 14–18 nm, respectively. Further investigations performed with Mn_0.6Zn_0.4Fe₂O₄ reveal that a careful selection of annealing parameters may lead to an early superparamagnetic relaxation. Therefore, the blocking temperature can be significantly reduced through proper heat treatment schedule to ensure superparamagnetism and negligible hysteresis at low temperature.