Capillary electrochromatography of proteins and peptides with a cationic acrylic monolith

For the separation of proteins and peptides by capillary electrochromatography (CEC), columns with a monolithic stationary phase were prepared from silanized fused-silica capillaries of 50 microm I.D. by in situ copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of propanol and formamide as porogens. The epoxide groups at the surface of the porous monolith were reacted with N-ethylbutylamine to form fixed tertiary amino functions with ethyl- and butyl-chains. A mixture of ribonuclease A, insulin, alpha-lactalbumin and myoglobin was separated isocratically by counterdirectional CEC with hydro-organic mobile phases containing acetonitrile and sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.5. The separation of four angiotensin type peptides by CEC was also achieved under similar conditions. The elution order of proteins was similar to that obtained in reversed-phase chromatography. Plots of the migration factors for proteins and peptides against the acetonitrile concentration exhibit opposite trends. This is most likely due to the greater chromatographic retention and lower electrophoretic migration velocity of proteins than that of peptides in the counterdirectional CEC system. From this it is concluded that the separation is governed by a dual mechanism that involves the complex interplay between selective chromatographic retention and differential electrophoretic migration.     

Resolution of benzo[a]pyrene in complex mixtures of other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Comparison of two spectrofluorimetric methods applied to water samples

Two spectrofluorimetric methods, second-derivative constant-energy synchronous luminescence (SDCESL) and constant-wavelength synchronous luminescence (CWSL) in combination with multiple linear regression (MLR), for the quantification of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) at sub-ng mL-1 levels, in the presence of benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbFt), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkFt), benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP), were developed and compared in detail. SDCESL presents lower limits of detection and quantification than CWSL/MLR and also gives more exact and precise results for levels close to the quantification limit. For BaP, SDCESL achieved quantification limits of 0.019 ng mL-1 in river waters and 0.007 ng mL-1 in drinking waters. This work offers a sensitive, precise, accurate, rapid, simple and economic methodology for monitoring BaP in waters for public consumption, meeting all the requirements of the EC Directive 98/83/CE that fixes the maximum admissible limit for this polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in drinking waters at of 0.010 ng mL-1.     

Coupled radiotracer and voltammetric study of the adsorption of 1-hydroxy-ethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid on polycrystalline gold

Coupled application of a version of the in-situ radiotracer ‘foil’ method and voltammetry provided information on the time-, potential-, concentration- and pH-dependent adsorption of 1-hydroxy-ethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) on a polycrystalline gold electrode, and on the effect of Zn²⁺ ions on the adsorption phenomena. Adsorption processes on the oxide-free surface of gold were observed to be potential-dependent in the potential range 0.05–1.00 V (versus RHE), while formation and irreversible accumulation of oxidation products of HEDP could be detected at E>1.00 V. The relative adsorption strength of HEDP (its dissociation and/or oxidation products) was found to be higher on an oxide-free gold surface than on an oxide-covered one. The surface excess of HEDP increased with increasing pH. Addition of Zn²⁺ ions to the solution exerted a substantial effect on the HEDP accumulation. Namely, significant differences in the surface coverage, as well as in the kinetics and mechanism of HEDP adsorption could be detected in the potential regions below and above E=0.2 V. Reduction of Zn(II) species at E≤0.1 V is probably coupled with the induced adsorption of HEDP on an Au electrode, leading to the formation of a polymolecular HEDP–Zn surface complex layer.     

Potentiostatic transients related to the electrolytic oxidation of KSCN and mixtures of NaSCN + KSCN melts on polycrystalline platinum

Potentiostatic transients related to the electrolytic oxidation of molten thiocyanate (KSCN and KSCN + NaSCN, 0.7:0.3 mol/mol) on polycrystalline Pt obtained in the 168–290°C range are interpreted in terms of a nucleation and growth mechanism under diffusion control which involves the formation of two different products constituting the passivating anodic layer. The different adjustable parameters are compatible with the possible molecular structure of the anodic layer.     

Carbonyl complexes of molybdenum and tungsten with sulfur donors: V. Reactions of carbonyl complexes of molybdenum(0) with uninegative (X,Y)-donor ligands (X,Y = S,N, O)

The reactions of the zerovalent carbonyl complexes Mo(CO)₆ and Mo(CO)₄(bipy) with a series of uninegative bidentate (X,Y)-donor ligands (X,Y = xanthates, dithiocarbamates, o-aminophenoxide, o-aminothiophenoxide, 2-picolinate and thioacetate) lead to new anionic tetracarbonyl complex anions [Mo⁰(X,Y)(CO)₄]^?. These anions, which can be isolated as their tetraphenylphosphonium salts, contain the (X,Y)-ligand as a bidentate group. In the case of (X,Y) = monothioacetate the decarbonylated species [PPh₄][Mo^II(TA)₃] is formed. The reacions of the new complexes with allyl bromide and methyl iodide are described.     

Structural study of copper-nickel aluminate (CuxNi1−xAl2O4) spinels

CuAl₂O₄, NiAl₂O₄, and three ternary spinels Cu_xNi_1?xAl₂O₃ have been prepared, in polycrystalline form, by solid-state reaction of mixtures of CuO, NiO, and Al₂O₃ at 1223 K. X-Ray powder diffractometry, coupled with adequate computational methods, allowed determination of the unit-cell length, oxygen positional parameter, and cation distribution for each compound. Interdependence of these structural parameters is closely analyzed on the ternary oxide spinels. The one-electron difference between the Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions was found to be enough to render them distinguishable by X-ray powder diffraction.     

An extraction-spectrophotometric determination of palladium with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol in the presence of diphenylguanidine

A new, sensitive spectrophotometric determination of palladium has been developed, based on the extraction of the red Pd(II) chelate with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol in the presence of N,N′-diphenylguanidine into n-butanol; the sensitivity of the method according to Sandell is S = 1.12 μg cm^?2, ?₅₃₀ = 9.4 × 10⁴ liters mol^?1 cm^?1, and palladium can be determined at concentrations from 0.21 to 1.91 μg ml^?1.     

Cyclopentane-1,3-dione bis(4-methylthiosemicarbazone) monohydrochloride as a spectrophotometric reagent for the determination of chlorate in perchloric acid medium

1,3-Cyclopentanedione bis(4-methylthiosemicarbazone) monohydrochloride produces colored solutions with chlorate ions in strongly acid medium. The yellow color obtained has been used to propose a spectrophotometric method of C10₃^? determination in the concentration range 0.5–6.0 ppm (molar absorptivity 1.26 × 10⁴ liters mol^?1 cm^?1 at a wavelength of 397 nm).     

Titration of thiosemicarbazones with Cu(II) and vice versa by use of a copper selective electrode in acetone-water mixture: Determination of the conditional formation constants of the cupric thiosemicarbazonates

The titration technique of seven thiosemicarbazones by complexation with cupric ion and with the help of a copper selective electrode has been carried out. The conditional formation constants for these chelates are determined by the Ringbom and Harju method.     

Analytical applications of the o-dianisidine-persulfate reaction: Kinetic determination of silver and cobalt

A kinetic method for the silver determination based on the catalytic effect of Ag(I) on the oxidation of o-dianisidine by persulfate at pH = 4.5 in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline is proposed. Ag(I) can be determined by measuring the absorbance of the reaction product at 450 nm, using the fixed time method. Co(II) does not have a catalytic effect in the reaction, but in the simultaneous presence of silver and cobalt the reaction shows an induction period the length of which is related to the Ag/Co molar ratio. As a consequence, two new methods for the determination of cobalt and silver using the induction period method are proposed. The two methods for silver are applied to the determination of silver in lead.