Use of a modified, high-sensitivity, anodic stripping voltammetry method for determination of zinc speciation in the North Atlantic Ocean

Zinc speciation is considered to be an important determinant of the biological availability of zinc. Yet in oceanic surface waters, characterization of zinc speciation is difficult due to the low concentrations of this essential micronutrient. In this study, an anodic stripping voltammetry method previously developed for the total determination of cadmium and lead was successfully adapted to the measurement of zinc speciation. The method differs from previous zinc speciation anodic stripping voltammetry methods in that a fresh mercury film is plated with each sample aliquot. The fresh film anodic stripping voltammetry method was compared to competitive ligand exchange cathodic stripping voltammetry in a profile from the North Atlantic Ocean. Results using the fresh film anodic stripping voltammetry method were similar to those determined using the cathodic stripping voltammetry method, though ligand concentrations determined by fresh film anodic stripping voltammetry were generally slightly higher than those determined by cathodic stripping voltammetry. There did not seem to be a systematic difference between methods for the estimates of conditional stability constants. The ligand concentration in the North Atlantic profile ranged from 0.9 to 1.5 nmol L⁻¹ as determined by fresh film anodic stripping voltammetry and 0.6 to 1.3 nmol L⁻¹ as determined by cathodic stripping voltammetry. The conditional stability constants determined by fresh film anodic stripping voltammetry were 10^9.8-10^10.5 and by cathodic stripping voltammetry were 10^9.8-10^11.3.     

Molecular packing density of a self-assembled monolayer formed from N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane by a vapor phase process

The molecular density of an aminosilane self-assembled monolayer formed from N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (AEAPS) by a vapor phase method has been estimated to be about 3 AEAPS molecules per nm(2) based on chemical labeling, optical absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Device for co-culture of sympathetic neurons and cardiomyocytes using microfabrication

Rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and ventricular myocytes (VMs) were co-cultured separately in a minichamber placed on a microelectrode-array (MEA) substrate. The minichamber, fabricated photolithographically using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), had 2 compartments, 16 microcompartments and 8 microconduits. The SCG neurons were seeded into one of the compartments and all of the microcompartments using a glass pipette controlled by a micromanipulator and a microinjector. The VMs were seeded into the other compartment. Three days after seeding of the VMs, the SCG neurons were still confined to one compartment and all of the microcompartments, and the neurites of the SCG neurons had connected with the VMs via the microconduits. Constant-voltage stimulation, using a train of biphasic square pulses (1 ms at +1 V, followed by -1 ms at 1 V), was applied to the SCG neurons in the microcompartments using 16 electrodes. Evoked responses were observed in several electrodes while electrical stimulation was applied to the SCG neurons. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the frequency of the stimulation pulses had significant effects in increasing the beat rate of the VMs, and that the interaction between the frequency and the number of the pulses also had a significant effect on the ratio. No significant increases in the beat rate were observed when propranolol, a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, was added to the culture medium. These results suggest that synaptic pathways were formed between the SCG neurons and the VMs, and that this co-culture device can be utilized for studies of network-level interactions between sympathetic neurons and cardiomyocytes.     

A carbon nanotube structured biomimetic catalyst for polysaccharide degradation

A unique artificial catalyst that mimics the structure of active sites in real enzymes using functionalized carbon nanotubes is presented. This concept will allow for the potential construction of a library of biomimetic catalysts for enzyme active centers, for which the structure-catalysis relationships are well defined.     

Determination of musty odorants, 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin, in environmental water by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry.

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of musty odorants, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin (GSM), in environmental water was developed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. MIB and GSM were separated within 10 min using a DB-1 capillary column and detected in the selective ion monitoring mode. HS-SPME using a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fiber provided effective sample enrichment, and was carried out by fiber exposition at 70 degrees C for 30 min. Using this method, the calibration curves of MIB and GSM were linear in the range of 0-500 pg/mL, with a correlation coefficient above 0.9977 (n=24). The detection limits (S/N=3) of MIB and GSM were 0.9 and 0.6 pg/mL, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of environmental water samples without interference peaks.     

Crystal structure and magnetic property of spin crossover complex Fe(3-phenylpyridine)2[Au(CN)2]2

A novel two-dimensional network bimetallic Fe Au spin crossover coordination polymer based on 3-phenylpyridine-coordinated iron centers and linear gold cyanide bridges {Fe(3-phenylpyridine)₂[Au(CN)₂]₂}_n (1), has been synthesized. The compound is characterized by elemental analysis, IR, single-crystal X-ray analysis at 300 and 90 K and magnetic measurements. The Fe^II ions in 1 have octahedral Fe^IIN₆ coordination geometries, which are linked by [Au(CN)₂]⁻ units at the equatorial plane to form a polymeric 2D sheet architecture. The two pyridine rings coordinate in axial position. Variable-temperature (2-300 K) magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1 were performed to determine the spin transition behavior. SQUID data show that high and low spin states exist in a 1:1 ratio at 90 K. However, only one kind of Fe^II atom is apparent crystallographically at 90 K, indicating that the high and low spin sites are disordered in the polymeric 2D framework.     

Insights in quantum dynamical effects in the infrared spectroscopy of liquid water from a semiclassical study with an ab initio-based flexible and polarizable force field

The dynamical properties of liquid water play an important role in many processes in nature. In this paper, we focus on the infrared (IR) absorption spectrum of liquid water based on the linearized semiclassical initial value representation (LSC-IVR) with the local Gaussian approximation (LGA) [J. Liu and W. H. Miller, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 074113 (2009)] and an ab initio based, flexible, polarizable Thole-type model (TTM3-F) [G. S. Fanourgakis and S. S. Xantheas, J. Chem. Phys. 128, 074506 (2008)]. Although the LSC-IVR (LGA) gives the exact result for the isolated three-dimensional shifted harmonic stretching model, it yields a blueshifted peak position for the more realistic anharmonic stretching potential. By using the short-time information of the LSC-IVR correlation function; however, it is shown how one can obtain more accurate results for the position of the stretching peak. Due to the physical decay in the condensed phase system, the LSC-IVR (LGA) is a good and practical approximate quantum approach for the IR spectrum of liquid water. The present results offer valuable insight into future attempts to improve the accuracy of the TTM3-F potential or other ab initio-based models in reproducing the IR spectrum of liquid water.     

Counter-ionic effect on the separation of water-soluble compounds applying a hydrophilic stationary phase bonded with a zwitter-ionic polymer

A novel hydrophilic stationary phase bonded with a zwitter-ionic polymer for HPLC was synthesized. The stationary phase, in combination with a mobile phase containing various salts, was evaluated for its ability to separate water-soluble compounds, such as nucleobases, nucleosides and glycosides. The retention of a large majority of the solutes, except for cytosine, was increased by adding anti-chaotropic ions to the mobile phase. These results suggested that the retention of solutes depended on the thickness of the hydration layer on the stationary phase. In the zwitter-ionic polymer adsorbent, the formation of the hydration layer and the ionicity of the zwitter-ionic group on the stationary phase will be controlled by the properties of the ions added to the mobile phase.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence reaction of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) with 2,5-dimethylthiophene as co-reactant in aqueous solution

A novel effective co-reactant for electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) has been found. Alpha-position-dialkylated thiophene derivatives such as 2,5-dimethylthiophene (DMT) could be used as a co-reactant for Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL. The reaction mechanism of the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/DMT system was proposed on the basis of the identification of the reaction product, the relationship between the molecular structure and the chemiluminescent intensity, and the electrochemical study. The obtained reaction mechanism was similar to that of the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/aliphatic tertiary amine system. Based on these results, the preliminary studies of the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL detection system using DMT as a co-reactant were performed. Under the optimal ECL conditions, the plot of ECL intensity versus the concentration of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) was linear over the concentration range 1.0x10(-8) to 1.5x10(-7) M (determination coefficient=0.9996).     

Calibration of an evaporative light-scattering detector as a mass detector for supercritical fluid chromatography by using uniform Poly(ethylene glycol) oligomers

The quantitativeness of an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was evaluated by using an equimass mixture of uniform poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) oligomers. Uniform oligomers, in which all molecules have an identical molecular mass, are useful for the accurate calibration of detectors. We calibrated the SFC-ELSD system for various concentrations and molecular masses by using an equimass mixture of PEG oligomers. ELSD not only showed a good linear response to the injected concentration over a wide concentration range, from 10(-4) to 10(-1)g/mL, but also showed a strong dependence on the molecular mass of the solute. By using chromatograms of the equimass mixture of uniform oligomers to calibrate SFC-ELSD, it was possible to determine exact values of not only the average mass but also the molecular-mass distribution for a PEG 1540 sample. The average molecular mass was shifted to a higher value by several percentage points after calibration of the ELSD.