Development and prevalidation of a method for phenol determination by solid-phase spectrophotometry

A simple, sensitive and rapid solid-phase spectrophotometric procedure was developed for the determination of traces of phenol with 4-aminoantipyrine as a reagent (AAP-SPS), and the optimal experimental conditions were established. This method was performed by sorption and direct absorbance measurements of the product phenol-AAP sorbed on the anion-exchanger Dowex 1-X4 (0.2 g) at 495 nm (absorption maximum) and 700 nm (non-absorption wavelength). The sensitivity offered by the AAP-SPS procedure was higher by a factor of 40 compared with the respective conventional spectrophotometric method. Metrological characteristics were established using a prevalidation strategy. The AAP-SPS procedure is characterized by a linear calibration function in the working range of 0.05–0.50 μmol, low standard deviation of procedure (±0.012), low limit of determination (0.021 μmol), and favorable random (±0.85 to ±11.27%) and systematic deviations (−4.55 to +11.50%). Moreover, the accuracy of the system investigated by the recovery test is acceptable (99–102%). Favorable working and performance characteristics make the new SPS method ideal for phenol monitoring in pharmaceutical preparations as well as other matrices.     

Photocatalytic TiO2 Coatings: Effect of Substrate and Template

Transparent TiO₂ films with a high photodegradation activity towards an azo dye in aqueous solution were prepared by sol–gel processing. Films on soda–lime glass supports protected with a thin silica barrier layer exhibited better crystallization and monodisperse nanoparticles, higher absorption of light below 370 nm, and higher photocatalytic activity than those films deposited on bare glass supports proving the detrimental effect of interdiffused sodium ions on the development of the anatase nanostructure. The effect of substrate was more pronounced in thinner films (300 nm) than in thicker ones (1200 nm), which were achieved by adding a template (i.e. Pluronic F127) to the sol.     

Influence of biomass on hydrodynamics of an internal loop airlift reactor

The effect of the biomass presence on the overall circulation velocity, the linear velocities both in the riser and the downcomer and the overall gas hold-up was studied in a three-phase internal loop airlift reactor (ILALR). The measured data were compared with those obtained using a two-phase system (air—water). All experiments were carried out in a 40 dm³ ILALR at six different biomass concentrations (ranging from 0 g dm⁻³ to 7.5 g dm⁻³), at a temperature of 30°C, under atmospheric pressure. Air and water were used as the gas and liquid model media, respectively. Pellets of Aspergillus niger produced during the fermentation of glucose to gluconic acid in the ILALR were considered solid phase. In addition, liquid velocities were measured during the fermentation of glucose to gluconic acid using Aspergillus niger. All measurements were performed in a bubble circulation regime. At given experimental conditions the effect of the biomass on the circulation velocities in the ILALR was negligible. However, increasing of the biomass concentration led to lower values of the total gas hold-up. Presented at the 33rd International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 22–26 May 2006.     

Estimation scheme for level-dependent uncertainty of analytical result: application for determination of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine

The estimation scheme of uncertainty of determination of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine was developed analysing the main stages of the analytical procedure: (1) preparation of 1-OHP standards, (2) creation of the calibration curve for the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method with the evaluation of recovery, (3) measuring procedure of aliquot of urine, (4) adjusting the pH of aliquot and hydrolysis with enzyme, (5) solid phase extraction, (6) concentration of the extract, (7) injection of the extract to chromatograph and analysing by the HPLC method, (8) calculation of 1-OHP mass from the calibration curve, (9) calculation of 1-OHP concentration in urine. The evaluation of the uncertainty is based on quantification of individual components. Combined uncertainty was calculated using the law of propagation of uncertainties according to the EURACHEM/CITAC guidelines. Level dependence of the uncertainty arises from the calibration curve. The limits of detection and quantification were found to be equal to 0.03 and 0.1 ng/mL, respectively. The calculated expanded level-dependent uncertainty covers 47–27–25% within the concentration range 0.03–0.1–0.4 ng/mL with the materials and equipment used. These parameters could easily be recalculated according to the proposed scheme if there are some changes in the analysis procedure.     

The polysaccharide extracts from the fungi Coprinus comatus and Coprinellus truncorum do exhibit AChE inhibitory activity

The polysaccharide (PSH) extracts from the edible mushroom species Coprinus comatus and Coprinellus truncorum were screened in liquid for their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChE) activity. Both extracts were found to display inhibition of the aforementioned enzyme reaching similar IC₅₀ values of 0.62 ± 0.07 and 0.61 ± 0.03 mg/mL, respectively. According to the means of FTIR spectroscopy, these PSH extracts mostly contained β-glucans. However, the presence of some proteins and polyphenolics as minor ingredients were also detected. Compared with existing literature data for anti-AChE activity of the sugar samples, the findings within this study may be treated as a profound bioactivity. Consequently, this study puts some light on the possible use of the screened macrofungi in the palliative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.     

MCSCF reaction-path energetics and thermal rate-constants for the reaction of3NH with H2

Summary The intrinsic reaction-path, reactants, transition state and products for the reaction of NH (^3–)+H₂ (¹ _g ⁺ ) NH₂ (²B₁)+H (²S) involving the lowest triplet electronic state of NH₃ were calculated using multi-configuration (MC) SCF methods. The calculated change of internal energy for the reaction of 11.0 kcal mol^–1 agrees with the experimental value within 2 kcal mol^–1. The barrier to reaction is 23.4 kcal mol^–1 high. The harmonic MCSCF reaction-path potential was calculated and canonical variational transition state theory calculations of the rate constants performed over a temperature range from 400 to 2500 K. The computed rate constants are generally two orders of magnitude smaller than those of the comparable reaction of OH with H₂, whereas those of the reverse reaction are by a factor of 20 larger than those of OH₂ with H.     

Flow injection analysis : Part II. Ultrafast determination of phosphorus in plant material by continuous flow spectrophotometry

The effect of sample volume, tube length, tube diameter, peak height and sampling rate on the determination of phosphorus in acidic plant digests was investigated, and optimal conditions for the flow injection method are described. Sampling rates of 420 samples per hour were achieved without incurring problems from carryover of samples, and evidence was obtained that rates as high as 700 samples per hour are possible. The flow injection method was proved to be suitable for routine analyses and has obvious advantages over other automated or manual methods in sampling rate, simplicity of design and cost.     

The relationship between the structures of Cu(II) complexes and their chemical transformations: VII

The thermal decompositions of Cu(en)₂(NCS)X. where X^–=Cl^–, Br^–, NO ₃ ^– , BF ₄ ^– and ClO ₄ ^– , have been studied in comparison with the courses of Cu(en)₂(SCN)₂ and Cu(en)₂X₂ decomposition. It is shown that the presence of the thiocyanate group in the complexes Cu(en)₂(NCS)X is the most important factor in the decomposition course, in agreement with the fact that the anions X^– are not coordinated. or are only semicoordinated. Significant differences were found in the courses of thermal decomposition of two forms of Cu(en)₂(NCS)(BF₄) differing in the structure of their coordination polyhedra.

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Zusammenfassung Die thermische Zersetzung von Cu(en)₂(NCS)X (X=Cl Br, NO₃, BF₄ und ClO₄) wurde untersucht und mit der von Cu(en₂(SCN)₂ und Cu(en)₂X₂ verglichem. Der den Verlauf der Zersetzung entscheidend bestimmende Faktor isi die Anw esenheit der Thiocyanat-Gruppe in den Cu(en)₂(NCS)X-Komplexen, was in Übereinstimmung damit steht,. daß die Anionen X nicht oder nur teilweise koordiniert sind. Es wurden signifikante Unterschiedeim Verlauf der thermischen Zersetzung von zwei sich in der Struktur ihrer Kordinationspolyeder unter-, heidenden Formen von Cu(en)₂(NCS)(BF₄) gefunden.

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Cu(en)₂(NCS)X (X^–=Cl^–, Br^–, NO ₄ ^– , NO ₃ ^– , BF₄ ClO₄, Cu(en)₂(SCN)₂ Cu(en)₂(X)₂. , Cu(en)₂(NCS)X X Cu(en) (NCS)BF₄ i .

     

Ground-state properties of benzenoid hydrocarbons by simple bond orbital resonance theory approach

π-electron energies and bond orders of benzenoid hydrocarbons with up to five fused hexagons have been considered by the simple Bond Orbital Resonance Theory (BORT) approach. The corresponding ground states were determined according to four BORT models. In the first three models a diagonalisation of the Hückel-type Hamiltonian was performed in the bases of Kekulé, of Kekulé and mono-Claus and of Kekulé and Claus resonance structures, respectively. In the fourth model a simple BORT ansatz was used. According to this ansatz, the ground state is a linear combination of the positive Kekulé structures, all with equal coefficients. It was shown that π-electron energies and bond orders obtained by these models correlate much better with the PPP energies and bond orders than with the Hückel energies and bond orders. This indicates that a simple BORT approach is quite reliable in predicting the more sophisticated PPP results. Concerning the relative performance of the four BORT models, the best results were obtained with the BORT ansatz. The performance deteriorates with the expansion of the basis set. This is attributed to the fact that in these models the improvement of the basis set is not accompanied with the corresponding improvement of the Hamiltonian. Comparing the BORT-ansatz bond orders with the Pauling bond orders, it was shown that BORT-ansatz bond orders correlate much better with the PPP bond orders. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.