The determination of trace amounts of tin by flow-injection hydride generation atomic-absorption spectrometry with on-line ion-exchange separation and preconcentration

A hydride generation atomic-absorption spectrometric (AAS) method with flow-injection (FI), aimed at developing a practical routine assay for the determination of tin in food digests, is described. In order to modify the sample matrix and to achieve optimized and reproducible conditions for the hydride generation reaction, the analyte is initially converted into its chlorostannate-complex thereby allowing it to be separated and preconcentrated on-line on an incorporated micro-column packed with a strongly basic anion exchanger and subsequently to be eluted by diluted nitric acid under strictly controlled conditions. Optimum acidic conditions for the FI hydride generation AAS system was found to be 0.01-0.05M nitric acid. At a consumption of 2.7-ml sample volume, aspirated by time-based injection, the procedure resulted in an enrichment factor of 3.5 and yielded a detection limit of 0.08 microg/l. (3sigma) at a sampling frequency of 72/hr. The precision was 2.5% rsd at the 10 microg/l. level. Potential interferents, such as Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Fe(III) could, at a Sn level of 10 microg/l., be tolerated at an excess of 1000 times without impairing the assay, while a 100-1000-fold excess of Cu(II) decreased the signal by 10-15%. Recoveries in the range 94-102% were obtained for canned food sample digests spiked with 10 microg/l. Sn.     

Application of the slotted quartz tube in flow-injection flame atomic-absorption spectrometry

The slotted quartz has been applied to flow-injection flame atomic-absorption spectrometry (FI-FAAS) showing several important advantages. The tube life was improved by a factor of 5-6 compared to conventional continuous aspiration. Flow impact systems were found not to be necessary in the applications so that larger enhancement factors may be achieved without sacrifice in precision. For 1.0 mg/l. copper, 1.0 mg/l. lead, 0.1 mg/l. cadmium and 1.0 mg/l. gold sensitivity enhancement factors of 3.1, 5.5, 5.3 and 4.0 were obtained with precisions of 1.3%, 1.1%, 1.6% and 1.7% RSD (n = 11) respectively. Application of the slotted quartz tube FI-FAAS method to the determination of heavy metals in urine has shown improved tolerance to interfering matrices. Recoveries obtained by spiking undiluted urine samples with 0.1 mg/l. copper and lead, and 0.01 mg/l. cadmium were in the range 100-102%.     

Micranoic acids A and B: two new octanortriterpenoids from Schisandra micrantha

Two novel octanortriterpenoids, micranoic acids A (1) and B (2), along with three known compounds, kadsuric acid (3), 3beta-hydroxy-lanost-9(11),24(25)-dien-26-oic acid (4) and schizandronic acid (5), were isolated from the leaves and stems of Schisandra micrantha. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. Micranoic acids A and B represent a new group of triterpenes in which the entire C-17 side chain has lost. This is the first report of octanortriterpenoids isolated from the family Schisandraceae.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of the structural configuration of binary colloidal monolayers

Molecular dynamics simulations of binary colloidal monolayers, i.e., monolayers consisting of mixtures of two different particle sizes, are presented. In the simulations, the colloid particles are located at an oil-water interface and interact via an effective dipole-dipole potential. In particular, the influence of the particle ratio on the configurations of the binary monolayers is investigated for two different relative interaction strengths between the particles, and the pair correlation functions corresponding to the binary monolayers are calculated. The simulations show that the binary monolayers can only form two-dimensional crystals for certain particle ratios, for example, 2:1, 6:1, etc., while, for example, for a particle ratio of 7:1 the monolayers are found to be in a disordered, glassy state. The calculations also reveal that in analogy to the Wigner lattice the configurations are very sensitive to the relative interaction strength between the particles but not to the absolute magnitude of the interaction strength, even when particle size effects are taken into account. Consequently, it is argued that a comparison between the calculated configurations and actual binary particle monolayer systems could provide useful information on the relative interaction strength between large and small particles. Possible mechanisms giving rise to disparities in the interaction strength between large and small particles are described briefly.     

Neutron activation analysis of gold and iridium in steel

A method of determination of trace gold and iridium in steel is presented. The samples were preconcentrated with an anion exchanger. The chemical recoveries were determined by an isotope tracer technique using¹⁹⁸Au and¹⁹²Ir.     

LC-ESI-MS Determination of Bilobalide and Ginkgolides in Canine Plasma

A sensitive and selective method using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection was developed for the quantification of bilobalide and ginkgolides in canine plasma. The analytes were extracted with diethyl ether-dichloromethane-isopropanol (6:3:1, v/v) after spiking the samples with daidzein (internal standard). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the method was 2.5 μg L⁻¹ for ginkgolide B and 10.0 μg L⁻¹ for bilabolide, ginkgolide A and ginkgolide C. The accuracy of the method was within 15% of the actual values over a wide range of plasma concentrations. The intra-day and inter-day precision was better than 15% (R.S.D.). Finally, the LC-ESI-MS method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of ginkgolides and bilabolide after administration of Ginkgo biloba extracts to dogs.     

Confirmation of eprinomectin, moxidectin, abamectin, doramectin, and ivermectin in beef liver by liquid chromatography/positive ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic (LC) multiresidue screening procedure was developed for determination of eprinomectin, moxidectin, abamectin, doramectin, and ivermectin in beef liver at 0, 25, 50, and 100 ppb levels. A procedure using low resolution LC/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) was developed with further purification steps added to the quantitative LC method to confirm residues. Acetonitrile extracts of liver, prior to derivatization for LC analysis, were further purified by using a C8 solid-phase extraction cartridge and an alumina-B cartridge. The purified extract was analyzed by injection into an LC/positive ion APCI MS. Identity of the compound was confirmed by comparison of its retention time and relative intensity data with those of a standard or recovery from a fortified control liver sample. Anthelmintic drugs in acetonitrile extracts of liver containing eprinomectin, moxidectin, abamectin, doramectin, and ivermectin at 25 ppb, the lowest level of fortification used in the LC determinative method, were successfully confirmed.     

Co-C bond dissociation energy and reaction volume change of 2',5'-dideoxyadenosylcobalamin studied by laser-induced time-resolved photoacoustic calorimetry

Time resolved photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) was applied to a study of the photolysis of a coenzyme B(12) analog 2',5'-dideoxyadenosylcobalamin, which lacks an -OH group at the 2' position of ribofuranose ring. In aqueous solution, we report for the first time the quantum yield Phi(d) (0.25+/-0.02), Co-C bond dissociation energy (BDE; 31.8+/-2.5 kcal mol(-1)) and reaction volume change deltaV(R) (6.5+/-0.5 ml mol(-1)) due to conformation changes of the corrin ring and its side chains accompanying the cleavage of the Co-C bond. These values for the analog are very similar to those for the natural cofactor. Based our results and previous studies, a possible explanation for the similarity in their structure and properties versus the large difference in their enzymatic activity is discussed.     

Theoretical study on structures and stability of C4P isomers

The structures, energetics, spectroscopies, and stabilities of doublet C(4)P isomeric species are explored at the DFT/B3LYP, QCISD, and CCSD(T) (singlet-point) levels. A total of 12 minimum isomers and 27 interconversion transition states are located. At the CCSD(T)/6-311G(2df)//QCISD/6-311G(d)+ZPVE level, the lowest-lying isomer is a floppy CCCCP 1 (0.0 kcal/mol) mainly featuring a cumulenic structure |C=C=C=C=P*|, which differs much from the analogous C4N radical (|*C-C[triple bond]C-C[triple bond]N|). The quasi-linearity and the low bending mode of 1 are in contrast to the previous prediction. The second energetically followed isomer PC-cCCC 3 (14.9 kcal/mol) possesses a CCC ring-bonded to CP. The two low-lying isomers are separated by a high-energy ring-closure/open transition state (26.5 kcal/mol) and thus are very promising candidates for future laboratory and astrophysical detection. Furthermore, four high-energy isomers, that is, two bent isomers CCPCC 2 (68.4 kcal/mol) and CCPCC 2' (68.5 kcal/mol) and two cagelike species 10 (56.0 kcal/mol) and 11 (67.9 kcal/mol), are also stabilized by considerable barriers. The present work is the first detailed potential energy survey of CnP clusters and can provide useful information for the investigation of larger CnP radicals and for understanding the isomerism of P-doped C vaporization processes.     

Ab initio calculation of the effective valence shell hamiltonian of carbon: Simultaneous treatment of neutral and ion states

The n = 2 effective valence shell hamiltonian, $\text{H}$^v, of carbon is evaluated through second order using ³P Hartree—Fock orbitals (5s4p) with added d functions to provide results within a few percent of the spd convergence limits. The calculated $\text{H}$^v is employed to evaluate the n = 2 valence states of C, C^?, C⁺, C²⁺ and C³⁺ with an average deviation of the 21 excitation energies, ionization potentials and electron affinity from experimental values of 0.32 eV. Three-electron parts of $\text{H}$^v contribute substantially to a number of these excitation energies.