On-line preconcentration of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in sea-water by sorbent-extraction and total mercury determination by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry

A comparative study of three mercury chelate forming reagents [diethyldithiocarbamate, pyrrolidin-1-yldithioformate and diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone)] has been carried out for the preconcentration of ultratrace amounts of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in silica C(18) minicolumns as the solid sorbent. Sample flow injection in-line sorbent extraction was coupled with continuous cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) for detection. Results showed the superiority of the carbamate type reagents over the dithizone for the on-line formation and preconcentration of the corresponding mercury chelates. Using diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) as reagent, aqueous sample volumes of 100 ml can be preconcentrated with 100% efficiency for both inorganic mercury and methylmercury. Quantitative release of the retained DDC chelates was obtained for volumes of eluent (ethanol) of 50 microl. Following the proposed procedure, detection limits of 16 ng/l. of mercury were achieved for sample volumes of 25 ml. The relative standard deviation was +/- 3.4% at 0.5 microg/l. Hg(II) levels. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of low levels of mercury in sea-water.     

Experimental observation of light-induced solitary waves of analyte bands in capillary electrophoresis.

The phenomenon of electrophoresis in free solution has been studied theoretically down to the molecular level for decades. In addition, intermolecular photo-induced proton transfer reactions, which occur in a wide class of molecules (phenols and aminoarenes) as well as proteins (green fluorescent protein), were also studied extensively. However, the study of the effect of light-induced electrophoretic mobility changes of the analytes in electrophoresis was begun only recently. In the present work, capillary zone electrophoresis was chosen as the environment to measure the magnitude of these electrophoretic mobility shifts induced by light. Background electrolytes (running electrolytes) with high refractive indices were developed, allowing the capillary to work like an optical fiber. The experimental conditions for obtaining stable coupling and guided laser light along the liquid core are discussed. Experimental evidence of band compression is observed, leading to a solitary wave behavior of the analyte band (2-naphthol). These solitary waves result from competition between thermal diffusion (dispersion mechanism) and a nonlinear (band compression) effect due to the combined electrophoresis phenomenon and absorption of guided light by the molecules of the band (which are subjected to a "reversible intermolecular proton transfer reaction" as one of their decay routes). The possibilities of applying this effect to different methods and techniques are also discussed.     

Stability of tin etiopurpurin

Formulations of the tin etiopurpurin (SnET2) have been observed to undergo a spectral change on storage in dimethylformamide solution. This results in an alteration in the action spectrum, with enhanced photodynamic activity at lower wavelengths and decreased activity at 660 nm. On the basis of structural considerations, a reduced analog of SnET2 was prepared with an absorbance maximum at 640 nm. Formation of this product, termed SnET2H(2) relieves steric strain inherent in the parent molecule. Nuclear magnetic resonance, spectral and photodynamic data are consistent with the formation of SnET2H(2) during SnET2 storage. Slight modifications in the original synthesis are also reported, resulting in improved yields of intermediate products.     

Causal logic of Minkowski space

It is shown that double-orthogonal sets (diamonds) in Minkowski space form an orthomodular complete lattice. Connection with empirical logic of Randall and Foulis is discussed.     

Magnetic moments and the high field susceptibilities of MnFe2O4

An extended version of the noncollinear spin model bySawatzky et al. is developed to derive a dependence of the differential high field susceptibility on the degree of inversion of the ferrite MnFe₂O₄. Using the available data on the main molecular field coefficients it is shown that the present model imposes restrictions on values of. Determination of from the measurements of the field dependence of the saturated moments at low temperatures on samples with varying degrees of inversion reveals good quantitative agreement with the present model.     

Extraction of Am(III) in the presence of lanthanides and yttrium by benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate from acidic nitrate solutions

We have investigated the effect of coextraction of lanthanides and yttrium on the distribution coefficients D_Am in the extraction of americium by benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate (BDMLNNO₃) from nitrate solutions. In the coextraction of lanthanides, the extraction of Am(NO₃)₃ is suppressed, which is markedly manifested in the extraction of light lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr); of the series of lanthanides their extraction is the highest. The effect of nitric acid and the possibility of separation of lanthanides and americium by the application of three-stage multiple extraction is discussed.     

Preparation of trout liver microsomes for iron speciation in P-450 enzymes by AE–FPLC with ICP–(ORS)MS detection

Cytochromes P-450 are members of a superfamily of hemoproteins involved in the oxidative metabolism of various physiological and xenobiotic compounds in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The multiplicity of this group of enzymes has been widely studied by chromatographic techniques, mainly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Because these enzymes are membrane-bound proteins, sample preparation for chromatographic separation of P-450 enzymes requires a solubilization step. The sample-preparation procedures are critical, because detergents affect not only the efficiency of protein solubilization but also their further chromatographic resolution. Trout liver microsomes have been taken here as a model sample to investigate iron speciation in cytochrome P-450. Trouts were treated intraperitoneally with -naphthoflavone, a potent inducer of some P-450 enzymes, and a microsomal suspension containing 7.4±0.1 nmol mL^–1 P-450 enzymes was obtained by ultracentrifugation. Lubrol PX was selected as detergent for solubilization, resulting in about 90% solubilization recovery. The solubilized cytochromes P-450 were further separated by AE–FPLC, with UV detection, or coupled to ICP–MS with an octapole reaction system, ICP–(ORS)MS (monitoring Fe signals at masses 54, 56, and 57). A sampling procedure and chromatographic conditions are developed and were successfully applied to iron speciation in trout liver P-450 enzymes. ICP–(ORS)MS detection of P-450 enzymes is Fe-specific and so will give accurate information on the prosthetic group of the protein, which can constitute an advantageous alternative to classical methods for detection of these hemoproteins.     

Synthesis of isomeric β-haloethylthienopyrroles

The preparation of ethyl 4-(2-bromoethyl)thieno[2,3-b]pyrrole-5-carboxylate and ethyl 6-(2-bromoethyl)thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole-5-carboxylate by reaction of t-butyl 2-(2-thienyl)carbazate and t-butyl 2-(3-thienyl)carbazate with ethyl-5-bromo-2-oxopentanoate are described.     

Photochemical Rearrangement of a Steroidal α,β-Epoxylactone. Photochemical reactions,XI [1]

The UV. irradiation of 17β-acetoxy-4α, 5α-epoxy-2-oxaandrostan-3-one ( 7 ) yields 17β-acetoxy-2-oxa-10(5 → 4)abeo-4ζ (H)-androsta-3,5-dione ( 11 ). A non-photochemical synthesis of 11 , proceeding in lower yield, is also described.     

Mass spectra of some 2-methyl-3-(o- and p;-R-phenyl)-3,3a,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-2H-indazoles

The mass spectra of twelve 2-methyl-3-(o- and p-R-phenyl)-3,3a,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-2H-indazoles which have potentially useful pharmacological properties are presented.