STUDIES OF THE EFFICIENCY and MECHANISM OF FLUORESCENCE QUENCHING REACTIONS USING ACRYLAMIDE and SUCCINIMIDE AS QUENCHERS

Abstract Here we report data for the quenching by acrylamide and succinimide of the fluorescence of a number of simple aromatic fluorophores in aqueous solution. Acrylamide is an efficient quencher of the fluorescence of most of these aromatic fluorophores, but succinimide is less efficient for all fluorophores and shows a very crude dependence on the ionization potential of the fluorophore. When the solvent is ethanol, the quenching efficiency by acrylamide and succinimide is found to decrease for the fluorophores, indole, naphthalene, and carbazole. These studies are consistent with an electron transfer quenching mechanism for the two quenchers. Quenching parameters (by acrylamide, succinimide, and iodide) are also reported for a number of fluorescent probes commonly used in biochemical studies. In general, the efficiency of acrylamide and succinimide quenching of these probes is low in aqueous solution.     

Determination of PCBs in river sediment samples—proficiency test for selected Polish laboratories

Eighteen Polish laboratories participated in a proficiency test for the determination of PCBs in river sediment. The participants used their in-house method. The aim of the exercise was to obtain information about the state of the art of PCB analysis in environmental samples. Five PCBs (IUPAC nos. 52, 118, 138, 153 and 180) were selected for the test. The relative standard deviation of the analytical results submitted varied from 45 to 65%, with an outlier rate of 7%. The averages of the results for all analytes were in good agreement with reference values.     

On the Possibility of Evanescent Wave Excitation Distal from a Solid-Liquid Interface Using Light Quenching

Abstract— Evanescent wave illumination with total internal reflection is often used to provide excitation near a quartz-water interface. We now show that evanescent illumination at one wavelength and incident angle, coupled with light quenching at a second wavelength and incident angle, can be used for selective excitation of fluorophores located up to 5000 Å into the aqueous phase. The displacement of the fluorophore population from the solid-liquid interface depends on the angles of incidence of the excitation and quenching beams and the optical power of the quenching beam. Light quenching with an evanescent wave was demonstrated to be experimentally possible using Pyridinez and a light-quenching wavelength of 736 nm. The use of combined evanescent wave excitation and evanescent wave quenching could provide selective excitation of fluorophores in the cytoplasmic region of cells and may provide improved response times for optical sensors based on evanescent excitation.     

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characteristics of New Tetrachloroferrates(III) with Dimethylammonium Cation: X‐ray Crystal Structure of Bis(dimethylammonium) Chloride Tetrachloroferrate(III)

Two new tetrachloroferrates(III) have been synthesized of molecular formulas [(CH₃)₂NH₂][FeCl₄] and [(CH₃)₂NH₂]₂FeCl₅. The differences in their physicochemical properties have been highlighted using thermal analysis (TG‐MS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystal and molecular structure of [(CH₃)₂NH]₂FeCl₅ was determined. The iron(III) cation is four coordinated by chloride ions, and it adopts a slightly distorted tetrahedral coordination with three angles smaller and three larger than the tetrahedral one. In the structure four intermolecular N‐H···Cl hydrogen bonds link the [(CH₃)₂NH₂]⁺ cations to dimers via a Cl^? bridge.     

Crystal structure of Co(3-pic)2Cl2 and thermal behaviour of a new complex, Co(py)(3-pic)Cl2

A crystalline Co(3-pic)₂Cl₂ compound was obtained and its structure determined by X-ray diffraction. The structure is characterized by the presence of two conformationally different molecules. A new cobalt(II) complex of molecular formula Co(py)(3-pic)Cl₂ was also synthesized. It was characterized by spectroscopic methods (IR, FIR, Raman spectra), elemental analysis and thermogravimetry (TG, DTA, DTG) carried out in both the oxidative and inert atmosphere. Each of the thermal decomposition steps was interpreted and the influence of substituent position in the pyridine ring on the thermal stability of the complex was discussed.     

An assessment of density functional methods for studying molecular adsorption in cluster models of zeolites

The performance of six density functional theory (DFT) methods has been tested for a zeolite cluster containing three tetrahedral atoms (3T) and the complexes it forms with water and methanol molecules. The DFT methods (BLYP, BP86, BPW91, B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91) give results in good agreement with second-order perturbation theory (MP2). The results in this paper provide evidence of the suitability of DFT methods for studying hydrogen-bonded adsorption complexes in zeolites. Generally, the hybrid DFT methods are in closer agreement with experiment and MP2 than the pure DFT methods for geometrical parameters. The only exception is the Z⁻ geometry, perhaps due to its anionic character. All DFT methods give results in good overall agreement with MP2 for intramolecular geometrical parameters of the adsorption complexes, intramolecular vibrational frequencies, and adsorption energies. The B3LYP method gives intermolecular geometries and intermolecular vibrational frequencies which are closest to those obtained from the MP2 method. Thus, the B3LYP method seems to be the best choice for a density functional treatment of molecular adsorption in zeolite systems.     

Head-space solid phase microextraction for the GC-MS analysis of terpenoids in herb based formulations

Head-Space Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) has been employed for sampling of volatile components and their volatile decomposition products occurring in herbal medicines and herb extracts with subsequent injection into a gas chromatographic column. The identification and quantification was performed by coupled gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with classical splitless injection, electron impact ionization and a quadrupole mass analyzer. As fast and inexpensive technique for the isolation of organic analytes HS-SPME with GC-MS can be successfully employed for the quality control of herbal medicines and other formulations containing herb extracts. Analytical results with satisfying accuracy and precision are given.     

Determination of the liquid fraction present at the initial temperature of skau's technique of cryometric measurement

A method has been described for evaluating the premolten liquid fraction (F₁) at a temperature adopted as the initial point in the melting curve ascertained by Skau's kinetic cryometry technique, based exclusively on the experimentally observed course of this curve.     

Endohedral condensation and higher exohedral coverage of Kr on open single-walled carbon nanotubes at 77 K

An isotherm quasi-discontinuity, or a near-vertical step, at 177 microTorr indicative of Kr condensation inside open single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) has been observed at 77 K. The isotherm shows double adsorption-branch structure attributed to the existence of two endohedral phases of confined Kr. Three well-pronounced steps corresponding to the formation of various exohedral phases are present in the high-density (low-pressure) branch. The desorption branch exhibits three rounded steps assigned to higher order exohedral coverage.     

Calibration procedure for solid phase microextraction-gas chromatographic analysis of organic vapours in air

A calibration procedure for solid phase microextraction-gas chromatographic (SPME-GC) analysis of organic vapours in air was described in which GC detector (MS in this case) signal is directly related to concentration of analytes of interest sampled by SPME. Gaseous standard mixtures used for the calibration were generated by means of a home-made permeation-type apparatus described elsewhere, W. Janicki et al., Chem. Anal., 38 (1993) 423 and modified to permit easy sampling of analytes on an SPME fibre. To establish sampling parameters, times for equilibrium partitioning of five selected organic compounds (carbon tetrachloride, toluene, chlorobenzene, p-xylene, n-decane) between gaseous mixtures and the fibre (fused silica fibre coated with 100 mum polydimethylsiloxane) were determined. For 10 min sampling time, the detector response and hence amount sampled on the fibre were linear functions of analytes concentration in a gaseous sample.