A potentiometric study on the complex equilibria between nickel(II) and 2-mercapto-2-phenylacetic acid

Complex formation between nickel(II) and 2-mercapto-2-phenylacetic acid (H₂MPA) has been studied at 25°C and 1 mol dm^?3 ClO₄^? in     

Homodyne receiver prototype with time-switching phase diversity and feedforward analog processing

A differential phase shift keying homodyne optical receiver is experimentally demonstrated based on time-switching phase diversity, without the need for a 90 degrees optical hybrid. It achieves high tolerance to phase noise and feasible implementation with off-the-shelf electrical and optical components.     

Rapid determination of p<Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis><Subscript>a</Subscript> values of 20 amino acids by CZE with UV and capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detections

A rapid and universal capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was developed to determine the dissociation constants (pK _a) of the 20 standard proteogenic amino acids. Since some amino acids are poorly detected by UV, capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C⁴D) was used as an additional detection mode. The C⁴D coupling proved to be very successful on a conventional CE-UV instrument, neither inducing supplementary analyses nor instrument modification. In order to reduce the analysis time for pK _a determination, two strategies were applied: (i) a short-end injection to reduce the effective length, and (ii) a dynamic coating procedure to generate a large electroosmotic flow (EOF), even at pH values as low as 1.5. As a result, the analysis time per amino acid was less than 2 h, using 22 optimized buffers covering a pH range from 1.5 to 12.0 at a constant ionic strength of 50 mM. pK _a values were calculated using an appropriate mathematical model describing the relationship between effective mobility and pH. The obtained pK _a values were in accordance with the literature. Figure a UV (1) and C⁴D (2) detectors placed on-line on the CE capillary. b Curve of effective mobility as a function of pH for histidine     

Analysis of trace levels of sulfonamides in surface water and soil samples by liquid chromatography-fluorescence

Methods are reported for determining six sulfonamides used as veterinary drugs in water and soil samples. Analytes are isolated from water samples by solid-phase extraction on HBL cartridges and pre-concentration factors of up to 250 were obtained. Soil samples are treated using microwave-assisted extraction of analytes with acetonitrile and further clean up by solid-phase extraction. Determination is carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorimetric detection with precolumn derivatization with fluorescamine. The separation of the derivatized sulfonamides is performed on an octadecyl column using binary gradient elution with acetate buffer/acetonitrile mixtures. For water analysis, the detection limits of the whole process are in the low nanogram per liter level and recovery rates range from 70 to 104%, with standard deviations 2-11%. For soil analysis, extraction efficiency is evaluated using three soil samples with different physicochemical characteristics. Recovery rates range from 60 to 98% and detection limits are between 1 and 6ngg(-1).     

Novel cyclopalladated imino-thiophenes: synthesis and reactivity toward alkynes and carbon monoxide

ortho-palladated complexes based on thiophene and benzothiophene ligands 1a and 1b have been synthesized by direct C-H activation under mild conditions. These species were fully characterized, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The reactions of these novel complexes with internal alkynes afforded a variety of thieno[3,2-c]pyridinium salts substituted at the 6- and 7-positions. The thiophene-based complex 2a also reacts with carbon monoxide, in the presence of different alcohols, forming the corresponding esters by tandem alkoxycarbonylations. This latter reaction can be exploited for the unexpected, but straightforward, formation of the monomeric bis-cyclometallated complexes 6a and 6b from 2a or 2b, whose syntheses do not require the employment of transmetallating agents. The structures of these monomeric palladacycles were also fully elucidated by means of X-ray diffraction studies.     

SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION, AND SURFACE ACTIVITY OF SURFACTANTS DERIVED FROM NONYLPHENOL,ETHYLENE OXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE

The synthesis of the nonylphenol poly(ethylene carbonate) surfactants derived from nonylphenol (NP), carbon dioxide and ethylene oxide (EO) were carried out with high yields in the presence of alkali metal salts (K₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, K₂SnO₃ and zinc glutamate) as base catalysts. The synthesis reactions were carried out in a stainless-steel reactor in the temperature range of 150-200°C under an initial pressure of 800 psi, with an initial molar ratio of CO2/EO = 0·21, catalyst concentration of 1 × 10³ M for a 24 h-period. The surfactants were characterized by FT-IR and by H-NMR. The percentages of carbon dioxide incorporation were between 7 and 16% indicating that the activation of CO₂ is a rather difficult process under the catalytic conditions used L175-200 °C and 800 psi of final pressure)

It was found that the most probable mechanism for the synthesis of the surfactants occurs in two steps. The first reaction involves the role of the base as a catalyst for the formation of the cyclic ethylene carbonate from CO₂ and ethylene oxide. The next step is the reaction of the nonylphenol in the presence of cyclic ethylene carbonate and ethylene oxide to generate the surface active compounds. This mechanism indicates that for each mol of carbon dioxide incorporated, one mol of EO has to be added.

The CMC values of the surfactants decrease (from 200 to 100 mM) with the increase in the molar ratio CO₂/EO (from 0·08 to 0·3) which can be attributted to a decrease in the hydrophilic character of the surfactant heads due to the addition of carbonate groups(-O-C(=0)-0-) to the ethoxylated chains (between I to 3 moles).     

The Mechanism of Stereospecific C?H Oxidation by Fe(Pytacn) Complexes: Bioinspired Non‐Heme Iron Catalysts Containing cis‐Labile Exchangeable Sites

A detailed mechanistic study of the hydroxylation of alkane C? H bonds using H₂O₂ by a family of mononuclear non heme iron catalysts with the formula [Fe^II(CF₃SO₃)₂(L)] is described, in which L is a tetradentate ligand containing a triazacyclononane tripod and a pyridine ring bearing different substituents at the α and γ positions, which tune the electronic or steric properties of the corresponding iron complexes. Two inequivalent cis‐labile exchangeable sites, occupied by triflate ions, complete the octahedral iron coordination sphere. The C? H hydroxylation mediated by this family of complexes takes place with retention of configuration. Oxygen atoms from water are incorporated into hydroxylated products and the extent of this incorporation depends in a systematic manner on the nature of the catalyst, and the substrate. Mechanistic probes and isotopic analyses, in combination with detailed density functional theory (DFT) calculations, provide strong evidence that C? H hydroxylation is performed by highly electrophilic [Fe^V(O)(OH)L] species through a concerted asynchronous mechanism, involving homolytic breakage of the C? H bond, followed by rebound of the hydroxyl ligand. The [Fe^V(O)(OH)L] species can exist in two tautomeric forms, differing in the position of oxo and hydroxide ligands. Isotopic‐labeling analysis shows that the relative reactivities of the two tautomeric forms are sensitively affected by the α substituent of the pyridine, and this reactivity behavior is rationalized by computational methods.     

Analysis of fluoroquinolones in animal feeds by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

An analytical method for the analysis of six fluoroquinolones (FQs) in animal feeds was developed. The sample treatment consists of a simple and rapid extraction of the analytes by manual shaking with an acetonitrile-water mixture containing hydrochloric acid without further sample cleanup. Matrix effects were minimized by diluting the extract with water. Determination was carried out by liquid chromatography using fluorimetric detection. The method was validated in-house in four different feed matrices (poultry, cow, pig, and lamb feed). Mean recoveries ranging from 80 to 105%, with relative standard deviations below 12%, were achieved from spiked animal feed samples on the 0.2-2.0 μg/g level. No relevant differences were observed between the studied feeds, this ensuring that the method was reliable for a wide variety of feed matrices. Decision limit and detection capability values are below 0.08 and 0.13 mg/kg, respectively, for most FQs. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of the analytical method developed for a routine use to control the illegal use of these substances in feeding stuffs.     

Discrete salt crystallization at the surface of a porous medium

Efflorescence refers to crystallized salt structures that form at the surface of a porous medium. The challenge is to understand why these structures do not form everywhere at the surface of the porous medium but at some specific locations and why there exists an exclusion distance around an efflorescence where no new efflorescence forms. These are explained from a visualization experiment, pore-network simulations and a simple efflorescence growth model.