Determination of total mercury in environmental and biological samples by flow injection cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and accurate method has been developed for the determination of total mercury in environmental and biological samples. The method utilises an off-line microwave digestion stage followed by analysis using a flow injection system with detection by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry.

The method has been validated using two certified reference materials (DORM-1 dogfish and MESS-2 estuarine sediment) and the results agreed well with the certified values. A detection limit of 0.2 ng g⁻¹ Hg was obtained and no significant interference was observed. The method was finally applied to the determination of mercury in river sediments and canned tuna fish, and gave results in the range 0.1–3.0 mg kg⁻¹.     

A thermal synthesis of a new tin(IV) dithiocarbamate

A new tin dithiocarbamate containing sulphur bridges, di--sulphidobis [bis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato)tin(IV)], has been isolated from the thermal decomposition of tetrakis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato)tin(IV). A dimeric structure is proposed on the basis of results from mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and vapour pressure osmometry.

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Zusammenfassung Ein neues, Schwefelbrücken enthaltendes Zinn-Dithiocarbamat, Di--sulfidobis[bis(N,N-diäthyldithiocarbamato)Zinn(IV)], wurde bei der Zersetzung von Tetrakis(N,N-diäthyl-dithiocarbamato)Zinn(IV) isoliert. Aufgrund der Ergebnisse der Massenspektrometrie, der Infrarotspektroskopie, der Thermoanalyse und der Dampfdruck-Osmometrie wird eine Dimerstruktur vorgeschlagen.

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Résumé Un nouveau dithiocarbamate d'étain contenant des ponts de soufre, le di--sulfidobis[bis(N,N-diéthyl-dithiocarbamato)é tain(IV)], a été isolé lors de la décomposition thermique du tétrakis(N,N-diethyl-dithiocarbamato) étain(IV). Une structure dimère est proposéeà partir des résultats obtenus par spectrométrie de masse, spectroscopie infrarouge, analyse thermique et osmométrie sous pression de vapeur.

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—-- [/N,N- (/IV)], [/N,N- (/IV)], , (N,N- ) (IV). - , , .

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The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance given by Dr. A. G. Wedd with the vacuum sublimation technique. One of us, G. K. B., is grateful for a research scholarship provided by La Trobe University.     

Behavior of molecular potential energy curves for large nuclear separations

We prove by elementary geometric methods and within the Born–Oppenheimer approximation that as the nuclei of a molecule are dissociated into spatially separated clusters, the discrete molecular energies approach sums of the energies of isolated subsystems. Our methods also show that the spectral projections associated with the discrete molecular spectrum asymptotically approach direct sums of suitable spectral projections for the isolated subsystems. These results apply to any system of particles interacting by asymptotically vanishing pair potentials. We prove that the 1/R expansion for discrete molecular potential curves is asymptotic as R → ∞, and we discuss the behavior of the coefficients of the 1/R expansion for the ground state of H₂⁺.     

Carbon paste electrodes modified with cation-exchange resin in differential pulse voltammetry

Chemically modified carbon paste eletrodes are prepared by incorporating appropriate quantities of a cation-exchange resin directly into the paste mixture. Ionic analytes can be preconcentrated on these electrodes by an ion-exchange reaction rather than electrolytic plating. Differential pulse voltammetry is used to quantify the accumulated ions. The response is characterized with respect to preconcentration period, bulk concentration, pH, paste composition, reproducibility, and other variables. Copper ion is used as a test system. The procedure exhibits good linearity for 6.25 × 10^?5?3.0 × 10^?4 M copper(II) ions and the peak current varies linearly with preconcentration time between 1 and 7 min for the conditions used.     

A study of PBT/PC blends by modulated DSC and conventional DSC

Two poly(butylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate (PBT/PC) blends with different formulations were analyzed by modulated DSC (MDSC) and conventional DSC to determine differences in crystallization behavior. A significant difference (30°C in cold crystallization temperature) between the two samples was detectable by MDSC while no significant difference was seen by conventional DSC. That indicatesthe total heat flow from MDSC is not always equivalent to the heat flow from conventional DSC as we have assumed or seen before. The reason has not been fully understood, but may be related to unusual nucleation and crystallization induced by modulation. Alternative conventional DSC methods were developed and compared to the MDSC results.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThe authors like to thank Drs. Bernhard Wunderlich and Robert Gallucci for helpful discussion, David Shaker and Mary Parsonage for some DSC experiments. Technical support from TA Instruments is also greatly appreciated.     

Synthesis and NMR studies of (13)C-labeled vitamin D metabolites

Isotope-labeled drug molecules may be useful for probing by NMR spectroscopy the conformation of ligand associated with biological hosts such as membranes and proteins. Triple-labeled [7,9,19-(13)C(3)]-vitamin D(3) (56), its 25-hydroxylated and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxylated metabolites (58 and 68, respectively), and other labeled materials have been synthesized via coupling of [9-(13)C]-Grundmann's ketone 39 or its protected 25-hydroxy derivative 43 with labeled A ring enyne fragments 25 or 26. The labeled CD-ring fragment 39 was prepared by a sequence involving Grignard addition of [(13)C]-methylmagnesium iodide to Grundmann's enone 28, oxidative cleavage, functional group modifications leading to seco-iodide 38, and finally a kinetic enolate S(N)2 cycloalkylation. The C-7,19 double labeling of the A-ring enyne was achieved by the Corey-Fuchs/Wittig processes on keto aldehyde 11. By employing these labeled fragments in the Wilson-Mazur route, the C-7,9,19 triple-(13)C-labeled metabolites 56, 58, and 68 as well as other (13)C-labeled metabolites have been prepared. In an initial NMR investigation of one of the labeled metabolites prepared in this study, namely [7,9,19-(13)C(3)]-25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (58), the three (13)C-labeled carbons of the otherwise water insoluble steroid could be clearly detected by (13)C NMR analysis at 0.1 mM in a mixture of CD(3)OD/D(2)O (60/40) or in aqueous dimethylcyclodextrin solution and at 2 mM in 20 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) aqueous micellar solution. In the SDS micellar solution, a double half-filter NOESY experiment revealed that the distance between the H(19Z) and H(7) protons is significantly shorter than that of the corresponding distance calculated from the solid state (X-ray) structure of the free ligand. The NMR data in micelles reveals that 58 exists essentially completely in the alpha-conformer with the 3 beta-hydroxyl equatorially oriented, just as in the solid state. The shortened distance (H(19Z))-H(7)) in micellar solutions as compared to that in the solid state is most easily rationalized on the basis that the 5(10)-torsion angle in 58 is decreased in micellar solutions as compared to that in the solid state.     

Solvent extraction and lanthanide complexation studies with new terdentate ligands containing two 1,3,5-triazine moieties

The extracting agent 2,6-bis(4,6-di-pivaloylamino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-pyridine (L(5)) in n-octanol was found, in synergy with 2-bromodecanoic acid, to give D(Am)/D(Eu) separation factors (SFs) between 2.4 and 3.7 when used to extract the metal ions from 0.02-0.12 M HNO(3). Slightly higher SFs (4-6) were obtained in the absence of the synergist when the ligand was used to extract Am(III) and Eu(III) from 0.98 M HNO(3). In order to investigate the possible nature of the extracted species crystal structures of L(5) and the complex formed between Yb(III) with 2,6-bis(4,6-di-amino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-pyridine (L(4)) were also determined. The structure of L(5) shows 3 methanol solvent molecules all of which form 2 or 3 hydrogen bonds with triazine nitrogen atoms, amide nitrogen or oxygen atoms, or pyridine nitrogen atoms. However, L(5) is relatively unstable in metal complexation reactions and loses amide groups to form the parent tetramine L(4). The crystal structure of Yb(L(4))(NO(3))(3) shows ytterbium in a 9-coordinate environment being bonded to three donor atoms of the ligand and three bidentate nitrate ions. The solvent extraction properties of L(4) and L(5) are far inferior to those found for the 2,6-bis-(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-pyridines (L(1)) which have SF values of ca. 140 and theoretical calculations have been made to compare the electronic properties of the ligands. The electronic charge distribution in L(4) and L(5) is similar to that found in other terdentate ligands such as terpyridine which have equally poor extraction properties and suggests that the unique properties of L(1) evolve from the presence of two adjacent nitrogen atoms in the triazine rings.     

30 years of research in thermal analysis and calorimetry

The research in thermal analysis and calorimetry, conducted by the author over the period 1964 to 1993, is summarised and concisely reviewed. The major investigations have focussed on thermal analysis studies of coordination compounds, particularly the metal dithiocarbamate complexes. A significant solution calorimetric study of some metal dithiocarbamate complexes has also been undertaken. DSC has been applied to determine the sublimation enthalpies of many metal dithiocarbamate and metal pentane-2,4-dionate complexes and solution calorimetry has been applied to study the thermochemistry of the latter group of complexes. Thermal analysis investigations of several inorganic molten salt systems have been initiated. Thermometric titrimetry has been applied to study metal-macrocyclic ligand systems in aqueous media and particularly those systems of environmental significance. Temperature calibration standards for TMA have been proposed and TMA has been applied to study the mechanical properties of several common inorganic compounds. DTA has been applied to study a wide variety of phenols and has subsequently been applied as an analytical technique to determine the components of solid state phenol mixtures. Thermometric titrimetry has been applied to determine the phenolic content of wines. A comprehensive thermal analysis study of Australian brown coal has been undertaken, involving the DSC determination of coal specific energy, a TG/DTA study of the coal pyrolysis and combustion processes and a TG/DTA and EGA study of the cation catalytic effect on the coal pyrolysis process. Thermal analysis and calorimetric techniques have been extensively publicised and promoted by the publication of specialist reviews, the presentation of symposia review papers and the oral presentation of short courses, particularly in the SE Asian region. This review essentially reveals the diversity of possible application of thermal analysis and calorimetric techniques and the primary significance of thermodynamic data in the fundamental rationalisation of chemical phenomena.