Arsenic Speciation Analysis in Solutions Treated with Zeolites

Experiments have been carried out to study the behaviour of organoarsenicals treated with zeolites by means of speciation analysis. IC-ICP-MS was applied to identify and quantify arsenite, arsenate and the following organoarsenicals: monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), tetramethylarsonium bromide (TMA⁺), arsenobetaine (AsB) and arsenocholine (AsC). Zeolites loaded with ferrous ions did not significantly increase the retention of inorganic arsenic species compared to the native zeolites, while there was a ten-fold removal of arsenate relating to arsenite. The formation of As(V) and DMA in the leachates containing clinoptilolites and mordenites was confirmed in the presence of natural and synthetic zeolites. Arsenobetaine and arsenocholine yielded higher levels of arsenate than the methylated species.     

Effect of ionization and the nature of the mobile phase in quantitative structure-retention relationship studies

The octanol-water distribution constant, commonly called partition coefficient, Po/w, is a parameter often retained as a measure of the hydrophobicity of a molecule. log Po/w, for a given molecule, can be conveniently evaluated constructing correlation lines between standard retention factor logarithms (log k) in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and standard log Po/w values. Many compounds of pharmaceutical interest can be quite hydrophobic and have, simultaneously, basic nitrogen atoms or acidic sulfur containing groups in their structure. This renders them ionizable. The hydrophobicity of the molecular drug form (Po/w value) is completely different from its ionic form (log Po/w(+ or -) value). The actual hydrophobicity of such ionizable molecule depends on the pH. It can be represented by an apparent Papp value that takes into account the amount of compound in its molecular and ionic state combining the Po/w and Po/w(+ or -) values. In this work, log k in RPLC for ionizable as well as non-ionizable pharmaceutical compounds with different therapeutic properties (10 beta-blockers, seven tricyclic antidepressants (TA), eight steroids and 12 sulfonamides) were correlated with log Po/w. Similar correlations were done between log k and the corrected log Papp values at pH 3. Aqueous-organic mobile phases containing acetonitrile (conventional RPLC) and micellar-organic mobile phases (micellar liquid chromatography, MLC), prepared with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and the organic solvents acetonitrile, propanol or pentanol, were also used to elute the compounds. All mobile phases were buffered at pH 3. Using conventional retention RPLC data, the correlation of log k with log Po/w, was satisfactory for steroids because they cannot ionize. For ionizable beta-blockers and TAs, the use of log Papp values improved the quality of the correlations, but yielded similar results for sulfonamides. In MLC, since an electrostatic interaction is added to hydrophobic forces, poorer correlations were obtained in all cases. The retention data obtained in RPLC also seems to correlate better with the biological activity of the drugs.     

Intercalation of Dyes Containing SO3H Groups into Zn–Al Layered Double Hydroxide

The intercalates of Naphthol Yellow S, Tropaeolin 000, and Tropaeolin 00 were prepared by heating [Zn_0.67Al_0.33(OH)₂](CO₃)_0.165 · 0.5H₂O with acidic forms of the dye solutions in an open reaction vessel. The intercalates were characterized by chemical and thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and UV–VIS spectroscopy. A possible arrangement of the dye molecules in the intercalates was suggested on the basis of their chemical compositions and interlayer distances, by taking into account van der Waals dimensions of the guest molecules and by assuming that the structure of the host layers is not changed during the intercalation process.     

Changes in the physicochemical properties of transferrin upon chemical derivatization with ceramides

The interaction of native and derivatized transferrin with lecithin, cholesterol and their mixtures was studied using monomolecular layers of phospholipids. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters corresponding to these interactions: the mixing excess free energy, interaction energy, and interaction parameter were also calculated.The ability of these two proteins to insert into monolayers was studied working at constant area.The formation of aggregates or secondary structures in solution was determined by the fluorescence and polarization values of ANS (anilinonaphthalene sulfonate), measured at different protein/ANS relationships.Abbreviations TF Transferrin - DTF derivatized transferrin - PC lecithin - CHOL cholesterol - CER ceramides - ANS anilinonaphthalene sulfonate - TNBS trinitro benzenesulfonate method     

Mixed micellization of an anionic gemini surfactant (GA) with conventional polyethoxylated nonionic surfactants in brine solution at pH 5 and 298 K

The micellization behavior of an anionic gemini surfactant, GA with nonionic surfactants C₁₂E₈ and C₁₂E₅ in presence of 0.1 M NaCl at 298 K temperature, has been studied tensiometrically in pure and mixed states, and the related physicochemical parameters (cmc, γ _cmc, pC ₂₀, Γ _max, and A _min) have been evaluated. Tensiometric profile (γ vs log [surfactant]), for conventional surfactants, generally consists of a single point of intersection; a gradually decreasing line (normally linear, or with slight curvature) ultimately saturates in γ at a particular [surfactant], corresponding to complete monolayer saturation. The gemini, in this report, led to two unequivocal breaks in the tensiometric isotherm. An attempt to the interpretation of the two breaks from molecular point of view is provided, depending solely on the chemical structure of the surfactant. The gemini, even in mixed state with the conventional nonionic surfactants C₁₂E₅ and C₁₂E₈, manifested the dual breaks; of course, the dominance of the feature decreases with increasing mole fraction of the nonionics in the mixture. Theories of Clint, Rosen, Rubingh, Motomura, Georgiev, Maeda, and Nagarajan have been used to determine the interaction between surfactants at the interface and micellar state of aggregation, the composition of the aggregates, the theoretical cmc in pure and mixed states, and the structural parameters according to Tanford and Israelachvili. Several thermodynamic parameters have also been predicted from those theories.     

Thermal behaviour of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with epoxy resin cured by diamines

A new material belongs to the family of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, the 1-(3-glycidyl) propoxy-3,5,7,9,11,13,15-isobutylpentacyclo-[9.5.1.1(3,9).1(5,15).1(7,13)]octasiloxane (glycidylisobutyl-POSS) is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy. Epoxy systems based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with the diamines, 4,4'-diamine-diphenylmethane (DDM) and 1,4-phenylenediamine (pPDA), were kinetically studied by differential scanning calorimetry in isothermal and dynamic modes. The thermal behaviour of these systems as the glycidylisobutyl-POSS was added, is discussed later. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Passivation of the calcite surface with malonate ion

Samples of polycrystalline calcite were impregnated with solutions of malonic acid of three concentrations (5 x 10(-2), 5 x 10(-3) , and 5 x 10(-4) M) and different pH values (6.00, 7.00, and 8.00). The impregnation was carried out at room temperature to evaluate the adsorption of malonate ion in the calcite surface to optimize the conditions for possible application on limestone and marble in cultural heritage materials. The affinity of the malonate ion was determined through the potentiometric measurement of the surface charge and the corresponding adsorbed amounts by titration, Raman spectroscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The results indicate effective adsorption of the malonate ion on the surface at a pH value close to the point of zero charge (pHpzc approximately 8.20) and changes in some surface morphological properties such as the pore shape and the pore size distribution. The presence of a malonate adsorptive layer on calcite generates an interface interaction potential that may influence the reaction and transport mechanisms within the medium.     

Surface Modification of Fine Particles with a SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Film by Using a Polyhedral-Barrel Sputtering System

Fine particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂ by using a barrel sputtering system that is a dry process. The conditions for the preparation of SnO₂ were studied by reactive sputtering onto a glass plate substrate. The optimal conditions for the preparation of tetragonal SnO₂ were identified as 60% partial oxygen pressure and 1.0 Pa total gas pressure with the substrate at room temperature. Under the optimized conditions, the surfaces of Al flake particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂. XRD and SEM/EDS analysis of the prepared samples showed that the Al particle surfaces were uniformly modified by a thin film of SnO₂ in all cases. The film thicknesses were 80, 130, and 180 nm at RF outputs of 195, 350, and 490 W. These measured thicknesses coincided with the values estimated from the interference colors of the samples.     

Rapid determination of acetaminophen in physiological fluids by liquid chromatography using SDS mobile phase and ED detection

Acetaminophen is determined in serum and urine samples by a rapid, sensitive, and precise chromatographic method without any pretreatment step in a C18 column using a pure micellar mobile phase of 0.02M sodium dodecyl sulfate at pH 7. Acetaminophen is eluted in less than 5 min with no interference of the protein band. The use of electrochemical and UV detection is compared. Linearities (r > 0.999), as well as intra- and interday precision, are studied in the validation of the method. Limits of detection (LOD) are also calculated to be 0.56, 0.83, and 0.74 ng/mL in micellar solution, serum, and urine using electrochemical detection. The developed micellar liquid chromatographic method is useful for the quantitation of acetaminophen in serum and urine. Recoveries in the biological matrices are in the 98-107% range and results are compared with those obtained using a reference method. Drug excretion (in urine) and serum distribution are studied in several healthy volunteers, and no interference from metabolites is found. The developed procedure can be applied in routine analyses, toxicology, and therapeutic monitoring.