The determination of water in crude oil and transformer oil reference materials

The measurement of the amount of water in oils is of significant economic importance to the industrial community, particularly to the electric power and crude oil industries. The amount of water in transformer oils is critical to their normal function and the amount of water in crude oils affects the cost of the crude oil at the well head, the pipeline, and the refinery. Water in oil Certified Reference Materials (CRM) are essential for the accurate calibration of instruments that are used by these industries. Three NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) have been prepared for this purpose. The water in these oils has been measured by both coulometric and volumetric Karl Fischer methods. The compounds (such as sulfur compounds) that interfere with the Karl Fischer reaction (interfering substances) and inflate the values for water by also reacting with iodine have been measured coulometrically. The measured water content of Reference Material (RM) 8506a Transformer Oil is 12.1+/-1.9 mg kg(-1) (plus an additional 6.2+/-0.9 mg kg(-1) of interfering substances). The measured water content of SRM 2722 Sweet Crude Oil, is 99+/-6 mg kg(-1) (plus an additional 5+/-2 mg kg(-1) of interfering substances). The measured water content of SRM 2721 Sour Crude Oil, is 134+/-18 mg kg(-1) plus an additional 807+/-43 mg kg(-1) of interfering substances. Interlaboratory studies conducted with these oil samples (using SRM 2890, water saturated 1-octanol, as a calibrant) are reported. Some of the possible sources of bias in these measurements were identified, These include: improperly calibrated instruments, inability to measure the calibrant accurately, Karl Fischer reagent selection, and volatilization of the interfering substances in SRM 2721.     

Validation of three rapid screening methods for detection of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in foods: interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory study was conducted for the validation of 3 methods for the detection of all verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in foods. The methods were a multi-analyte 1-step lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for detection of E. coli O157 and verotoxin (VT); an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay targeted against VT1, VT2, and VT2c (VT-ELISA); and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of VT genes (VT-PCR). Aliquots (25 g or 25 mL) of 4 food types (raw minced [ground] beef, unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized apple juice [cider], and salami) were individually inoculated with low numbers (<9 to 375 cells/25 g) of 6 test strains of E. coli (serogroups O26, O103, O111, O145, and O157) with differing VT-producing capabilities. Five replicates for each test strain and 5 uninoculated samples were prepared for each food type. Fourteen participating laboratories analyzed samples using the LFIA, 9 analyzed the samples by ELISA, and 9 by PCR. The LFIA for O157 and VT had a specificity (correct identification of negative samples) of 92 and 94%, respectively, and a sensitivity (correct identification of positive samples) of 94 and 55%, respectively. The VT-ELISA and VT-PCR had a specificity of 98 and 99%, respectively, and a sensitivity of 89 and 72%, respectively.     

Organic syntheses on an icosahedral borane surface: closomer structures with twelvefold functionality

The syntheses of a series of novel ester-linked derivatives of the icosahedral [closo-B12(OH)12]2- boron cluster (closomer esters) are described using several synthetic methods. The reaction of bis(tetrabutylammonium)-closo-dodecahydroxy-dodecaborate, [NBu4]2 1, with carboxylic acid chlorides and anhydrides, vinyl esters with a Y5(OiPr)13O catalyst and 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole-activated carboxylic acids yields the corresponding dianionic dodeca-ester closomers. The method using 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole-activated carboxylic acids may be employed as a general synthetic strategy. The use of elevated reaction temperatures, achievable under pressure, to expedite syntheses is described. An attractive methodology using immobilized scavenger reagents for the expeditious purification of the closomer esters was employed. The developed methodology is compatible with a variety of peripheral functional groups attached to the termini of densely packed, carboxylate ester-linked radial arms bonded to the icosahedral borane surface. A closomer ester having twelve terminal amino groups was prepared, and without isolation, fully acetylated in good yield.     

Equilibrium Acidities and Homolytic Bond Dissociation Enthalpies of the Acidic C-H Bonds in P-(Para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium Cations and Related Cations

Equilibrium acidities (pK(HA)) of six P-(para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium (p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+)) cations, P-allyltriphenylphosphonium cation, P-cinnamyltriphenylphosphonium cation, and As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation, together with the oxidation potentials [E(ox)(A(-))] of their conjugate anions (ylides) have been measured in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution. The acidifying effects of the alpha-triphenylphosphonium groups on the acidic C-H bonds in toluene and propene were found to be ca 25 pK(HA) units (34 kcal/mol). Introduction of an electron-withdrawing group such as 4-NO(2), 4-CN, or 4-Br into the para position of the benzyl ring in p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+) cations resulted in an additional acidity increase, but introduction of the 4-OEt electron-donating group decreases the acidity. The equilibrium acidities of p-GC(6)H(4)CH(2)PPh(3)(+) cations were nicely linearly correlated with the Hammett sigma(-) constants of the substituents (G) with a slope of 4.78 pK(HA) units (R(2) = 0.992) (Figure 1). Reversible oxidation potentials of the P-(para-substituted benzyl)triphenylphosphonium ylides were obtained by fast scan cyclic voltammetry. The homolytic bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of the acidic C-H bonds in these cations, estimated by combining their equilibrium acidities with the oxidation potentials of their corresponding conjugate anions, showed that the alpha-Ph(3)P(+) groups have negligible stabilizing or destabilizing effects on the adjacent radicals. The equilibrium acidity of As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation is 4 pK(HA) units weaker than that of P-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylphosphonium cation, but the BDE of the acidic C-H bond in As-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylarsonium cation is ca 2 kcal/mol higher than that in P-(p-cyanobenzyl)triphenylphosphonium cation.     

Reversed-phase ion-pair separation of several weak organic acids found in urine

Retention data are presented for homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, vanillic acid and hippuric acid on reversed-phase C-18 columns with aqueous and 10% (v/v) methanolic acetic acid buffers. These data are fitted to a model and window diagrams are constructed from calculated model parameters. The optimum pH for separation of these acids is 4.2–4.4.     

Crown Ethers as Synergist in the 2-Thenoyltrifluoroacetone Extraction of Lanthanoids in 1,2-Dichloroethane

Summary. The solvent extraction of 14 trivalent lanthanoid ions (Ln ³⁺) from a nitrate medium into 1,2-dichloroethane containing 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedione (HTTA) was investigated at 25.0°C. The extraction of Ln(TTA)₃ species was confirmed and the extraction constants were determined. The extraction of Ln with the synergistic mixture of HTTA and a crown ether (CE: 12-crown-4, 18-crown-6, cyclohexano-18-crown-6 or benzo-18-crown-6) was also investigated at 25.0°C. The 1:1 adducts of the complex and crown ether, Ln(TTA)₃·(CE) are formed for all the lanthanoid ions and the CEs used in this study. The formation constants, β_add, of the adduct Ln(TTA)₃·(CE) from Ln(TTA)₃ in the organic phase were determined by nonlinear least-squares method. The stabilities and structures of the formed adducts were discussed with respect to the cavity size, steric effect, and basicity of the CE.     

Synthesis,structure, and photochemistry of exceptionally stable synthetic DNA hairpins with stilbene diether linkers

The structure and properties of 18 hairpin-forming bis(oligonucleotide) conjugates possessing stilbene diether linkers are reported. Conjugates possessing bis(2-hydroxyethyl)stilbene 4,4'-diether linkers form the most stable DNA hairpins reported to date. Hairpins with as few as two T:A base pairs or four noncanonical G:G base pairs are stable at room temperature. Increasing the length of the hydroxyalkyl groups results in a decrease in hairpin thermal stability. On the basis of the investigation of their circular dichroism spectra, all of the hairpins investigated adopt B-DNA structures, except for a hairpin with a short poly(G:C) stem which forms a Z-DNA structure. Both the strong fluorescence of the stilbene diether linkers and their trans-cis photoisomerization are totally quenched in hairpins possessing neighboring T:A and G:C base pairs. Quenching is attributed to an electron-transfer mechanism in which the singlet stilbene serves as an electron donor and T or C serves as an electron acceptor. In contrast, in denatured hairpins and hairpins possessing neighboring G:G base pairs the stilbene diether linkers undergo efficient photoisomerization.     

Kinetics of the DS-radical reactions with CINO and NO2

The rate constants for the reactions of the DS radical with NO₂ (reaction 1) and ClNO (reaction 2) have been measured using the discharge-flow technique at 2 torr total pressure of helium. The DS radical was monitored by laser-induced fluorescence. The reactions were found to have the following bimolecular rate constants (95% confidence level, in units of cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1): This expression for k₁ is found to be in excellent agreement with one of several previous studies. The magnitude of k₂ is examined within the framework of a well-established reactivity trend. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Di-isophorone and related compounds. Part 7. Syntheses and properties of 1-hydroxydi-isophor-2(7)-ene-3,4-dione

1-Hydroxydi-isophor-2(7)-ene-3,4-dione (4), the -diketone derived from the parent di-isophorone, is obtained by several routes. Its formation by the hydrogenation of the corresponding 2,7-epoxide3 confirms its assigned structure. The action of alkali on 4-substituted 8-bromodi-isophor-2(7)-en-3-ones yields, presumably by a successive bimolecular (SN2) substitution and hydrolysis, the 4,4-dihydroxy-precursor, from which the 3,4-diketone4 arises by loss of water. In yet another approach,4 is produced by the hydrolysis of its 4-monohydrazone, which is independently accessible from 8-bromo-1-hydroxydi-isophor-2(7)-en-3-one (8). In acidic media, the yellow diketone4 enolises to the stable isolable colourless 1,3-dihydroxydi-isophora-2,7-dien-4-one (19); the action of alkali reverses the process. Both forms of the compound yield the same 1-acyl-derivatives and 4-hydrazones.Part 6:Davies, P. R., Kurzer, F., Morgan, A. R. Mh. Chem.111, 1097 (1980).