Capillary electrophoresis for measuring major and trace anions in thermal water and condensed-steam samples from hydrothermal springs and fumaroles

A new application of capillary electrophoresis for measuring major and trace anions in thermal water and condensed-steam samples is presented. Ten fluid samples were collected from hydrothermal springs and fumaroles located in a volcanic zone of Deception Island, Antarctica. Anion separation was achieved in less than 6 min using indirect UV detection at 254 nm with a negative power supply (−15 kV). The electrolyte consisted of 4.7 mM sodium chromate, 4.0 mM electroosmotic flow modifier (OFM) hydroxide, 10 mM 2-(N-cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid and 0.1 mM calcium gluconate (pH 9.1). Major anions (Cl⁻, SO₄², PO₄H²⁻, and CO₃H⁻) were measured using hydrostatic injection (10 cm for 30 s) at 25°C. Trace amounts of anions (F⁻, Br⁻, and NO₃⁻) were better determined by electromigration injection (4 kV, 10 s) at 15°C. Good reproducibility of the migration times (<0.72% RSD), a satisfactory linear response and accuracy as well as acceptable detection limits were successfully obtained.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of orotic acid in urine with on-line isotachophoresis sample pretreatment and diode array detection

Two hydroxide-selective microbore analytical columns (the Dionex AS11 and AS15) were tested and compared for the quantitation of anionic species in 30% hydrogen peroxide. The ions of interest were fluoride, acetate, formate, chloride, bromide, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate. Statistically sound calibration and spiking studies were carried out, investigating the range of a blank to 60 ppb. Prior to injection onto the separators, peroxides were loaded without pretreatment onto a concentrator column, which was then washed with deionized water to remove the matrix. Although retention times gradually decreased during the spiking studies, reliable quantitation was still achievable on both columns at the target concentration of 30 ppb. However, various resolution problems meant that the AS11 should not be recommended for this application.     

Development of a Perchlorate Chemical Sensor Based on Magnetic Nanoparticles and Silicon Nitride Capacitive Transducer

We report in this work the development of a novel capacitance electrochemical sensors based on silicon nitride substrate (Si₃N₄) chemically modified with a structure of Cobalt phthalocyanine, C,C,C,C‐tetracarboxylic acid‐Polyacrylamide (Co(II)Pc‐PAA). This sensitive layer was tested with and without magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) for perchlorate ( ) detection. The developed chemical sensor with Si₃N₄/APTES‐MNP/Co(II)Pc‐PAA structure has shown a better performance when compared to the other structure based on Si₃N₄/Co(II)Pc‐PAA. Contact angle measurements (CAM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterizations have been performed to characterize the functionalization of the chemical sensors surface. Under the optimized structure of the chemical sensor, electrochemical measurements were carried out using Mott‐Schottky analysis for detection within the large range of 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻⁴ M with a very low detection limit of 2×10⁻¹⁰ M. The chemical sensor has demonstrated a high selectivity toward when compared to other interfering anions such as Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, and CO₃²⁻. The present capacitive chemical sensor is very promising for sensitive and rapid detection of for environmental applications.     

H2 Dissociation by Au1-Doped Closed-Shell Titanium Oxide Cluster Anions?

Dissociation of molecular hydrogen (H₂) is extensively studied to understand the mechanism of hydrogenation reactions. In this study, H₂ dissociation by Au₁-doped closed-shell titanium oxide cluster anions AuTi₃O₇^- and AuTi₃O₈^- has been identified by mass spectrometry and quantum chemistry calculations. The clusters were generated by laser ablation and massselected to react with H₂ in an ion trap reactor. In the reaction of AuTi₃O₈^- with H₂, the ion pair Au⁺-O₂^2- rather than Au⁺-O^2- is the active site to promote H₂ dissociation. This finding is in contrast with the previous result that the lattice oxygen is usually the reactive oxygen species in H₂ dissociation. The higher reactivity of the peroxide species is further supported by frontier molecular orbital analysis. This study provides new insights into gold catalysis involving H₂ activation and dissociation.     

Silanylidene and Germanylidene Anions: Valence‐Isoelectronic Species to the Well‐Studied Phosphinidene

The reduction of TipMCl₃ (Tip=2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl) (M=Si, Ge) with KC₈ in the presence of cyclic alkyl(amino) carbene (cAAC) afforded the acyclic silanylidene and germanylidene anions in the form of potassium salt [K(cAAC)MTip]₂ (M=Si ( 1 ); Ge ( 2 )). The silanylidene and germanylidene anions are valence‐isoelectronic to the well‐studied phosphinidene and are a new class of acyclic anions of Group 14. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated and well characterized by NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis. Furthermore, the structure and bonding of compounds 1 and 2 was investigated by computational methods.     

Spectroscopy of Ethylenedione and Ethynediolide: A Reinvestigation

In an effort to characterize the electronic states of ethylenedione, OCCO, photoelectron‐photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy was applied to measure anions at m/z 56 and 57 using a pulsed discharge of glyoxal vapor and N₂O. PPC measurements at a photon energy of 3.20 eV yield photoelectron spectra in coincidence with either neutral photofragments or stable neutral products. The measurements showed that primarily stable neutral products were formed, with photoelectron spectra consistent with the oxyallyl diradical, C₃H₄O, and acetone enolate radical, C₃H₅O. The spectra were also found to have features nearly identical to those reported for OCCO and HOCCO by Sanov and co‐workers. The stability of the neutral products, as well as an examination of spectra reported for the oxyallyl anion and acetone enolate show that the previous assignments of OCCO and HOCCO are in error, and are instead attributed here to the oxyallyl diradical, C₃H₄O, and the acetone enolate radical, C₃H₅O.     

Indyllithium and the Indyl Anion [InL]−: Heavy Analogues of N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

Reduction of the indate complex In(NON^Ar)(μ‐Cl)₂Li(OEt₂)₂ (NON^Ar=[O(SiMe₂NAr)₂]^2?; Ar=2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃) with sodium generates the In^II diindane species [In(NON^Ar)]₂. Further reduction with a mixture of potassium and [2.2.2]crypt affords the In^I N‐heterocyclic indyl anion [In(NON^Ar)]^?, which crystallizes with a non‐contacted [K([2.2.2]crypt)]⁺ cation. The indyl anion can also be isolated as the indyllithium compound In(NON^Ar)(Li{THF}₃), which contains an In?Li bond. Density functional theory calculations show that the HOMO of the indyl anion is a metal‐centred lone pair, and preliminary reactivity studies confirm its nucleophilic behaviour.     

Gaussian basis sets for first‐, third‐, and fourth‐row positive and negative ions

An improved generator coordinate Hartree–Fock (HF) method is used to generate accurate triple‐optimized Gaussian basis sets for the cations from He⁺ (Z=2) through Ne⁺ (Z=10) and from K⁺ (Z=19) through Xe⁺ (Z=54), and for the anions from H⁻ (Z=1) through F⁻ (Z=9) and from K⁻ (Z=19) through I⁻ (Z=53). For all ions here studied, our ground‐state HF total energies are better than those calculated with the generator coordinate HF method, using optimized Gaussian basis sets of the same size. For all ions studied, the largest difference between our total energy values and the corresponding results obtained with a numerical HF method is equal to 3.434 mhartrees for Te⁺. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 82: 126–130, 2001     

Treatment of anions in SINDO1

The SINDO1 method is modified to include the calculation of molecular anions. Two versions of modifications are presented which are based on charge dependent orbital exponents. Calculated heats of formation and electron affinities are much improved compared to the standard version with fixed orbital exponents.Dedicated to Professor J. Koutecký on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Towards a Sustainable Synthesis of Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ether by Homogeneous Catalysis and Uptake of Molecular Formaldehyde

Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OME_n; CH₃(‐OCH₂‐)_nO‐CH₃, n=3–5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot‐free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OME_n synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OME_n at temperatures of 25–30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OME_n emanating from CO₂ and H₂.