Novel electroanalytical techniques for pollution analysis

Summary Two new analytical techniques are described. The so-called injection technique operates on evaluating a dynamic concentration signal as a result of following the concentration change in a certain part of a flow-through channel after injecting a sample or reagent at a small volume into the current of an appropriate solution flowing at a constant rate.The second technique, the programmed coulometric titration technique, also uses the flow-through channel principle; that means this novel technique allows the more precise titrimetric way of analysis in flowing solutions. In the case of both techniques potentiometric and voltammetric detectors were involved. Several examples proved the multifold advantages of these techniques for environmental analysis.

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Neue elektroanalytische Verfahren für die Umweltanalyse

Zusammenfassung Zwei neue Methoden werden beschrieben. Die sog. Injektionstechnik wertet ein dynamisches Konzentrationssignal aus, das sich aus der Änderung in einem Durchflußkanal ergibt, wenn Probe oder Reagens in kleinen Volumina in einen konstant fließenden Flüssigstrom injiziert werden. Das zweite Verfahren, die programmierte coulometrische Titration, erlaubt die Anwendung der genaueren titrimetrischen Technik auf fließende Lösungen. Bei beiden Methoden werden potentiometrische und voltammetrische Detektoren verwendet. Mehrere Beispiele zeigen die vielfachen Vorteile dieser Verfahren bei der Anwendung auf die Analyse von Umweltmaterial.

Presented at the 6th Annual Symposium on Recent Advances in the Analytical Chemistry of Pollutants, April 21–23, 1976; Vienna, Austria     

Polarographic determination of pilocarpine using the catalysed pre-wave of nickel(II)

On the basis of a detailed study of the pilocarpine-induced nickel(II) pre-wave using various polarographic techniques, an electrode process mechanism is proposed in which the formation of a catalytic complex between aquo-nickel(II) and veronalate-nickel(II) on the one hand and unprotonated pilocarpine adsorbed on the electrode surface on the other is followed by the reduction of nickel(II) in the complex and the release of the catalytic ligand. The pre-peak recorded by differential-pulse polarography in the system 1 × 10^?3 M Ni(II)-1 × 10^?2 M sodium veronal, nitric acid (pH 8.5) (with ionic strength maintained at 0.2 with sodium nitrate) can be used for quantitative determination of pilocarpine at concentrations in the range 2.5 × 10^?7-8 × 10^?6 M.     

Study of the microstructure of tetrahydrofuran-3,3 dimethyloxetane copolymers by 13C-NMR spectroscopy.

The microstructure of tetrahydrofuran (A)-3,3 dimethyloxetane (B) copolymers was studied by ¹³C-{¹H}-NMR spectroscopy. Only the methyl carbons corresponding to the 3,3 dimethyloxetane unit appear as a singlet, whereas the other carbons present a more complicated spectral pattern than it would be expected if ? effects were negligible. The assignment of the resonance signals allowed the determination of the values of the probabilities of the different triads, which were in good agreement with those obtained from the reactivity ratios.     

Electroviscous Effect in Dilute Suspensions of Alumina

A study on the electroviscous effect of alumina suspensions has been made. At the low volume fraction of the particles studied here only a first-order effect was detected. Ubbelohde-type capillary viscometers have been used. A simple method to determine the hydrodynamic constant k(1) has been proposed. The experimental primary electroviscous coefficients corresponding to different electrolyte concentrations have been compared with two different theoretical approachs (I. G. Watterson, and L. R. White, J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. 2 77, 1115 (1981); F. J. Rubio-Hernández, E. Ruiz-Reina, and A. I. Gómez-Merino, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 206, 334 (1998)) and the results suggest that the presence of a dynamic Stern layer plays a certain role in this effect. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Acidity and activity of H-mordenite in m-xylene isomerization

The dependence of the activity of H-mordenites prepared from a natural mordenite on the nature and strength of the acid groups present was studied. The superior catalytic activity and stability of the H(Ag)–MOR zeolite compared with other H-forms is explained on the basis of NH₃ adsorption and IR measurements.

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H-, . H(Ag)–MOP H- NH₃ .

     

On the reactivity of benzidinesulfonic acids and their applications in analysis: Reaction of cupric salts with o-benzidinemonosulfonic acid in presence of alkali thiocyanate

In the present work a new method for the detection of coppcr(II) is described. It is based on the reaction of this ion with the alkali salts of o-benzidinemonosulfonic acid, alkali thiocyanate being present. The sensitivity of this test is $\text{1}\text{500,000}$ (l0^-5.7); it ia specific for the Cu⁺² ion and can also be used to distinguish quickly the above-mentioned acid from the benzidine o-o'-disulfonic and benzidine m-m' '-disulfonic acids. It is believed that the mechanism of the reaction can be explained by an oxidation process.     

HPLC-Electrochemical detection with graphite-poly (tetrafluoroethylene) electrode Determination of the fungicides thiram and disulfiram

The suitability of composite graphite-poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon) electrodes as amperometric indicator electrodes in HPLC detection is demonstrated. The determination of the fungicides thiram and disulfiram in the presence of ziram has been chosen as an analytical problem. The optimization of working conditions, such as the choice of the organic solvent used in the mobile phase as well as its percentage, the potential applied to the composite electrode, and the time elapsed between mixing the carbamates and the injection, has been accomplished by using the wall-jet flow-cell configuration. The effect of the acetonitrile percentage used in the mobile phase on the retention of thiram, disulfiram, ziram and phenol was evaluated. Resolution up to the baseline can be achieved with 45% acetonitrile. The sensitivity of the determination of thiram and disulfiram in the presence of a constant concentration of ziram is slightly better when using a wall-jet cell; however, the background current is higher, as well as the baseline noise and the time necessary to achieve stabilization of the baseline before the injection. Lower limits of detection for both fungicides, as well as a better repeatability, were obtained when using a thin-layer flow cell configuration. As an application, the determination of thiram in spiked apple samples, at a level of 0.5 mg thiram kg(-1) apple, has been carried out with a mean recovery of 97 +/- 3% for a significance level of 0.05.     

The kinetics of radical polymerization—XXVII. Investigation of the radical reactivity of 3,3′- and 4,4′-disubstituted azobenzenes in the polymerization of vinylacetate

A study was made on the inhibition by some 3,3′- and 4,4′-disubstituted azobenzenes of the polymerization of vinylacetate initiated by azoisobutyronitrile at 50°. The inhibitory effects of these substances can be attributed to their ability to engage in radical addition giving a less reactive hydrazyl type radical. The mechanism of the inhibition has been established by ESR and kinetic (stoichiometric) measurements. The value of k₅/k₂ (characteristic of the reactivity of an inhibitor) was determined for 9 substituents. The radical reactivity of the aromatic azo group was decreased by electron donor substituents and increased by electron acceptors. The substituent effect can be well interpreted by the Hammett equation; the value of the reaction constant was ? = +0.53.     

Peak distortion in the column liquid chromatographic determination of omeprazole dissolved in borax buffer.

Injection of a sample containing omeprazole dissolved in borax buffer (pH 9.2) into a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic system consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) as the mobile phase and a C18 surface-modified silica as the solid phase resulted under special conditions in split peaks of omeprazole. The degree of peak split and the retention time of omeprazole varied with the concentration of borax in the sample solution and the ionic strength of the mobile phase buffer as well as with the column used. Borax is eluted from the column in a broad zone starting from the void volume of the column. The retention is probably due to the presence of polyborate ions. The size of the zone varies with the concentration of borax in the sample injected. In the borax zone the pH is increased compared with the pH of the mobile phase, and when omeprazole (a weak acid) is co-eluting in the borax zone its retention is affected. In the front part and in the back part of the borax zone, pH gradients are formed, and these gradients can induce the peak splitting. When the dissolving medium is changed to a phosphate buffer or an ammonium buffer at pH 9 no peak distortion of omeprazole is observed.     

Effect of the specific activity of the tracer on rat luteinizing hormone radioimmunoassay

Rat luteinizing hormone /LH/ was labelled with¹²⁵I by the Chloramine T method.¹²⁵I-LH, used as tracer in radioimmunoassay, was separated from the labelling reaction mixture by gel filtration. By using the proper protein/radioiodine ratio in the labelling reaction mixture the specific activity of¹²⁵I-LH was adjusted to 2.5–20.5 MBq g^–1. The influence of the specific activity on the assay parameters as well as on the tracer stability was investigated.