Studies in qualitative inorganic analysis. Part XXVI

Summary The preliminary tests for organic radicals, which are based on charring by strong heating or by hot concentrated sulphuric acid are examined. Even when both these tests are applied some organic acids escape identification. Two alternative procedures based upon oxidation of organic matter with potassium dichromate in dilute sulphuric have been examined. The first procedure involves a reduction of the dichromate ion to the distinctive green chromium(III) ion. This occurs with all organic radicals commonly encountered in qualitative inorganic analysis, except acetate and salicylate. Interference due to inorganic reducing agents is overcome by a preliminary oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The second procedure involves decomposition of carbonates, bicarbonates, and cyanates with dilute sulphuric acid, followed by oxidation of organic matter with potassium dichromate in sulphuric acid to carbon dioxide, which is detected with lime water. Of the radicals commonly encountered in qualitative inorganic analysis only acetate gives a negative result.

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Zusammenfassung Die Vorprobe auf organische Anionen auf Grund ihrer Verkohlung durch kräftiges Erhitzen oder durch Einwirkung konz. Schwefelsäure wurde überprüft. Auch bei Anwendung beider Arbeitsweisen entziehen sich einige organische Säuren dem Nachweis. Zwei andere Verfahren auf der Grundlage der Oxydation des organischen Materials mit Kaliumbichromat in verd. Schwefelsäure wurden untersucht. Das erste führt zur Reduktion des Bichromats zu deutlich grün gefärbtem Cr(III) mit allen bei der anorganischen Analyse üblicherweise auftretenden organischen Anionen, ausgenommen Acetat und Salicylat. Störungen durch reduzierende anorganische Substanzen werden durch deren vorherige Oxydation mit Wasserstoffperoxid umgangen. Das zweite Verfahren sieht die vorherige Zersetzung anwesender Carbonate, Bicarbonate oder Cyanate mit verd. Schwefelsäure vor, wonach das organische Material mit Kaliumbichromat-Schwefelsäure zu Kohlendioxid oxydiert wird, das mit Kalklösung nachgewiesen wird. Von den in der anorganischen Analyse üblichen organischen Anionen gibt nur Acetat ein negatives Resultat.

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Résumé On examine les essais préliminaires pour radicaux organiques, fondés sur la carbonisation par chauffage à température élevée ou sur l'action de l'acide sulfurique concentré chaud. Même en appliquant ces deux modes de recherche, certains des acides organiques échappent à l'identification. On a étudié deux autres procédés susceptibles d'être utilisés. Ils reposent sur l'oxydation de la matière organique par le bichromate de potassium en milieu sulfurique dilué. Le premier met en jeu la réduction de l'ion bichromate en ion chrome-III vert caractéristique. Cette réaction se produit avec tous les radicaux organiques habituellement rencontrés en analyse minérale qualitative, sauf avec les acétates et les salicylates. On élimine l'interférence due aux agents réducteurs minéraux par oxydation préliminaire par l'eau oxygénée. Le second procédé met en jeu la décomposition des carbonates, hydrogénocarbonates et cyanates par l'acide sulfurique dilué, suivie d'une oxydation de la matière organique par le bichromate de potassium dans l'acide sulfurique, en gaz carbonique que l'on met en évidence par l'eau de chaux. Seul l'ion acétate donne un résultat négatif parmi tous les radicaux rencontrés habituellement en analyse minérale qualitative.

     

Unification of electromagnetism and gravitation: The equations of electrodynamics derived from the Riemann tensor in general relativity

The equations of free-space electrodynamics are derived directly from the Riemann curvature tensor and the Bianchi identity of general relativity by contracting on two indices to give a novel antisymmetric Ricci tensor. Within a factore/h, this is the field-strength tensor G of free-space electrodynamics. The Bianchi identity for G describes free-space electrodynamics in a manner analogous to, but more general than, Maxwell's equations for electrodynamics, the critical difference being the existence in general and special relativity of the Evans-Vigier fieldB ⁽³⁾.     

Identification and quantitation of phenylalanine, tyrosine and dihydroxyphenylalanine in the thoracic nervous system of the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, by gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry

Phenylalanine, tyrosine and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) were identified unambiguously and quantitatively determined in single ventral thoracic nerve cords from the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, by gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry. Deuterium-labelled analogues of each compound were added to a single ventral thoracic nerve cord in hydrochloric acid; the tissue was homogenised and the suspension centrifuged. The remaining hydrochloric acid was eliminated azeotropically by repeated additions of acetonitrile followed by evaporation under a stream of nitrogen and the resultant residue derivatised by reaction with hexafluoroisopropanol and pentafluoropropionic anhydride. Under negative-ion chemical ionisation conditions, the hexafluoroisopropanol-pentafluoropropionyl derivatives produced characteristic ions which were sufficiently abundant to be suitable for selected-ion monitoring. This method is highly specific and gave a limit of detection below the nanogram level. The amounts of phenylalanine, tyrosine and DOPA in a single ventral thoracic nerve cord were, respectively, 194 +/- 81, 347 +/- 88 and 11 +/- 11 ng per tissue.     

PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF THE BOTANICAL PHOTOTOXIN, α-TERTHIENYL AND SOME RELATED COMPOUNDS*

The photochemistry of α-terthienyl (αT) and its mono- and dodo derivatives has been examined using nanosecond laser Hash photolysis techniques. The triplet states of these intermediates have been characterized, and show strong triplet-triplet absorptions with maxima in the 450 to 490 nm region. The triplet lifetimes are normally reduced by efficient triplet-triplet annihilation and self-quenching both of which approach diffusion control. Triplet lifetimes in methanol obtained by extrapolation to zero laser dose and zero concentration are 30, 12.5 and 9.4 μs for αT and its mono- and dodo derivatives, respectively; the effect of iodo substitution on the lifetimes is attributed to heavy atom effects. The triplet states are efficiently quenched by oxygen and the electron acceptor methyl viologen, while amines tire very poor triplet quenchers. The iodo derivatives are photolabile. undergoing C-I bond cleavage from the singlet state, a process that was studied in benzene solvent, where the complex between iodine atoms and benzene can be readily characterized. Modification of αT by replacement of the central thiophene ring by an aromatic ring (i.e. DTB) causes drastic changes in the triplet and singlet state kinetic and spectroscopic characteristics.