Photo-Oxidation of phenosafranine and neutral red in the presence of iron(III): Determination of trace amounts of iron and phosphate

Summary Phenosafranine (Ph) and Neutral Red (NR) in the presence of iron(III) are decolorized by illumination with light of wavelength shorter than 360 nm. The decolorization mechanism involves ·OH radicals, formed during the photo-excitation of hydrolysed iron(III) species. In the presence of oxygen, iron(III) acts as a catalyst in the photochemical process. The photo-oxidation of Ph and NR is followed by measuring the decrease in absorbance of the dyes, and linear calibration graphs in the range 1–11 ppm of iron are obtained. The decrease in the fluorescence of phenosafranine has also been used to measure the photo-oxidation of this dye, and is linearly related to iron concentration in the range 0.1–1.1 ppm. Phosphate strongly inhibits the iron(III)-catalysed photodecolorization and this can be made the basis of a method for its determination (concentration limit 1×10^–5 M).

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Photooxydation von Phenosafranin und Neutralrot in Gegenwart von Eisen(III): Bestimmung von Spuren Eisen und Phosphat

Zusammenfassung Phenosafranin (Ph) und Neutralrot (NR) werden in Gegenwart von Fe(III) durch Belichtung unter 360 nm entfärbt. Der Mechanismus dieses Vorgangs erfordert die Gegenwart von OH-Radikalen, die sich bei Belichtung von hydrolysierten Fe(III)-Verbindungen bilden. In Gegenwart von Sauerstoff wirkt Fe(III) als Katalysator der photochemischen Reaktion. Die Photooxydation von Ph und NR läßt sich durch Abnahme der Absorbanz der beiden Farbstoffe verfolgen. Dabei ergeben sich lineare Eichkurven für 1–11 ppm Fe. Die Abnahme der Fluoreszenz von Ph dient ebenfalls zur Messung der Photooxydation dieses Farbstoffes und verläuft für 0,1–1,1 ppm Fe linear. Phosphat hindert die Fe(III)-katalysierte Photoentfärbung, was als Grundlage für die Phosphatbestimmung bis zu 1×10^–5 M dienen kann.

     

Light-driven tyrosine radical formation in a ruthenium-tyrosine complex attached to nanoparticle TiO2

We demonstrate a possibility of multistep electron transfer in a supramolecular complex adsorbed on the surface of nanocrystalline TiO(2). The complex mimics the function of the tyrosine(Z)() and chlorophyll unit P(680) in natural photosystem II (PSII). A ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) complex covalently linked to a L-tyrosine ethyl ester through an amide bond was attached to the surface of nanocrystalline TiO(2) via carboxylic acid groups linked to the bpy ligands. Synthesis and characterization of this complex are described. Excitation (450 nm) of the complex promotes an electron to a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited state, from which the electron is injected into TiO(2). The photogeneration of Ru(III) is followed by an intramolecular electron transfer from tyrosine to Ru(III), regenerating the photosensitizer Ru(II) and forming the tyrosyl radical. The tyrosyl radical is formed in less than 5 micros with a yield of 15%. This rather low yield is a result of a fast back electron transfer reaction from the nanocrystalline TiO(2) to the photogenerated Ru(III).     

Voltammetric analysis of iron oxide pigments

Eighteen earthy and four pure synthetic pigments containing alpha-Fe2O3 (hematite), alpha-FeOOH (goethite) and poorly crystalline Fe and Mn oxide species were analyzed by voltammetry of microparticles. Three natural samples were subjected to an interlaboratory test to evaluate the reproducibility of the voltammetric peak potentials and peak shapes. The results confirmed that linear-sweep voltammetry is able to distinguish between poorly crystalline, ferrihydrite-like oxides and well-crystalline hematite and goethite and to detect XRD-amorphous Mn(III,IV) oxides via the peak occurrence. Voltammetry is further able to distinguish between pigments containing well-crystalline goethite (according to its structural features) and hematite (according to its particle size). The microsamples of primers from two baroque paintings were also analyzed by XRD and voltammetry and shown to be analogous to common clayey ochres.     

Ni(0)L]-catalyzed cyclodimerization of 1,3-butadiene: a comprehensive density functional investigation based on the generic [(C(4)H(6))(2)Ni(0)PH(3)] catalyst

We present a comprehensive theoretical investigation of the mechanism for cyclodimerization of butadiene by the generic [bis(butadiene)Ni(0)PH(3)] catalyst employing a gradient-corrected DFT method. We have explored all critical elementary steps of the whole catalytic cycle, namely, oxidative coupling of two butadienes, reductive elimination under ring closure, and allylic isomerization. Oxidative coupling of two butadienes in the [bis(butadiene)Ni(0)L] complex and reductive elimination in the [(bis(eta(3))-octadienediyl)Ni(II)L] species take place under different stereocontrol, which makes isomerization indispensable. Commencing from a preestablished equilibrium between several configurations of the [(octadienediyl)Ni(II)L] complex, the major cyclodimer products, namely, VCH, cis-1,2-DVCB, and cis,cis-COD, are formed along competing reaction paths via reductive elimination, which is found to be the overall rate-determining step. Careful exploration of different possible conceivable routes revealed that bis(eta(1)) species are not involved as critical intermediates either in reductive elimination or in isomerization along the most feasible pathway. The regulation of the selectivity of the cyclodimer formation based on both thermodynamic and kinetic considerations is outlined.     

Generation and intermolecular reactions of 3-indolylacyl radicals

The generation of 3-indolylacyl radicals from the corresponding phenyl selenoesters and the scope of their participation in intermolecular addition reactions to carbon-carbon double bonds under both reductive and nonreductive conditions have been studied.     

Hydrophosphination of boron–boron multiple bonds

Five compounds containing boron–boron multiple bonds are shown to undergo hydrophosphination reactions with diphenylphosphine in the absence of a catalyst. With diborenes, the products obtained are highly dependent on the substitution pattern at the boron atoms, with both 1,1- and 1,2-hydrophosphinations observed. With a symmetrical diboryne, 1,2-hydrophosphination yields a hydro(phosphino)diborene. The different mechanistic pathways for the hydrophosphination of diborenes are rationalised with the aid of density functional theory calculations.

Compounds containing boron–boron double and triple bonds are shown to undergo uncatalysed hydrophosphination reactions with diphenylphosphine.     

Analysis of binary mixtures of flufenamic, meclofenamic and mefenamic acids by derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry

Second-derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry was used to develop a simple, rapid and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of binary mixtures of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs flufenamic (FFA), meclofenamic (MCFA) and mefenamic (MFA) acids in serum and pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the intrinsic fluorescence of these compounds in chloroform. A Deltalambda=105 nm was used for the resolution of FFA-MFA and MFA-MCFA mixtures, whereas the FFA-MCFA mixture was determined at Deltalambda=40 nm. Serum samples are treated with trichloroacetic acid to remove the proteins, and the analytes are extracted in chloroform prior to determination. Pharmaceutical preparations were analysed without prior separation steps.     

Application of photochemical inhibition in flow injection systems: Determination of epinephrine and L-dopa

An automated procedure for the photochemical determination of epinephrine and L-dopa has been developed. It is based on the strong inhibition by these catecholamines on the photochemical reaction between phloxin and ethylenediaminetetraacetic. The proposed flow-injection method allows the fluorimetric determination of epinephrine in the range 1.9-26.4 mug/ml and of L-dopa in the range of 1.5-12.7 mug/ml, with a sampling frequency of 35 samples/hr. The method was applied successfully to the determination of body catecholamines in pharmaceutical preparations.