Topical Problems in Elemental Analysis of Advanced Ceramic Materials

Selected prominent problems in the analysis of advanced ceramic materials are surveyed. The importance of reliability of results is discussed in the field of elemental trace- and microanalysis in view of its interaction with economy, power of detection, local resolution and speciation selectivity. Particular problems in the analysis of major constituents, trace components and microlocal distributions are based on the striking propertics of ceramics; they are exemplified. Analytical assistance must start from the beginning of the production processing, in the preparation of the powdered base materials. Determination of the stoichiometry requires high accuracy and differentiation of chemical species in bulk and surface analysis of ceramic base powders. Element trace determination by direct instrumental methods requires standard reference materials for calibration; these are currently inavailable in a sufficient variety. For optimum reliability and power of detection, element traces must be prepared in isolated form in a small excitation volume for analysis. A review on the state-of-the-art of wet-chemical combined procedures is presented. Decomposition position procedures are emphasized, due to their risk of contributing severe systematic error. Combustion in elementary fluorine is presented for decomposition of refractory materials. The performance of some direct procedures is discussed. Very efficient methods are available for element trace determinations in ceramic materials, offering high detection power. Several approaches for high-resolution local microanalysis in non-conductive ceramic materials are identified as the most promising development in the analysis of sintered compact ceramic products and devices.     

Analysis of trimethylsilyl-isopropylidene derivatives of sorbose by combined gas chromatography- and mass-spectrometry

Summary A method has been developed using gas chromatography — electron impact mass spectrometry for the determination of the di-0-isopropylidene-sorbofuranose and mono-0-isopropylidene-sorbofuranose. The compounds are separated as their trimethylsilyl derivatives on a capillary column coated with the stationary phase SE-52. The mass spectra show that the silylation reaction is quantitiative and that the isopropylidene groups does not change.     

Temperature Dependent Dielectric Relaxation in Solvent Mixtures at Microwave Frequencies

By the use of time domain reflectometry method, dielectric measurements were carried out on dimethylformamide‐2‐nitrotoluene solvent mixtures in the frequency range 10 MHz‐20 GHz, at various temperatures from 15 °C to 45 °C. These solvent mixtures as well as pure solvents display a Debye type dispersion. Their frequency dependent dielectric properties can be summarized by the three parameters in the Debye equation: a static permittivity, permittivity at high frequency and a dielectric relaxation time constant. The free energy of activation for dipolar relaxation process and the Kirkwood correlation factor were determined using these fitting parameters for these solvent mixtures at various concentrations and temperatures. By using these dielectric parameters, the excess permittivity and excess inverse relaxation time is obtained. The excess permittivity is found to be positive for all concentrations and temperatures whereas the excess inverse relaxation time is negative.     

甲烷在Ni表面及La薄膜上激活解离化学吸附

利用分子束技术改变甲烷的平动能E_k来研究E_k及其法向分量E_n对甲烷在Ni表面及La薄膜上激活解离吸附的影响。对CH_4/Ni及CH_4/La系统, 当甲烷的平动能E_k分别低于58.5 kJ·mol~(-1)及52.3 kJ·mol~(-1)时, 没观察到甲烷的解离吸附。当甲烷的平动能超过此阈值时, 即对CH_4/Ni系统, 当Ek=58.5增至63.8 kJ·mol~(-1)时, 初始沾着几率s_0由0至0.54线性增加; 对CH_4/La系统, 当E_k=52.3增至63.8 kJ·mol~(-1)时, S_0由0至0.49线性增加。这些结果表明, 两个系统的化学吸附是不经过前趋态的直接化学吸附。最后求出CH_4/Ni, CH_4/La系统的表观活化能分别为46.8 kJ·mol~(-1)和38.1 kJ·mol~(-1)。     

DNA分子在气液界面的组装相变特性及其LB膜结构研究

对十八胺与DNA在气液界面上组装及其相变过程进行了研究，利用AFM观察了不 同压力下转移的DNA复合LB膜结构。发现在低表面压时，DNA复合单分子膜表现为技 术发散的分形结构；随着压力的升高，DNA复合膜逐渐由紧密的网状排布结构变为 团聚的块状和团簇结构。表明通过调节膜压，可使膜内DNA分子的构象发生大的变 化，从而生成具有特定形态的二维纳米图案。这种具有特殊形态和结构的DNA LB膜 可望为合成新型生物纳米结构有序功能体系提供模板。     

茜素红与蛋白质分子Langmuir吸附聚集反应研究

在pH4.3的B-R缓冲体系中,用微相吸附-光谱修正技术[1]研究了茜素红(ARS)与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)、人血清白蛋白(HSA)的结合反应。其吸附结合常数分别为:KBSA-ARS=3.950×104,KHSA-ARS=4.377×104。染料与蛋白的最大结合数分别为NARS∶NBSA=9∶1,NARS∶NHSA=7∶1。经光谱修正技术计算结合产物的实际摩尔吸光系数分别为εBSA-ARS(537nm)=2.517×104L.mol-1.cm-1,εHSA-ARS(519nm)=2.051×104L.mol-1.cm-1,检出限BSA为19mg/L,HSA为23mg/L。经探讨该结合反应机理符合Langmuir吸附聚集反应方程。     

A study for quality evaluation of Taxilli Herba from different hosts based on fingerprint-activity relationship modeling and multivariate statistical analysis

In this study, a fingerprint-activity relationship modeling between chemical fingerprints and antirheumatic activity was established, and multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the quality of Taxilli Herba (TH) from different hosts. Characteristic fingerprints of 20 batches of TH samples were generated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS), and the similarity analysis was calculated based on thirteen common characteristic peaks by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Subsequently, nine efficacy markers were discovered by combining fingerprints and antirheumatic activity through grey correlation analysis (GCA) and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA). Meanwhile, the content of 5 constituents in 9 markers was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). The comprehensive quality of TH was assessed using multivariate statistical analysis, including principal components analysis (PCA) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results showed that a high dose of TH extract could markedly ameliorate arthritis damage compared to other doses, with flavonoids playing an important role in the antirheumatic activity. The comprehensive quality of samples from Morus alba L. (SS) was superior to those from Liquidambar formosana Hance (FXS). The present study will demonstrate the markers associated with efficacy, and provide an applicable strategy for more comprehensive quality control and evaluation of TH.     

Static headspace analysis of volatile organic compounds in soil and vegetation samples for site characterization

Traditional methodologies for the characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in subsurface soil are expensive, time-consuming processes that are often conducted on samples collected at random. The determination of VOCs in near-surface soils and vegetation is the foundation for a more efficient sampling strategy to characterize subsurface soil and improve understanding of environmental problems.In the absence of a standard methodology for the determination of VOCs in vegetation and in view of the high detection limits of the method for soils, we developed a methodology using headspace gas chromatography with an electron capture detector for the determination of low levels (parts-per-billion to parts-per-trillion) of VOCs in soils and vegetation. The technique demonstrates good sensitivity, good recoveries of internal standards and surrogate compounds, good performance, and minimal waste. A case study involving application of this technique as a first-step vadose-zone characterization methodology is presented.     

Clathrate and inclusion compounds. Part 8 [1]. An investigation of the usefulness of the spectral substraction technique in analysing the infrared spectra of clathrates

An investigation has been carried out into the usefulness of the spectral subtraction technique in analyzing the infrared spectra of the clathrates of quinol and of Dianin's compound. Due to the flexibility of the quinol host lattice, it is not advisable to use guest-free -quinol as the reference if the host lattice in the clathrate is considerably distorted, as it is in the CH₃CN clathrate. In this case it is advisable to use another clathrate as the reference provided that the spectrum of the new reference does not contain guest bands in the region of interest. The Dianin's compound host lattice is less flexible than that of quinol, and guest-free Dianin's compound can be used as the reference irrespective of the size of the guest molecule. With both clathrates the spectral subtraction technique has revealed guest molecule bands which were previously obscured by host lattice bands.Dedicated to Professor H. M. Powell.     

Free release static coating of glass capillary columns; Static coating at elevated pressure — Theoretical considerations and practice

Summary Static coating of glass capillary columns has hitherto solely been carried out by evaporation of the stationary phase solvents under vacuum conditions. However, since a solvent vapour pressure higher than the external pressure is the only requirement for the vapour to flow out of the column, evacuation should not be necessary. Several important factors in the static coating procedure, such as mass (solvent vapour) — and heat transfer, heat of vaporisation of the solvent and viscosity of the stationary phase solution at elevated temperature and outlet pressure are discussed, principally to rationalise an improved static coating procedure. The alternative, so-called free-release static coating procedure, was evaluated practically by coating several columns with OV-101 and SE-30. Coating speed was found to be rapid and relatively constant whereas coating efficiency was between 80 and 100%.