On-line filtration system for determining total chromium and chromium in the soluble fraction of industrial effluents by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Two manifolds were assessed for the purpose of determining both the total chromium content and that present as a soluble form in industrial effluents by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-FAAS). To determine the chromium content in the soluble fraction the samples were used without additional treatment, a 0.45 microm filter being included in the FI system. To determine the total chromium content, the samples were acidified with nitric acid 20% (v/v) and heated for 30 s in a microwave oven (temperatures of about 70 degrees C were reached). The problem posed by the very different concentration range in which total and soluble chromium are present was overcome by using programmed flow rate methodology and by only partially emptying the sample loop. A personal computer controlled both the rotation speed of a peristaltic pump and the volume of sample injected into the system, thus obtaining the dispersion degree required. Using the manifold proposed, the chromium content in the soluble fraction can be determined in the 0.5-20 microg mL(-1) range using a 10 microg mL(-1) single standard for calibration. To determine the total chromium content, a calibration line in the 20-200 microg mL(-1) range was obtained using a single 50 microg mL(-1) chromium standard solution. The reliability of the semi-automatic devices was verified by comparing the results obtained with those found by treating the samples and using both FAAS in a conventional way and a spectrophotometric method using diphenylcarbazide at the 95% confidence level (ANOVA test). The proposed procedures showed a RSD lower than +/-3%.     

Crystal Structures of Lanthanum Complexes with Nitrobenzoic Acids

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On Transition Structures for Hydride Transfer Step in Enzyme Catalysis. A Comparative Study on Models of Glutathione Reductase Derived from Semiempirical, HF, and DFT Methods

As a model of the chemical reactions that take place in the active site of gluthatione reductase, the nature of the molecular mechanism for the hydride transfer step has been characterized by means of accurate quantum chemical characterizations of transition structures. The calculations have been carried out with analytical gradients at AM1 and PM3 semiempirical procedures, ab initio at HF level with 3-21G, 4-31G, 6-31G, and 6-31G basis sets and BP86 and BLYP as density functional methods. The results of this study suggest that the endo relative orientation on the substrate imposed by the active site is optimal in polarizing the C4-Ht bond and situating the system in the neighborhood of the quadratic region of the transition structure associated to the hydride transfer step on potential energy surface. The endo arrangement of the transition structure results in optimal frontier HOMO orbital interaction between NADH and FAD partners. The geometries of the transition structures and the corresponding transition vectors, that contain the fundamental information relating reactive fluctuation patterns, are model independent and weakly dependent on the level of theory used to determine them. A comparison between simple and complex molecular models shows that there is a minimal set of coordinates describing the essentials of hydride transfer step. The analysis of transition vector components suggests that the primary and secondary kinetic isotope effects can be strongly coupled, and this prompted the calculation of deuterium and tritium primary, secondary, and primary and secondary kinetic isotope effects. The results obtained agree well with experimental data and demonstrate this coupling.     

A simple laboratory generator for low concentrations of sulphur dioxide

The generator is based on permeation of sulphur dioxide through silicone rubber tubes immersed in a buffered, thermostated solution of sodium hydrogensulphite. The generator contains three (or more) permeation tubes of different lengths immersed simultaneously in the generation solution. The tubes can be connected stepwise to the carrier gas source, so that three (or more) different concentrations of SO₂ in the carrier gas can be obtained from a single solution. The tested generator produced 1.25–25.4 ng s^?1 SO₂, depending on the hydrogensulphite concentration in the solution. Long-term stability was tested for the production of 10.49 ng s^?1 over 50 h; the relative standard deviation was 1.57%. The experimental conditions affecting the production of SO₂ are discussed. An equation is derived for estimating the SO₂ production for various solution compositions and surface areas of the permeation tubes.     

Effects of genesis and ionizing radiation on the kinetics of reduction of NiO-CeO2 mixed oxides with hydrogen

The reduction of mixed oxides NiO-CeO₂ of various composition with hydrogen was studied at 290–470° by means of thermogravimetry. Some physicochemical properties of the system were also investigated and compared with earlier studied analogous samples of different “origin”. The degree of mutual interaction of the two components, the reduction kinetics and the sensitivity to the different sorts of radiation (gamma-rays, fast neutrons and electrons), applied in different doses, are strongly affected by the “pre-history” and by the composition in both compared series of mixed oxides.     

Beitrag zur mikroskopischen Identifizierung organischer Stoffe nach L. Kofler. V

Zusammenfassung In Fortsetzung früherer Untersuchungen zum Zweck der Ergänzung und Erweiterung der Identifizierungs-Tabelle nachKofler werden für 62 Substanzen die thermomikroskopischen Konstanten mitgeteilt und die gegebenenfalls notwendigen Zusatzreaktionen beschrieben. Bei Nicotinamid, das auf Grund seiner Fähigkeit, mit vielen Stoffen wie organischen Säuren, Säureestern, Phenolen u. a. Komplexverbindungen zu bilden, häufig als Reagens in Betracht kommt, wird das polymorphe Verhalten erläutert und das Auftreten von sieben Modifikationen beschrieben.

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Contribution to the microscopic identification of organic materials after L. Kofler. V

Summary In continuation of earlier investigations for the purpose of supplementing and extending the identification tables ofKofler, the thermomicroscopic constants are given for 62 substances and when necessary the supplementary reactions are described. In the case of nicotinamide, which because of its ability to yield among other things complex compounds with organic acids, acid esters, phenols, is frequently considered as reagent, the complex behavior is illustrated and the occurrence of 7 modifications is described.

     

Tetrabutylammonium bromide/thenoyltri-fluoroacetone/mibk extraction for aas determination of cobalt, nickel, and manganese in copper ores and concentrates

An extraction-AAS method of determination of Co, Ni, and Mn in metallurgical copper materials containing considerable amounts ofCu, Fe, Pb, Zn, and Al has been developed. Good selectivity of group separation of Co, Ni, and Mn has been achieved by (a) the use of tetrabutylammonium bromide to improve extractability of HTTA complexes by ion-pair formation, and (b) the masking of major elements with sodium thiosulphate and sulphosalicylic acid. The extracts are stable for at least 3 weeks.     

Thermal Analysis of the System Na3AlF6–NaVO3

Summary. The phase diagram of the system Na₃AlF₆–NaVO₃ was determined by means of thermal analysis. The system is a simple binary eutectic one. The eutectic point was estimated at x(NaVO₃) = 0.975 and t _eut = 617°C. The XRD patterns of samples after thermal analysis revealed the presence of cryolite and NaVO₃ only supporting the above assumption of a simple eutectic binary system.     

Tritium volume activity in natural waters of the NPP Temelín region

With the use of the tritium monitoring network the samples of river water, air humidity and precipitation are collected and analysed for HTO in the vicinity of Temelín nuclear power plant.     

Spectroscopic investigation of the adsorption and oxidation of thiourea on polycrystalline Au and Au(111) in acidic media

In the present paper, a systematic electrochemical investigation on thiourea (TU) electrooxidation was developed on polycrystalline and (111) single-crystal gold electrodes in 0.1 M perchloric acid. The combination of cyclic voltammetry with in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry techniques have allowed the nature of the species formed during the electroadsorption and electrooxidation of TU to be established. FTIRS experiments were performed in D2O to clean up the region of the H2O bending around 1600 cm(-1). It was concluded that TU adsorbs tilted on the surface in the 0.05-0.40 VRHE potential range. A dual-path reaction mechanism was evidenced in the oxidation process. The first pathway takes place from adsorbed TU at E > 0.40 VRHE and implies the formation of [Au(I)-(TU)2]+, which is oxidized to NH2CN and S0 at E > 0.80 VRHE. In a following oxidation step at E > 1.20 V, N2, CO2, and HSO4-/SO4(2-) were produced. The second parallel reaction occurs from TU in solution at E > 0.50 VRHE to form (TU)2(2+). All these species were characterized from the spectroscopic experiments. Similar results were obtained for both surfaces.