Mercury species immobilized on sulphydryl cotton: A new candidate reference material for mercury speciation

A batch of sulphydryl cotton microcolumns was prepared and charged with a mixed Hg standard solution (methyl-, ethyl- and inorganic Hg, 10 g l^–1 as Hg, 3 ml) and stored at 4 °C in a light-tight box. At regular time intervals over a 4 month period microcolumns were removed and Hg species were quantified by gas chromatography microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry (after elution, extraction and derivatization steps). It was found that analyte recoveries for methyl- and inorganic Hg were quantitative over the 4 month period while ethyl-Hg species appeared to be stable for up to 2 months.     

Flow-injection analysis with a small cylindrical wire type electrode

An amperometric detector with a small thin mercury film electrode is described. The device demonstrates advantageous operational characteristics such as small dispersion (D<2) and “memory effect” (me<0.6%), extensive maximum sample frequency (msf −200 samples/h), and high sensitivity. It has been proven useful in flow-injection analysis at a constant potential under hydrodynamic conditions.     

Interaction of the mutagen ethidium bromide with DNA, using a carbon paste electrode and a hanging mercury drop electrode

The interaction of ethidium bromide (2,7-diamino-10-ethyl-9-phenylphenanthridinium bromide; EB) with double stranded (ds) calf thymus DNA and thermally denatured single stranded (ss) DNA was studied in solution and at the electrode surface by means of transfer voltammetry using a carbon paste electrode (CPE) as working electrode in 0.2 M acetate buffer, pH 5.0. As a result of intercalation of this dye between the base pairs of dsDNA, the characteristic peak of dsDNA, due to the oxidation of guanine residues, decreased and after a particular concentration of EB a new peak at +0.81 V appeared, probably due to the formation of a complex between dsDNA and EB. The non-intercalated EB gives another peak, but at an increased concentration of the dye. A similar behaviour was observed during the interaction of the dye with ssDNA.Furthermore, the interaction of EB with ds, ss and supercoiled (sc) DNA was studied at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) surface by means of alternating current voltammetry in 0.3 M NaCl and 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8.5) as supporting electrolyte. dsDNA yields a smaller peak at −1.42 V (peak III) compared to the one yielded by ssDNA, since the latter is a relaxed and more accessible form. By addition of EB into the buffer solution an increase of peak III was observed in the dsDNA form as well as in ssDNA resulting from their interaction with EB. Furthermore, the appearance of peak III in covalently closed circular scDNA after exposure to increasing concentrations of EB is a result of the introduction of ‘free ends’ in DNA affecting its structural integrity.     

Determination of TNT and its metabolites in water samples by voltammetric techniques

Square-wave voltammetry with the hanging drop mercury electrode as the working electrode was used for the determination of ultratraces of explosives in aqueous solution. It was shown that the strong pressure dependence of the pneumatically controlled multimode electrode system of a conventional Metrohm apparatus could be compensated by an additional pressure regulation, through which the pressure variations could be decreased when switching from deaeration to the static measurements. By using square-wave voltammetry with this electrode system after this modification the limits of detection for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and other TNT-metabolites could be decreased down to 0.2 μg L⁻¹ when using a measurement time of 6 min. Also a simultaneous determination of TNT and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) was shown to be possible over a wide linear range and the detection limits then were 2.2 μg L⁻¹ for TNT and 25 μg L⁻¹ for RDX. By applying the highly stable and adjustable pressure as mentioned before, the calibrations could be kept stable over a period of up to 1 week.     

In Situ Amperometric Detection of Vesicles and Microgel Phases in an Aggregating System: Calcium Alginate

In situ amperometric characterization of an aggregating system in terms of molecular adsorption and single microparticle interactions at the electrode interface is demonstrated using a model system: alginate/Ca(II) in an aqueous electrolyte solution. Recording of chronoamperometric curves of oxygen reduction at the dropping mercury electrode is designed for detection of dip‐shaped signals of individual gel microparticles. By addition of Ca(II) decrease of alginate adsorption is accompanied by appearance of signals indicating vesicle type association of alginate molecules and microparticles of gel phase. AFM imaging provided evidence of initial stage in calcium alginate gel formation.     

CePO_4/Ce-ZrO_2可加工陶瓷性能与断裂机制研究

以Ce ZrO2为基体,通过复合不同加入量的第二相CePO4颗粒,研究了陶瓷材料力学性能的变化,并借助加载能谱仪(EDS)的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对材料弯曲断口及压痕裂纹扩展方式进行分析。当CePO4加入量为25%时,虽然材料力学性能有一定下降,但已经能用WC刀具进行加工。材料的弯曲断口显示,CePO4在两相体系中的断裂呈层片状形式;加入CePO4后,由于两相之间弱结合界面的存在,压痕裂纹扩展形式发生明显变化,由连续扩展机制过渡为不连续扩展。由这两种机制形成的材料断裂过程是阶段性的,在实际中可以用作材料最终破坏前的预报。     

微波消解-氢化物发生原子荧光法测定塑料原料及其制品中的砷、汞

采用微波消解进行样品前处理，以硫脲为预还原剂，用氢化物发生原子荧光法测定塑料原料及其制品中的砷、汞。测定砷和汞的线性范围均为0～8μg／L，砷、汞的检出限分别为0．005、0．076μg／L，测定结果的相对标准偏差分别为4.96％～7．38％、2．94％～7．20％(n=6)，回收率分别为92．0％～103．2％、92．0％～98.0％。     

Y2O3, La2O3, Sm2O3对氧化铝瓷烧结及力学性能的影响

研究了3种稀土氧化物对氧化铝陶瓷烧结性能和力学性能的影响.结果表明 含Y2O3,La2O3,Sm2O3的添加剂促进了氧化铝瓷的烧结,提高了氧化铝瓷的力学性能.Y2O3和Sm2O3掺量为0.50%,La2O3掺量为0.75%时氧化铝瓷在1600或1620 ℃保温2 h烧结,相对密度达98.9%以上,强度超过439 MPa,断裂韧性达5.15 MPa·m1/2以上.微观结构分析表明,Y2O3,La2O3,Sm2O3抑止氧化铝晶粒生长,细化晶粒,使晶粒尺寸较均匀形成致密化结构.     

倒数示波计时电位法在合金样品测定中的应用

应用倒数示波计时电位法，在含有吸附络合物的溶液中，采用桂汞电极作为极化电极，测定了Ｃｕ＾２＋、Ｎｉ＾２＋、Ｃｄ＾２＋、Ｐｂ＾２＋等几种金属离子的检测下限，并通过沿（ｄＥ／ｄｔ）－１￣Ｅ曲线上的峰高对合金样品进行定量分析，得到满意结果。实现了示波分析由常量到微量的飞跃。     

Direct Electrochemistry of Cytochrome c on EDTA-ZrO2 Organic-inorganic Hybrid Film Modified ElectrodesState Key Laborator3.＂ of Chemo／Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Universit3; Changsha. Hunan 410082. China

A composite film of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)‐ZrO₂ organic‐inorganic hybrid was prepared based on the chelation between Zr(IV) and EDTA. The direct electrochemical behavior of cytochrome c (cyt. c) at the hybrid film modified glassy carbon electrodes was investigated. The immobilized EDTA can promote the redox of heme in horse heart cyt. c which gives rise to a pair of reversible redox peaks with a formal potential of 40 mV (vs. SCE). The peak current increased linearly with the increase of cyt. c concentration in the range of 1.6 × 10^?6—8.0 × 10^?5 mol·L^?1 with the correlation coefficient of 0.996. Further investigation shows that metal ions can impede the electron transfer of cyt. c. The impediment capability of metal ions depends on their coordination capability with EDTA and their valence number.