Trace analysis of rare earth elements and other impurities in high purity scandium by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after liquid-liquid extraction of the matrix

Bis(2-ethyl hexyl)-orthophosphoric acid in toluene has been used to extract scandium selectively from an aqueous phase containing nearly thirty elements at various concentrations. The trace elements (Li, Mg, Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Sr, Y, Cd, In, Sb, Ba, REE, Hf, Pt, Tl, Pb, Bi and u) have been determined quantitatively in the aqueous phase using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recoveries have been quantitative for most of the analytes studied and ICP-MS has been found suitable for the determination of trace quantities of these elements in the aqueous extract. The procedure has been applied to the quantitative ultra-trace analysis of rare earth elements (REE) and other trace impurities in high purity scandium metal (4N) using ICP-MS and ID-ICP-MS techniques.Presented in part at the 2nd Regensburger Symposium Massenspektrometrische Verfahren der Elementspurenanalyse, 6.-8.10.93, Regensburg, Germany     

High-performance liquid chromatography of non-polar retinoid isomers

Normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatograms of retinal, retinol and retinyl palmitate isomers using n-heptane-tert.-butyl methyl ether as mobile phase are presented. Methods for the synthesis of various isomers of these retinoids are described. This enables one to produce standard chromatograms and to select various isomers for cochromatography and the identification of the various peaks under study. Assignment of the peaks is based on chromatograms published previously in this journal. For the main isomers it is possible to get baseline separation of the commonly occurring isomeric forms in a reasonably short analysis time.     

Selective modification of the 2-position of pyridoxol

Pyridoxol, protected by acetylation of the hydroxyl groups, has been converted to its N-oxide which upon reaction with perfluoroacetie anhydride yields a 2-nor-2-hydroxymethylpyridoxol derivative as an intermediate. This compound undergoes acyl migration from the 3-position. Protection of the pyridoxol hydroxyls by benzylalion followed by the same treatment yields the unrearranged α²-hydroxy derivative. This compound has been converted to a series of α²-substituted pyridoxols (X = -Cl, -Br, -OCOCH₃, -OCH₃, -OC₂H₅).     

Laser desorption of DNA oligomers larger than one kilobase from cooled 4-nitrophenol

A unique matrix system consisting mostly of 4-nitrophenol has shown to be very effective for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis of large DNA oligomers when a cooled sample stage was used to prevent the sublimation of this matrix under vacuum. Using this 4-nitrophenol matrix with UV laser desorption, detection of picomole quantities of DNA oligomers containing up to approximately 800 nucleotides was routinely achieved. The effectiveness of this matrix was further demonstrated by the observation of a double-stranded DNA oligomer larger than 1000 base pairs, seen as a denatured single-stranded species, with a molecular ion mass exceeding 300 000 Da. The potential applications of 4-nitrophenol as a matrix for DNA sizing are discussed.     

Emissionsspektrometrische Analyse von Roheisen

Zusammenfassung Die spektrometrische Analyse von weiß erstarrtem Roheisen (auf C, Si, Mn, P, S, Cu) ist mit der gleichen Anregung und in der gleichen Funkzeit wie diejenige von Stahl möglich. Eine spezielle Kalibriertechnik mit Stahlproben garantiert ein ausreichend reproduzierbares und richtiges Resultat in relativ kurzer Zeit (20 sec).

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Emission-spectrometrical analysis of pig iron

The conditions of pig iron analysis by using a direct reading spectrometer for routine determination of C, Si, Mn, P, S and Cu, the influence of sampling and a new calibration technique of the instrument are described. The whole time needed for complete spectrometrical analysis is about 20 sec.

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Wir sind Herrn T. Nientiedt für zahlreiche Anregungen und Diskussionen zu Dank verpflichtet.     

Trimethylsilylverbindungen der Vb-Elemente. VI. Synthese,Molekül- und Kristallstruktur des Tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)distibans im Vergleich mit Tetraphenyldistiban

Trimethylsilyl Derivatives of Vb-Elements. VI. Synthesis, Molecular and Crystal Structure of Tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)distibine Compared with Tetraphenyldistibine Tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)distibine already isolated by Breunig et al. [9] from cleavage reactions of tris(trimethylsilyl)stibine may also be obtained in high yields from lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)antimonide · 2THF and 1,2-dibromoethane in n-pentane. This compound intensely red in the solid state, but only slightly yellow in solution or in the melt crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 680.6(1); b = 1672.8(2); c = 1190.0(1) pm; β = 119.01(5)°; Z = 2 at +20°C. An X-ray structure determination (R = 0.017) shows the bis(trimethylsilyl)-stibino groups to be arranged in a transoid position. Characteristic bond lengths and angles are: Sb? Sb 286.7(1); Sb? Si 259.4 pm; Si? Sb? Si 94.46(3); Sb? Sb? Si 98.68(3) and 94.43(3)°. As in similiar 2,2′,5,5′-tetramethyldistibolyl published recently by Ashe III et al. [8] this crystal structure, too, is characterized by a nearly linear sequence of Sb? Sb groups. Compared with the sum of van-der-Waals radii the intermolecular Sb-Sb contact in such a chain is shortened from 440 to 399 pm. This probably allows electronic interactions of unknown type responsible for the colour of the crystals. In keeping with this assumption an analogous formation of chains is not found in solid, only yellow tetraphenyldistibine 5 the structure of which has already been studied by Rehder et al. [44].     

Eine neue Untersuchungstechnik in der Metallanalyse

A method, named “cold oxidation” was developed, by which structures of isotropic looking pyrocarbon coatings of nuclear fuel particles can be made visible. It is based on a dry oxidation of the pyrocarbon at room temperature by highly excited oxygen. The amorphous parts of the pyrocarbon coatings burn off more quickly than the pyrocarbon itself and thereby a relief-like coating structure appears. It could be shown that a connection exists between the structure of the pyrocarbon coatings after “cold oxidation” and their behaviour under fast neutron irradiation.     

The electrochemistry of strapped and capped porphyrin monomers,mono- and doubly-linked dimers,and their Zn and Mg complexes

The interaction between two “spatially close” porphyrins plays important roles in biochemical functions. The present study focuses on the effects of distortion, steric hindrance, distance and orientation exerted by a variety of porphyrin monomers (strapped and capped) and dimers (mono- and doubly-linked) on their redox properties as well as the stability of positively charged intermediates derived from them. Cyclic voltammograms have been conducted in aprotic media on both free bases and their metal complexes (Zn and Mg). The effect of the nature of supporting electrolyte on the anodic peak potentials and wave separation has been studied in the case of conjugated directly-linked bis-zinc and bis-magnesium porphyrins.