Dual-phase gas-permeation flow-injection thermometric analysis for the determination of carbon dioxide

A flow-injection configuration based on a dual-phase gas-permeation system from a liquid donor to a gas acceptor stream with a thermistor flow-through detector is proposed for the direct analysis of the gas in the acceptor. This system was applied for the determination of carbon dioxide (in the form of carbonate) using the following chemical reaction: CO(2)(g)+2NH(3)(g)+H(2)O(g)=(NH(4))(2)CO(3)(s), with a linear response from 1x10(-3) to 50x10(-3) mol l(-1) of CO(3)(2-). Carbon dioxide was produced in the liquid donor and permeated into the gaseous acceptor stream of air/water vapor. The detection limit is 1x10(-3) mol l(-1) of carbonate, and a sampling frequency of 60 h(-1) is achieved with a relative standard deviation of 4.1% for replicate injections. The dual-phase gas-permeation flow-injection manifold, along with the membrane and phase separations, as well as the chemical reaction, provides enhanced selectivity when compared with the system employing a liquid acceptor stream, as serious interferents in this system, for instance, acetate and formate, among others, do not interfere in the proposed system.     

Determination of atrazine, desethyl atrazine and desisopropyl atrazine in environmental water samples using hollow fiber-protected liquid-phase microextraction and high performance liquid chromatography

A new method based on hollow fiber-protected liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) was developed for the simultaneous determination of atrazine, desethyl atrazine and desisopropyl atrazine in environmental water samples. In LPME, analytes were extracted into 1-octanol immobilized in the micropores of a poly(vinylidene fluoride) porous hollow fiber membrane, and back extracted into the acceptor (4 M HCl) filled in the lumen of the hollow fiber. After LPME, the analytes trapped in the acceptor were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography after neutralization. The effect of extraction factors such as sample pH, acceptor pH, salinity, extraction time, stirring rate, and humic acid were studied. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection and relative standard deviations were respectively in the range of 0.5–1.0 μg L⁻¹ and 3.9–4.7% (n = 5). The proposed method was applied to determine atrazine, desethyl atrazine and desisopropyl atrazine in wastewater and groundwater samples. The three analytes were below the limits of detection, but good relative spiked recoveries over 90.1 ± 5.9% at 5 μg L⁻¹ spiked level were obtained.     

Experimental and computational studies of intracomplex reactions in Mg+(primary, secondary alkylamine) complexes induced by photoexcitation of Mg+

We report herein a comprehensive study of photoinduced reactions in complexes of Mg+ with primary (n-propyl- and isopropylamine) and secondary amines (dipropyl- and diisopropylamine) in the spectral range of 230-440 nm. Similar to the methyl- and ethylamine complexes studied previously, N-H bond activation of these complexes is very unfavorable. Instead, the C(alpha)-C, C-N, and C(alpha)-H bond-cleavage photoproducts are observed after photoexcitation of the Mg+ complexes (3(2)P<--3(2)S). For Mg+(primary amine) complexes, for example, Mg+-NH2CH2CH2CH3, and Mg+-NH2CH(CH3)2, the photoproducts resulting from C(alpha)--C rupture prevail after P(z) and charge-transfer excitations, whereas the Mg+ photofragment is predominant upon P(x,y) excitation. However, with further N-alkyl substitution, as in Mg+(secondary amine) complexes, for example, Mg+-NH(CH2CH2CH3)2 and Mg+-NH[CH(CH3)2]2, a novel intracomplex C-C coupling photoreaction dominates on P(x,y) excitation of Mg+, which is believed to arise from Mg+* insertion into the C-N bond. With P(z) and charge-transfer excitation, the Mg-R elimination photoproducts, arising from C(alpha)-C bond cleavage, predominate. The energetics and possible mechanisms of the intracomplex photoreactions are analyzed in detail with the help of extensive quantum mechanics calculations.     

Migration of 99Tc in a Weak Loess Aquifer: A Field Column Experiment

The migration of ⁹⁹Tc in a weak loess aquifer was investigated in-situ with undisturbed aquifer medium columns. The columns were obtained horizontally at a depth of 3236 m in an Underground Research Facility (URF). Quartz containing ³H (HTO) and ⁹⁹Tc (in the form of ⁹⁹TcO₄ ^-) was introduced into one end of the columns and the columns were covered tightly. Aquifer water was introduced into the columns directly from an experimental shaft in the UFR. Effluents from the columns were collected and the activity of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc were determined with a liquid scintillation analyzer. The breakthrough curves of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc indicate that ⁹⁹Tc migrates a little faster than that ³H does in the aquifer.     

Diverse redox-active molecules bearing O-, S-, or Se-terminated tethers for attachment to silicon in studies of molecular information storage

A molecular approach to information storage employs redox-active molecules tethered to an electroactive surface. Attachment of the molecules to electroactive surfaces requires control over the nature of the tether (linker and surface attachment group). We have synthesized a collection of redox-active molecules bearing different linkers and surface anchor groups in free or protected form (hydroxy, mercapto, S-acetylthio, and Se-acetylseleno) for attachment to surfaces such as silicon, germanium, and gold. The molecules exhibit a number of cationic oxidation states, including one (ferrocene), two [zinc(II)porphyrin], three [cobalt(II)porphyrin], or four (lanthanide triple-decker sandwich compound). Electrochemical studies of monolayers of a variety of the redox-active molecules attached to Si(100) electrodes indicate that molecules exhibit a regular mode of attachment (via a Si-X bond, X = O, S, or Se), relatively homogeneous surface organization, and robust reversible electrochemical behavior. The acetyl protecting group undergoes cleavage during the surface deposition process, enabling attachment to silicon via thio or seleno groups without handling free thiols or selenols.     

A novel route for waste water treatment: photo-assisted Fenton degradation of dye pollutants accumulated in natural polyelectrolyte microshells

The efficient accumulation of dyes in constructed natural polyelectrolyte microshells under moderate conditions, combined with the photo-assisted Fenton reagent, opens a new route for the effective elimination of dye pollutants from waste water.     

Effect of substituents (NH2, OH, F) on structures and stability of lithofluorosilylenoids

Isomeric structures and energies of three kinds of lithofluorosilylenoids, R₂SiLiF (R = NH₂, OH, F) were studied using theab initio molecular orbital theory. The calculations show that thermal stability of the three-membered ring structures of these three kinds of silylenoids decreases in the order of substituents NH₂ > OH > F because of the conjugation between NH₂, OH or F and Si atom. The interaction of substituents R with Li atom makes R₂SiLiF have a structure with two Li-A-Si-F (A = N, O, F) four-membered rings, which is the most stable of the isomers of each of three kinds of silylenoids and whose stability decreases in the order of substituents F > OH > NH₂. Inductive effect of substituents influences the thermal stability of the linear structure of silylenoids.     

Dynamic behaviour of river colloidal and dissolved organic matter through cross-flow ultrafiltration system

Through cross-flow filtration (CFF) with a 1-kDa regenerated cellulose Pellicon 2 module, the ultrafiltration characteristics of river organic matter from Longford Stream, UK, were investigated. The concentration of organic carbon (OC) in the retentate in the Longford Stream samples increased substantially with the concentration factor (cf), reaching approximately 40 mg/L at cf 15. The results of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colloidal organic carbon (COC) analysis, tracking the isolation of colloids from river waters, show that 2 mg/L of COC was present in those samples and good OC mass balance (77-101%) was achieved. Fluorescence measurements were carried out for the investigation of retentate and permeate behaviour of coloured dissolved organic materials (CDOM). The concentrations of CDOM in both the retentate and permeate increased with increasing cf, although CDOM were significantly more concentrated in the retentate. The permeation model expressing the correlation between log[CDOM] in the permeate and logcf was able to describe the permeation behaviour of CDOM in the river water with regression coefficients (r(2)) of 0.94 and 0.98. Dry weight analysis indicated that the levels of organic colloidal particles were from 49 to 71%, and between 29 and 51% of colloidal particles present were inorganic. COC as a percentage of DOC was found to be 10-16% for Longford Stream samples.     

Studies on the determination of diacetyl guanfubase A concentration in rabbit plasma and pharmacokinetics

A gas chromatographic method for monitoring diacetyl guanfubase A in plasma is described. The procedure involved a single solvent extraction of drug from rabbit plasma into ethyl acetate with guanfubase A as an internal standard. The extract was analyzed subsequently on a gas chromatograph equipped with a hydrogen flame ionization detector. The recovery was 86.43% +/- 6.90% (+/- SD); the RSD of within-day and between-day was 2.81%-5.26% and 5.22%-8.24%, respectively; the regression line was linear over the concentration range of 25-200 micrograms/mL, the limit of detection was 10 micrograms/mL. No endogeneous interference was found in chromatograms of the biological samples. This method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of diacetyl guanfubase A in rabbits.