Selective determination of airborne hexavalent chromium using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A new method for determining ultra-trace levels of hexavalent chromium in ambient air has been developed. The method involves a 24-h sampling of air into potassium hydroxide solution, followed by silica gel column separation of chromium (VI), then preconcentration by complexation and solvent extraction. The chromium (VI) complex was dissolved in nitric acid. The resultant chromium ions were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) using a dynamic reaction cell (DRC) with ammonia as the reactive gas to reduce polyatomic interferences. The interconversion of chromium in potassium hydroxide solution and air sample matrix were investigated under ambient conditions. It was found that there was no conversion of chromium (VI) into chromium (III) species. However, it was observed that some chromium (III) species were converted into chromium (VI) species. For a KOH solution containing 100 μg l⁻¹ of chromium (III) species, the rate of conversion was found to be 3% after 24 h exposure, 8% after 48 h, 10% after 72 h and no further conversion was observed thereafter. However, in a solution containing air sample matrix, 9.3% of chromium (III) converted to chromium (VI) within 6 h, and during the course of a 11-day exposure period, 13% (range 8–17%) of chromium (III) converted to chromium (VI). The method detection limit (MDL) for chromium (VI) in potassium hydroxide solution (0.025 M) was found to be 2×10⁻² μg l⁻¹. This is equivalent to 0.2 ng m⁻³ (for 23 m³ air sampled into 200 ml of KOH solution over a 24-h period). The recovery of spiked chromium (VI) from solutions containing air sample matrix was 95±9% (n=8). Matrix related interferences were estimated to be less than 10% based on recovery studies. The concentration of airborne chromium (VI) in Sydney residential areas was found to be less than 0.2 ng m⁻³, however, in industrial areas the concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 1.3 ng m⁻³ using this analytical procedure.     

Weighted Fisher informations, their derivation and use

Fisher information has been used to derive many laws of physics, including its differential equations. In many of these Fisher-based derivations the information in the time measurement is required to be negative. Yet by its expression in the standard derivation of the Cramer-Rao (CR) inequality, a negative Fisher seems impossible. To the contrary, we show that in fact the standard CR derivation allows the Fisher to be meaningfully regarded as either negative or positive. The mathematics allow it, and the choice to be made depends upon the physical parameter whose information level is sought. For example, the rules of special relativity require an imaginary time parameter ict, , with c the speed of light and t the time. The squared time parameter is then negative, requiring (as shown) the Fisher information to be negative as well. Further generalizations of the CR derivation are also made, which allow the estimation of general parameters using arbitrarily weighted mean-squared error criteria. The weights are found to define a family of correspondingly weighted Fisher informations. Finally, a condition is found for achieving efficient estimation in the presence of any weight function.     

Buffers for the physiological pH range: Thermodynamic constants of substituted aminopropanesulfonic acids from 5 to 55°C

ThepK ₂ values for 3-[(l,l-Dimethyl-2-hydroxymethyl)amino]-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (AMPSO), and 3-[N,N-Bis(-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (DIPSO) have been determined at 12 temperatures over the range 5 to 55‡C by measurements of the emf of cells without liquid junction containing hydrogen and silver-silver chloride electrodes. The values of pK ₂ for AMPSO and DIPSO were found to be 9.138 and 7.576, respectively, at 25‡C. The thermodynamic quantities, δG‡, δH‡, δS‡, and δC _p ^‡ were calculated from the change of the equilibrium constants with temperature. These buffer substances are useful as secondary pH standards in the physiological region of pH 7 to 9. Camille and Henry Dreyfus Fellow, 1994–1996.     

Multi‐Electron Reactions Enabled by Anion‐Based Redox Chemistry for High‐Energy Multivalent Rechargeable Batteries

The development of multivalent metal (such as Mg and Ca) based battery systems is hindered by lack of suitable cathode chemistry that shows reversible multi‐electron redox reactions. Cationic redox centres in the classical cathodes can only afford stepwise single‐electron transfer, which are not ideal for multivalent‐ion storage. The charge imbalance during multivalent ion insertion might lead to an additional kinetic barrier for ion mobility. Therefore, multivalent battery cathodes only exhibit slope‐like voltage profiles with insertion/extraction redox of less than one electron. Taking VS₄ as a model material, reversible two‐electron redox with cationic–anionic contributions is verified in both rechargeable Mg batteries (RMBs) and rechargeable Ca batteries (RCBs). The corresponding cells exhibit high capacities of >300 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 in both RMBs and RCBs, resulting in a high energy density of >300 Wh kg^?1 for RMBs and >500 Wh kg^?1 for RCBs. Mechanistic studies reveal a unique redox activity mainly at anionic sulfides moieties and fast Mg²⁺ ion diffusion kinetics enabled by the soft structure and flexible electron configuration of VS₄.     

DERIVATION OF THE LEHNERT FIELD EQUATIONS FROM GAUGE THEORY IN VACUUM: SPACE CHARGE AND CURRENT

It is shown that the Lehnert field equations in vacuum, with concomitant space charge and current, can be derived straightforwardly from standard gauge theory applied in vacuum, using the concept of covariant derivative and Feynman's universal influence. The Lehnert and Proca field equations are shown to be inter-related through the well-known de Broglie theorem, in which the photon mass can be interpreted as finite. These ideas go some way towards addressing the inconsistency inherent in Maxwell's famous displacement current, which has no concomitant vacuum space charge.     

Looking Beyond the Column: An Investigation into Method Irreproducibility for an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

Irreproducibility during initial development of a high performance liquid chromatography method is seldom investigated in a thorough and careful manner when working in an industrial setting. For a drug project in the early developmental stages, the LC method is often changed, sometimes drastically, if one encounters irreproducibility in the method. Too often a method is deemed irreproducible due to column lot variability, diluent effects, or pH effects with little or no experiments taking place for justification and little thought given to why the irreproducibility may have occurred in the first case. In this paper, a case study is presented in which a systematic approach was carried out in order to determine the exact reason why method irreproducibility was occurring. The findings of the investigation were then drawn onto change a method with poor reproducibility into one that is rugged without the need to start from the beginning and develop a new method.

     

Use of a recyclable poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinyl carbazole) palladium(II) complex catalyst: Heck cross-coupling reaction under phosphine-free and aerobic conditions

A poly(3,6-dibenzaldimino N-vinyl carbazole) Pd(II) complex has been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The complex was found to be highly active toward hydrogenation reactions of various organic substrates under atmospheric pressure at ambient temperature. A tentative reaction mechanism is proposed on the basis of kinetic studies and isolation of reactive intermediates. The catalyst shows good conversion rates, thermal stability and recyclability.     

Nanocrystalline undoped tetragonal and cubic zirconia synthesized using poly-acrylamide as gel and matrix

Nanocrystalline zirconia powders with tetragonal and cubic structure have been prepared from ZrO₂-polyacrylamide gel and precipitated zirconia in polyacrylamide matrix respectively. X-ray diffraction results of the samples annealed at high temperatures show that the tetragonal and cubic form, obtained from the gel, are fairly stable in air up to 1,173 K and partially stable in inert atmosphere, up to 1,273 K. The stability at such high temperatures is due to the presence of oxygen vacancies in zirconia sample, incorporated in the process of decomposition of polymer.