Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace amounts of nickel after extraction and preconcentration onto natural modified analcime zeolite loaded with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol

Nickel is a moderately toxic element compared with other transition metals. However, inhalation of nickel and its compounds leads to serious problems, including cancer of the respiratory system and a skin disorder, nickel-eczema. Thus, attention has focused on the toxicity of nickel at low concentrations, and the development of reliable, analytical approaches for the determination of trace amounts of nickel is needed. This paper describes a simple, rapid, and sensitive flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of trace amounts of nickel in various samples after adsorption of its 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol complex on a modified Analcime column in the pH range of 7.5-10.5. The retained analyte on the Analcime is recovered with 5.0 mL 2 M nitric acid and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limit is 20 ng/mL, and the calibration curve is linear for analyte concentrations in the range of 0.1-8 microg/mL final solution, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993. Eight replicate determinations of nickel at 2 microg/mL in the final solution gave an absorbance of 0.1222, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of +/-1.2%. The interference of a large number of anions and cations was studied, and the proposed method was used for the determination of nickel in various standard reference samples. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by analyzing standard reference samples, and the results were satisfactory (recoveries of >96%; RSD of <3.5%).     

Solvation dynamics of electron produced by two-photon ionization of liquid polyols. II. Propanediols

Temporal evolution of transient absorption spectra of electrons produced by two-photon ionization of two isomers, propane-1,2-diol (12PD) and propane-1,3-diol (13PD), with 263 nm femtosecond laser pulses has been studied on picosecond time scale. The two-photon absorption coefficients of 12PD and 13PD at 263 nm were determined to be beta = (2.0 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) and (2.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) m W(-1), respectively. Time-resolved absorption spectra ranging from 440 to 720 nm have been measured, showing a blue shift for the first tens of picoseconds for both solvents. However, the observed solvation dynamics of electron appears faster in 13PD than in 12PD. The transient signals of electron solvation have then been reconstructed with different models (stepwise mechanism or continuous relaxation model) using a Bayesian data analysis method. Results are discussed, compared with those previously obtained in ethylene glycol (J. Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110, 1705) and corroborate the interpretation, according to which the solvation of electrons is mainly governed by continuous solvent molecular motions.     

Temperature dependent absorption spectra of Br(-), Br2(•-), and Br3(-) in aqueous solutions

The absorption spectra of Br(2)(?-) and Br(3)(-) in aqueous solutions are investigated by pulse radiolysis techniques from room temperature to 380 and 350 °C, respectively. Br(2)(?-) can be observed even in supercritical conditions, showing that this species could be used as a probe in pulse radiolysis at high temperature and even under supercritical conditions. The weak temperature effect on the absorption spectra of Br(2)(?-) and Br(3)(-) is because, in these two systems, the transition occurs between two valence states; for example, for Br(2)(-) we have (2)Σ(u) → (2)Σ(g) transition. These valence transitions involve no diffuse final state. However, the absorption band of Br(-) undergoes an important red shift to longer wavelengths. We performed classical dynamics of hydrated Br(-) system at 20 and 300 °C under pressure of 25 MPa. The radial distribution functions (rdf's) show that the strong temperature increase (from 20 to 300 °C) does not change the radius of the solvent first shell. On the other hand, it shifts dramatically (by 1 ?) the second maximum of the Br-O rdf and introduces much disorder. This shows that the first water shell is strongly bound to the anion whatever the temperature. The first two water shells form a cavity of a roughly spherical shape around the anion. By TDDFT method, we calculated the absorption spectra of hydrated Br(-) at two temperatures and we compared the results with the experimental data.     

Time-dependent radiolytic yield of OH• radical studied by picosecond pulse radiolysis

Picosecond pulse radiolysis measurements using a pulse-probe method are performed to measure directly the time-dependent radiolytic yield of the OH(?) radical in pure water. The time-dependent absorbance of OH(?) radical at 263 nm is deduced from the observed signal by subtracting the contribution of the hydrated electron and that of the irradiated empty fused silica cell which presents also a transient absoption. The time-dependent radiolytic yield of OH(?) is obtained by assuming the yield of the hydrated electron at 20 ps equal to 4.2 × 10(-7) mol J(-1) and by assuming the values of the extinction coefficients of e(aq)(-) and OH(?) at 782 nm (ε(λ=782 nm) = 17025 M(-1) cm(-1)) and at 263 nm (ε(λ=263 nm) = 460 M(-1) cm(-1)), respectively. The value of the yield of OH(?) radical at 10 ps is found to be (4.80 ± 0.12) × 10(-7) mol J(-1).     

Investigation of the π–π stacking interactions without direct electrostatic effects of substituents: the aromatic∥aromatic and aromatic∥anti-aromatic complexes

Stability of the π–π stacking interactions in the ben∥substituted-ben and ben∥substituted-COT complexes was studied using the computational quantum chemistry methods (where ben and COT are benzene and cyclooctatetraene, ∥ denotes π–π stacking interaction, substituted-ben and substituted-COT are benzene and cyclooctatetraene which substituted with four ethynyl-X groups, respectively, and X = OH, CH₃, H, F, CF₃, CN and NO₂). In these complexes electron-withdrawing substituents lead to larger binding energies and electron-donating ones lead to weaker interactions compared to X = H. There are meaningful correlations between the Hammett constants and binding energies. The atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis shows that formation of these complexes is accompanied by increase in the electron charge densities at the ring critical points of the substituted-ben and substituted-COT rings which leads to increase/decrease of the π–π stacking interactions in the ben∥substituted-ben/ben∥substituted-COT complexes. The charge transfer occurs from benzene to substituted-ben in the ben∥substituted-ben complexes and from substituted-COT to benzene (with the exception of X = CN) in the ben∥substituted-COT ones. Nuclear magnetic resonance calculations demonstrate that interactions of the more aromatic substituted-ben/less anti-aromatic substituted-COT rings with benzene in the ben∥substituted-ben/ben∥substituted-COT complexes can be helpful to enhance strength of the π–π stacking interactions. Thus, regardless of ring size, the π–π stacking interaction is an aromatic–aromatic interaction and π electron cloud properties of interacting rings affect on the strength of this interaction.     

Transient absorption induced by a picosecond electron pulse in the fused silica windows of an optical cell

The transient absorption induced by picosecond pulse radiolysis in the windows of a fused silica optical cell is investigated with pump probe techniques in the UV and the visible range. After excitation with an electron pulse of 7 MeV and an effective duration of around 10 ps the absorbance changes during relaxation are recorded up to nanoseconds with a supercontinuum and a single wavelength probe at 263 nm. The complex spectral signatures and kinetics of the empty cell are set into relation with the transient absorption of water radiolysis. Special care is taken to assure equal irradiation conditions for the comparative measurements over the large spectral range. The results reveal clearly that the transient absorption induced in the fused silica cell is not negligible. The transient signals due to the cell should be considered in picosecond pulse radiolysis of solutions in order to avoid important errors on the time dependent yield of transient species, particularly of those absorbing in the UV.     

Ultrasound- assisted emulsification microextraction for separation of trace amounts of antimony prior to FAAS determination

We describe a simple and rapid method for the ultrasound-assisted microextraction of antimony using the solidified floating organic drop method. The effects of pH, type and volume of the extractant, time of sonication, amount of chelating agent, type and amount of surfactant were investigated and optimized. Bromopyrogollol red is acting as the chelating agent. Antimony(III) ion was extracted into finely dispersed droplets of undecanol after ion-pair formation with the water soluble chelator and the cationic detergent benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used for the detection. The resulting calibration is linear in the concentration range from 4.0 to 900?ng?mL^-1 of Sb(III) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9981. The enrichment factor is 67, the detection limit is 0.62?ng?mL^-1, and the relative standard deviation is?±?3.6% (at 100?ng?mL^-1; for n?=?10). The method was successfully applied to the determination of antimony in water samples.

Application of organo-nanoclay as a solid sorbent for rhodium complex separation and preconcentration

An organo-nanoclay is used as a new, easily accessible, and stable solid sorbent for the preconcentration of trace amounts of rhodium ions from aqueous solution, this followed by its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Rh(III) ion was first complexed with 2,3,5,6-tetra(2-pyridyl) pyrazine (TPPZ) at pH values between 3.0 and 4.7, and then the complex was then adsorbed onto the nanoclay. The rhodium ions were eluted from the sorbent with HCl. The rhodium in the effluent was determined by FAAS. The linear analytical range is between 0.14 ng mL^?1 and 20.0 μg mL^?1 in the initial solution, the relative standard deviation at 2.0 μg mL^?1 of rhodium is 2.6% (n?=?8), the detection limit is 0.03 ng mL^?1, and the preconcentration factor is 140. Experimental parameters including the pH, eluent type, interference by other ions and breakthrough volume were optimized. The method was applied to the determination of rhodium in water, road dust and synthetic samples.     

Non-invasive single bunch monitoring for ps pulse radiolysis

A single-shot electro-optic (EO) diagnostic has been installed on the ELYSE photocathode RF gun accelerator to monitor the electron bunch at the place and under the conditions of the ps pulse radiolysis experiments. The EO signal is due to the coulombic field of the electron bunch and to a contribution of a free-space THz radiation generated by the same electron pulse. This signal is recorded shot-to-shot at the repetition rate of the accelerator. The jitter of the arrival time of the electron bunch is characterized for the first time with a non-invasive method and is confirmed to be around 1 ps.     

Stabilizing unstable fixed points of discrete chaotic systems via quasi-sliding mode method

The problem of stabilizing unstable fixed points of nonlinear discrete chaotic systems, subjected to bounded model uncertainties, is investigated in this article. The theory is then generalized to include any dth-order fixed point of the system. To design a suitable controller, the theory of quasi-sliding mode control is modified and applied. Sufficient conditions for the convergence of the control algorithm are theoretically derived and it is shown that the error trajectories converge toward a bounded region around zero where the measure of the steady-state error band depends on the magnitude of the system uncertainties. As a case study, the proposed method is applied to the Henon map to stabilize its first, second, and fourth-order unstable fixed points. Simulation results show the high performance of the control technique in quenching the chaos in the presence of uncertainties.