Solution study of a structurally characterized monoalkoxo-bound monooxo-vanadium(V) complex: spontaneous generation of the corresponding oxobridged divanadium(V,V) complex and its electroreduction to a mixed-valence species in solution

An interesting transformation of a structurally characterized monooxoalkoxovanadium(V) complex [VO(OEt)L] (LH 2 = a dibasic tridentate ONO donor ligand) in solution leading to the formation of the corresponding monooxobridged divanadium(V,V) complex (VOL) 2O is reported. This binuclear species in solution is adequately characterized by elemental analysis, measurement of conductance (in solution), various spectroscopic (UV-vis, IR, NMR, and mass spectrometry) techiniques and by cyclic voltammetry. The corresponding mixed-valence vanadium(IV,V) species has been generated in CH 3CN solution by controlled potential electrolysis of (VOL) 2O. This mixed-valence species is identified and studied by EPR technique (at room temperature and at liquid nitrogen temperature) and also by UV-vis spectroscopy. This study may be regarded as a general method of obtaining monooxo-bridged binuclear vanadium(V,V) species from the corresponding mononuclear monooxoalkoxovanadium(V) complexes of some selected dibasic tridentate ONO chelating ligands, which can be utilized as the precursor of monooxobridged divanadium(IV,V) mixed-valence species in solution obtainable by controlled potential electrolysis.     

Analytical application of DHOA for the determination of trace metallic constituents in U based fuel materials by ICP-AES

DHOA (Di-n-hexyl-octanamide) is one of the alternative extractants to TBP (tri-n-butyl phosphate) known for the extraction of uranium from moderate nitric acid medium without significant extraction of the fission products. Analytical application of DHOA was explored to develop a methodology for determination of trace metallic constituents in uranium based nuclear materials. This involved the separation of uranium matrix by 1.1 M DHOA-dodecane followed by the analysis of the raffinate for trace constituents by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). A systematic study showed that four contacts of 1.1 M DHOA-dodecane were required for quantitative extraction of U from 4 M HNO₃ feed for the sample size of 1 g in 10 mL. The feasibility of using DHOA for extraction of U from trace metallic constituents in U based fuel materials without losing trace quantities of analytes of interest was studied by using synthetic samples after appropriate spiking of common impurities and critical elements at their required specification limits (common elements—5 ppm, critical elements—1 ppm). A systematic study was carried out to compare the analytical performance of DHOA with TBP, which revealed that DHOA could successfully be employed for the determination of 19 trace constituents with lower estimation limits of 5 ppm for common impurities and 1 ppm for critical elements.     

Measurement of soil/dust arsenic by gas phase chemiluminescence

A gas phase chemiluminescence (GPCL)-based method for trace measurement of arsenic has been recently described for the measurement of arsenic in water. The principle is based on the reduction of inorganic As to AsH₃ at a controlled pH (the choice of pH governs whether only As(III) or all inorganic As is converted) and the reaction of AsH₃ with O₃ to produce chemiluminescence (Idowu et al., Anal. Chem. 78 (2006) 7088-7097). The same general principle has also been used in postcolumn reaction detection of As, where As species are separated chromatographically, then converted into inorganic As by passing through a UV photochemical reactor followed by AsH₃ generation and CL reaction with ozone (Idowu and Dasgupta, Anal. Chem. 79 (2007) 9197-9204). In the present paper we describe the measurement of As in different soil and dust samples by serial extraction with water, citric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. We also compare parallel measurements for total As by induction coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). As(V) was the only species found in our samples. Because of chloride interference of isobaric ArCl⁺ ICP-MS analyses could only be carried out by standard addition; these results were highly correlated with direct GPCL and LC-GPCL results (r² = 0.9935 and 1.0000, respectively). The limit of detection (LOD) in the extracts was 0.36 μg/L by direct GPCL compared to 0.1 μg/L by ICP-MS. In sulfuric acid-based extracts, the LC-GPCL method provided LODs inferior to those previously observed for water-based standards and were 2.6, 1.3, 6.7, and 6.4 μg/L for As(III), As(V), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), respectively.     

Spectral interference study of uranium on other analytes by using CCD based ICP-AES

Due to the multi-electronic nature, uranium is having line rich emission spectra and is expected to interfere during the determination of analytes at the trace level in uranium matrix. Therefore, chemical separation of uranium followed by the determination of trace metallic impurities in the raffinate by ICP-AES is generally adopted procedure in nuclear industries. There is restriction on choosing alternate analytical lines of elements by photomultiplier tube based ICP-AES associated with the polychromator while monochromator needs significant time to scan different analytical lines of all the elements. Since charged coupled detector (CCD) consists of array of pixels, it is having more option in choosing alternative analytical lines of the analytes. Therefore, an attempt was made to study the spectral interference of uranium on different analytical lines of analytes viz. Al, Ga, In, Si, Li, Ti, Mg, Sr, K, Ce, Nd, Lu, Sc, V, Er, Y, Ba, Bi, Pb, W, La, Tl, Sn, Yb, Mo, Sb, Pr and Zr; and the correction factors were evaluated (where ever necessary) using CCD based ICP-AES technique. The sensitivity and the detection limits of the analytical channels of the elements in presence of uranium matrix were calculated. The present study also deals with the identification of suitable analytical lines of uranium and its detection limits.     

Methods and concerns in disposal of nuclear waste from storage vials post recovery

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The speciation of iodine in environment must be known in order to properly assess its geological fate and to study potential remediation materials...     

How does the urea dynamics differ from water dynamics inside the reverse micelle?

In this study, the urea dynamics inside AOT reverse micelle (RM) has been monitored without intervention of water using time-resolved fluorescence techniques from the picosecond to nanosecond time regime. It has been observed that urea dynamics inside the reverse micelle is severely retarded compared to water RM due to the formation of highly networked urea cluster inside the RM. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy study also confirms the existence of a confined environment around the dye at higher concentrations of urea inside the reverse micelle. The dynamics of urea-water mixtures inside AOT reverse micelle has also been monitored with increasing urea concentration to get insight about the effect of urea on the overall solvation dynamics feature. It has been observed that with the increase in urea concentration, the overall dynamics becomes slower, and it infers the presence of few water or urea molecules, those strongly associated with surrounding urea and (or) water by hydrogen bonds.     

Stereoselective synthesis of methyl branched chiral deoxypropionate units: a new route for synthesis of insect pheromone (−)-lardolure and (2R,4R,6R,8R) 2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecanoic acid

(−)-Lardolure and (2R,4R,6R,8R)-2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecanoic acid have been synthesized via lipase catalyzed desymmetrization strategy to create two methyl chiral centers. Other key steps involved in the synthesis are Wittig reaction, Evan’s asymmetric alkylation, Grignard reaction, Pd-catalyzed isomerization of primary allylic alcohol to corresponding saturated aldehyde, and PhNO/proline catalyzed MacMillan α-hydroxylation.     

Synthesis and physico-chemical and biological studies on ruthenium (III) complexes with Schiff bases derived from aminocarboxylic acids

Summary Ruthenium(III) complexes of types [Ru(L)₃], [Ru(L)Cl(H₂O)₂], [Ru(L)Cl₂]_n, [Ru(L)Cl(H₂O)]_n(LH =Schiff bases derived from anthranilic acid and benzaldehyde, acetophenone, vanillin, cinnamaldehyde orm-hydroxyacetophenone; LH₂=Schiff bases derived from anthranilic acid and salicylaldehyde oro-hydroxyacetophenone; LH=Schiff bases derived fromp-aminobenzoic acid and benzaldehyde, acetophenone, vanillin, cinnamaldehyde orm-hydroxyacetophenone; LH₂=Schiff bases derived fromp-aminobenzoic acid and salicylaldehyde oro-hydroxyacetophenone) have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, conductance, magnetic moment and spectral (electronic, i.r. and¹H n.m.r.) data. The wavelengths of the principal electronic absorption peaks have been accounted for quantitatively in terms of crystal field theory and various parameters have been evaluated. On the basis of the electronic spectra, an octahedral geometry has been established for all these complexes except [Ru(L)Cl₂]_n. The complexes [Ru(L)Cl₂]_n are pentacoordinate and a trigonal-bipyramidal environment, D_3h, is suggested for the ruthenium(III) ion. The thermal behaviour of these complexes has also been studied by t.g., d.t.g and d.s.c techniques. Heats of reaction for the decomposition steps were calculated from the d.s.c. curves. The antifungal and antiviral activities of the complexes with Schiff bases derived from anthranilic acid were also investigated.