Differentiation between dexamethasone and betamethasone in a mixture using multiple mass spectrometry

Direct gas chromatographic methods to analyse phenylurea pesticides are discouraged by the thermal instability of these compounds, that in conventional hot splitless inlet systems leads to extensive and irreproducible formation of isocyanates and amines. However a careful control of the operating conditions, like the inlet temperature, the pressure and the presence of suitable chemical additives (as acetic acid, low-molecular-mass amines, organic anhydrides) can either: (i) minimise the thermal decomposition enabling the direct GC-MS analysis of phenylureas, or (ii) lead to reproducible conversion to isocyanates. Experimental design was employed to study the effect of the experimental variables on the thermal transformation of phenylurea pesticides in splitless inlet system. Two strategies were alternatively optimised: (i) the minimisation of degradation reactions to increase the signal of phenylureas; (ii) the maximisation of the degradation to isocyanates that are in turn determined. The maximal yields in isocyanate were obtained with high inlet temperatures, low carrier flows in the injection phase and the presence of acetic anhydride. By contrast, the use of relatively low inlet temperatures, high carrier flows during the injection and the presence of an amine maximise the response of the parent compounds.     

Determination of cisplatin and related platinum complexes in plasma ultrafiltrate and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line radioactivity detection

A reversed-phase ion-pair chromatographic method with on-line radioactivity detection for the simultaneous determination of 195mPt-labelled cisplatin and related platinum complexes has been developed. With this system a good resolution of various radiolabelled platinum complexes can be achieved. The detection limit of the radioactivity detector is 10 ng of cisplatin (specific activity of 15 MBq/mg cisplatin) per millilitre of urine or plasma ultrafiltrate. The detector response is independent of both the chemical structure of the platinum complexes and the matrix composition of the samples. This method may serve as a reference system for other high-performance liquid chromatographic systems with less specific and sensitive detectors.     

On the synthesis of geometric isomers of 2-methyl (or phenyl)-4-[α-arylethylidene]-5(4H)-oxazolones

Several Z-2-methyl(or phenyl)-4-[α-arylethylidene]-5(4H)-oxazolones 3Z, 4Z were prepared. The results obtained were compared by diazomethane insertion and condensation procedure. In order to synthesize E-2-phenyl-4-[α-arylethylidene]-5(4H)-oxazolones 4E hydrogen bromide isomerization in dry benzene was used.     

High-speed liquid and thin-layer chromatography of polychlorinated biphenyls.

High-speed liquid chromatography in the system silica gel/dry n-hexane and ultraviolet spectrometry have been used to study the composition of various types of commercially available mixtures of chlorinated biphenyls. Special attention has been paid to the analysis of highly chlorinated products. In addition to data previously published, retention times are recorded for 11 individual polychlorinated biphenyls. The results of high-speed liquid chromatography are compared with those obtained in several normal and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatographic systems.     

Conformation and chiroptical properties of mandelic acids

Using CD data (solution, solid state, various temperatures), X-ray data and MO calculations for a number of substituted mandelic acids (phenylglycolic acids) an attempt was made to explain the different results for the relation between sign of the ¹L_b CD band and substitution pattern as described in the literature for various types of aromatic compounds. Moreover the reported sector rule has been reconsidered taking into account the sign and magnitude of the spectroscopic moments. It has been found that in any explanation of the signs of the ¹L_b CD bands of substituted aromatic compounds both the conformational behaviour and the spectroscopic moments should be taken into account.     

Solvent extraction of phosphonium salts and their analytical applications : Separation and spectrophotometric determination of hexacyanoferrate(III)

The potentiometric determination of zinc in chloride solutions with a coated wire electrode is described. The electroactive membrane contains the chlorozincate(II) salt of Aliquat 336S in poly (vinyl chloride). The electrode shows a useful response over the range 10^-5 M–10^-1 M zinc(II) in 3 M total chloride solutions in the pH range 1.5–6. The electrode is more responsive to the divalent tetrachlorozincate(II) than to the monovalent trichlorozincate(II) species. Applications in compleximetric titrations, and to the analysis of zinc oxide and zinc concentrates are reported.     

Rapid extraction of copper(II) with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone direct colorimetric determination in the organic phase

Summary The chelating agent, 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone has been employed for rapid extraction and colorimetric determination of milligram amounts of copper(II) in one operation. At pH 2.4–6.0 copper(II) is extracted quantitatively from an aqueous solution by TTA-benzene in a single extraction. The green-coloured copper(II)-TTA chelate solution in benzene obeysBeer's law at 430 m over the range of 16–180g copper per millilitre. The coloured system is stable for 143 hours. It can tolerate silver, mercury(II), bismuth (<5 mg) and small amounts (<100 mg) of citrate and tartrate, whereas cobalt(II), nickel(II), iron(III), aluminium(III), cerium(IV), thorium and zirconium seriously interfere. The proposed method is reproducible to within ±1.4%.     

Curve crossing in two excited states of IBr studied by photofragmentation

Curve crossing in two excited states of IBr was studied by means of photodissociation with a pulse dye laser. The ratios of the formed ground state Br(²P_{$\text{3}\text{2}$} and excited Br(²P_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}) were measured at various wavelengths. They are compared with ratios calculated with the Landau-Zener formula, using parameters given by Child. The agreement between the measurements and the calculations is very good.     

Dissociative excitation of some aliphatic hydrocarbons by electron impact

Cross sections and threshold energies are compared for radiation from fragments produced by electron impact on methane, ethylene, ethane and acetylene. Some previous measurements have been repeated. The emission cross sections for corresponding Balmer radiation are within 10% equal for these hydrocarbons. Also the thresholds for Balmer radiation lie close together. These results can be explained in a model where H fragments arise from Rydberg states excited by promotion of an inner valence electron to a non-bonding orbital. In this model a comparison between dissociative ionization yielding H⁺ and dissociative excitation yielding H⁺ is made. For radiation from molecular fragments it is shown that the CH(A² Δ-X²Π) emission cross sections are particularly high in the case of acetylene. The electron impact data appear to be consistent with photoabsorption data.     

Determination of total arsenic in serum and packed cellsof patients with renal insufficiency

In order to investigate the arsenic level in serum and packed cells of patients with renal insufficiency, total arsenic (As) concentrations were determined with hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) in serum (S) and packed cells (PC) of 31 non-dialyzed patients. The accuracy of the method was tested by the analysis of arsenic in 3 certified reference materials. Patients showed a three-fold increase of arsenic concentrations in serum and a two-fold increase of arsenic in packed cells compared with controls. Patients (n=10) with higher serum creatinine (>2.0 mg/dL), urea (>0.70 g/L) and urinary protein (mean+/-SD: 1.12+/-0.82 g/L) showed higher arsenic concentrations (5.8+/-3.3 microg/L in serum and 18.0+/-16.7 microg/kg in packed cells) compared with those with lower creatinine (<1.6 mg/dL), urea (<0.6 g/L) and urinary protein (mean+/-SD: 0.27+/-0.82 g/L) (n=16, serum arsenic 1.2+/-1.2 microg/L, packed cells arsenic 2.6+/-1.9 microg/kg). The significant differences (both p < 0.001) in S and PC-arsenic levels of patients in group I and II implies a relationship between the arsenic level and the degree of chronic renal insufficiency.