Development of a compact supersonic jet/multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the on-site analysis of dioxin, part I: Evaluation of basic performance.

A new type of compact supersonic jet/resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometer is described. The analytical instrument, consisting of a single turbo molecular pump equipped with a rotary pump, was maintained at < 2 x 10(-3) Pa when a 0.3-atm sample was injected into a vacuum at 10-Hz using a 200-micros pulse valve. The diameters of the extraction and ground skimmer electrodes were expanded to 30 mm in order to avoid strong focusing and defocusing of the ion, and the optimum conditions for the system were investigated. The mass spectrometer functioned as expected: (1) no defocusing of the ion beam was observed even when the potential of the einzel lens was adjusted to zero; (2) the direction of the ion beam to an assembly of microchannel plates deviated in the expected manner when the potential of the defection electrode was changed from 0 to 30 V.     

Analysis of active chemical species generated by electrolysis using non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis. Detection of the anion radical and the divalent anion of tetracyanoquinodimethane

We have investigated detection of the anion radical and the divalent anion of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) by acetonitrile-CE under anaerobic conditions. With electrolysis at a potential of 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), an acetonitrile solution of TCNQ turned green, characteristic of the TCNQ anion radical (TCNQ-). Only one peak of the anionic compound was observed in CE of the electrolysis solution and it should be that of TCNQ-. Then, the electrolysis potential was shifted to -0.8 V expected to be sufficient potential for the further reduction of TCNQ-, and the solution turned almost colourless. In CE analysis of the latter solution, another anionic component possessing a larger electrophoretic mobility than that of TCNQ- was detected, and it was decomposed immediately under aerobic conditions. This product was strongly suggested to be the divalent anion of TCNQ, and the present method would contribute notably to detection of the unstable species.     

Evaluation of a new reagent: anthraquinone-2-sulfonyl chloride for the determination of phenol in water by liquid chromatography using precolumn phase-transfer catalyzed derivatization

A new reagent, anthraquinone-2-sulfonyl chloride, is used for the derivatizaton of phenols. Several compounds with different polarities are selected to evaluate the new reagent and derivatives of these phenols that are prepared via a facile pathway. The optimal conditions for analytical derivatization and mechanism of the derivatization reaction are discussed. The derivatization procedure involves an ion-pair extraction of the deprotonated phenols with a tetrabutylammonium counter ion in the organic phase. At the interface of two phases, the derivatization reaction occurs quantitatively at room temperature within 3 min. The derivatives are stable and readily amenable to analysis by normal-phase (NP) and reversed-phase (RP) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Excellent linearity response was demonstrated over the concentration range of 0.2-200 micromol/L at 320 nm for NP-HPLC and at 256 nm for RP-HPLC. Combined with preconcentration using a Waters Sep-Pak Plus C(18) cartridge, detection limits of phenols for water-sample analysis are as low as 1 x 10(-9) mol/L (approximately 0.1 microg/mL).     

Mechanistic study on the electrochemical reduction of 9,10-anthraquinone in the presence of hydrogen-bond and proton donating additives

The electrochemical reduction of 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) was investigated in CH(3)CN in both the absence and presence of the hydrogen-bond and proton donating additives, CH(3)OH, CH(CF(3))(2)OH, phenol, 4-methoxyphenol, 4-cyanophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and benzoic acid (BA). Three clearly different types of electrochemical behavior were observed with increasing concentrations of the additives, and were simulated to analyze the reaction mechanisms. Type I was observed for weakly interacting additives, such as CH(3)OH, characterized by positive shifts of the two well-separated reduction waves, corresponding to the formation of AQ(?-) and AQ(2-), with no loss of reversibility. The second wave shifted more strongly, and finally merged with the first. These behaviors are explained by the association of AQ(2-) with the additives via strong hydrogen-bonding. Type II is attributed to a reduction mechanism involving quantitative formation of strong hydrogen-bonded complexes of AQ(2-) with additives, such as CH(CF(3))(2)OH, phenol and 4-methoxyphenol, showing a reversible or quasireversible two-electron reduction wave with increasing concentrations of the additives. The behavior of Type III, observed in the presence of strongly interacting additives, such as 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and BA, is characterized by a voltammogram composed of the 2-electorn cathodic and the broad anodic waves without keeping reversibility, facilitated by proton transfer in the hydrogen-bonded complexes, AQ(?-)-BA and AQ(2-)-BA. The effects of hydrogen-bonding and protonation on the electrochemistry of AQ have been systematically demonstrated in terms of the potentials and reaction pathways of the various species, which appear in quinone-hydroquinone systems.