Effect of Mobile Phase pH* on Chromatographic Behaviour in Chiral Ligand-Exchange Thin-Layer Chromatography (CLETLC) of Amino Acid Enantiomers

The enantiomers of some amino acids have been separated on commercial chiral TLC plates in reversed-phase mode. The effect of the pH* of the aqueous-organic mobile phase on the retention and mobility of the enantiomers and on selectivity was investigated. It was shown that for most of the amino acids investigated the highest enantioselectivity was obtained at pH* 3–4 or 6–7. The drift and disturbance of the baseline on the chromatograms were also much smaller at pH* 3–4 and 6–7.     

Equations for calculation of the pH of buffer solutions containing sodium or potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hydrogen phosphate, and sodium chloride at 25°C

Published thermodynamic data measured in aqueous mixtures of sodium or potassium dihydrogen phosphate with hydrogen phosphate and chloride at 25°C were used to test recently developed methods for calculation of the pH of phosphate buffer solutions. Equations for ionic activity coefficients are used in these methods. It is shown that all data used in the tests up to an ionic strength of about 0.5 mol-kg^-1 can be accurately predicted by the two methods recommended. In one of these methods, equations of the Hückel type are used for ionic activity coefficients and in the other equations of the Pitzer type. Several sets of phosphate buffer solutions are recommended,e.g., for calibrations of glass electrode cells. In the recommended sets, the pH of the buffer solutions can be calculated either by the Hückel or Pitzer method, and the pH predictions of these methods agree in most cases within 0.005 at least up to ionic strengths of about 0.2 mol-kg^-1. The pH values of the two primary pH standards endorsed by IUPAC based on aqueous mixtures of KH₂PO₄ and Na₂HPO₄,i.e., pH values of 6.865 and 7.413, can also be accurately predicted by the equations recommended in this study.     

Fluorescence ratiometric pH sensor prepared from covalently immobilized porphyrin and benzothioxanthene

A fluorescence ratiometric sensor for pH determination is described in this paper. The sensor incorporated the pH-sensitive dye meso-5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-allyloxyphenyl)porphyrin (TAPP) as an indicator and a pH-insensitive dye N-(2-methacryloxyethyl)benzo[k,l]thioxanthene-3,4-dicarboximide (MBTD), a benzothioxanthene derivative, as a reference for fluorescence ratiometric measurement. To prevent leakage of the dyes, both were photocopolymerized with acrylamide, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on the silanized glass surface. The reproducibility and response time of the prepared sensor were sufficient. Most common coexisting inorganic ions and organic compounds did not interfere with pH sensing. In the acidic pH range from 1.5 to 5.0 the fluorescence intensity ratio of the two dyes varied linearly as a function of pH. The sensing membrane was found to have a lifetime of at least one month. The sensor was applied to the analysis of waste water and artificial samples.     

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, METAL-UPTAKE BEHAVIOR OF BIS（BENZIMIDAZOLE） RESIN SUPPORTED ON EPOXIDE POLYMER

The new chelate resins, abbreviated as PNBMZs and PBBMZs based on epoxide polymer, were synthesized by polycondensation of N,N-diglycidyl-4-glycidyloxyaniline or 1,4-bis（2,3-epoxypropyl）benzene with the primary amine group of 1,3-bis（benzimidazol-2yl）propylamine （BBPAH）. The ion exchangers contain 2.71-3.23 mmol of the ligand contents per gram of the resin. Batch extraction capacities were determined for the metal chloride salts in buffer solutions in the pH range from -1 to 6.0. The chelate resins were very selective for Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋, Cd^2＋ in the presence of other divalent transition metal ions. The maximum uptake capacities of PNBMZ （synthetic molar ratio = 1：1.5） under non-competitive condition were found to be 0.94 mmol/g for Cu^2＋ at pH = 2, 1.3 mmol/g for Cd^2＋ at pH = 1 and 1.75 mmol/g for Zn^2＋ at pH = -1 respectively. While in the case of PBBMZ, it was 1.39 mmol/g for Cd〉 at pH = 1. The metal-uptake behaviors for both of them showed strong pH dependence, and their extraction capacities increase with decreasing pH. The uptake of Cu^2＋ by the resin PNBMZs at pH = 1 was found to be rather fast with t1/2 = 18 min. Metal-uptake experiments under competitive conditions also confirm that the chelate resins have a high selectivity for Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋, Cd^2＋ and the contrary pH dependence.     

Retention modeling and simultaneous optimization of pH value and gradient steepness in RP‐HPLC using feed‐forward neural networks

A novel approach is proposed for the simultaneous optimization of mobile phase pH and gradient steepness in RP‐HPLC using artificial neural networks. By presetting the initial and final concentration of the organic solvent, a limited number of experiments with different gradient time and pH value of mobile phase are arranged in the two‐dimensional space of mobile phase parameters. The retention behavior of each solute is modeled using an individual artificial neural network. An “early stopping” strategy is adopted to ensure the predicting capability of neural networks. The trained neural networks can be used to predict the retention time of solutes under arbitrary mobile phase conditions in the optimization region. Finally, the optimal separation conditions can be found according to a global resolution function. The effectiveness of this method is validated by optimization of separation conditions for amino acids derivatised by a new fluorescent reagent.     

Adsorption Behavior of a Water-soluble Porphyrin at the Glass-water Interface as Studied by Synchronous Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Total imernal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy (TIRF) and synchronous scanning technique were combined to study the adsorption behavior of the meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) at the glass-water interface without any surfactant. The pH dependence of synchronous fluorescence signal at the interface was analyzed. Both unprotonated (TPPS^4-) and diprotonated (H2TPPS^2-) forms of TPPS were observed at the interface. But the interface favored the adsorption of. The apparent estimated pKa2 value shifted from 5.00 in the bulk solution to 2.7 at the interface. STIRF provides a good technique to study multi-component systems at the interface.     

Hydrolysis and polycondensation of ethyl silicates. 2. Hydrolysis and polycondensation of ETS40 (ethyl silicate 40)

The effects of catalysts, pH and reaction conditions on the course of the hydrolysis and condensation of ETS40 (ethyl silicate 40), and on the composition of the reaction products were studied with the aid of gas and gel chromatography, potentiometry and gelation tests. Strong acids (HCl, HClO₄, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, p-toluenesulphonic acid), weak acids (Cl₃, CCOOH, ClCH₂COOH, (COOH)₂, CH₃COOH and HCOOH) and bases (LiOH, NH₄,OH) were used as catalysts.

The hydrolysis rate increased with increasing temperature, catalyst concentration, initial water concentration and initial ethyl silicate concentration, whereas it decreased with increasing number of Si atoms in the ethyl silicate molecules. At pH 0–7 the hydrolysis was acid catalysed, but at pH above 7.0 it was base catalysed. Simultaneously with the hydrolysis, condensation occurred at a rate which increased with increasing temperature, catalyst concentration, ETS40 concentration and, above all, with increasing initial water concentration. The condensation rate depended on the pH. The condensation was at its slowest for pH around 2.0. For pH below 2.0, the condensation increased with increasing hydrogen ion concentration; for pH above 2.0 the condensation increased with decreasing hydrogen ion concentration. Phosphoric acid and hydrofluoric acid increased the rate of condensation considerably. The reaction of ETS40 with water at pH around 2.0 gave rise during the hydrolysis to solutions of ethoxyhydroxysiloxanes with an average of 14–20 Si atoms in a molecule, which displayed long-term stability.     

Voltammetric, chronocoulometric and spectroelectrochemical studies of electropolymerized films based on Co(III/II)- and Zn(II)-4,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine: effect of high pH

Electropolymerized thin films of Co(III/II)- and Zn(II)-4,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine, immersed in solutions of relatively high pH, have been studied electro- and spectroelectrochemically. Cyclic voltammetry and chronocoulometry were used to characterize films deposited on glassy carbon electrodes. Spectroelectrochemistry and ellipsometry measurements were performed on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces coated with the zinc and cobalt complexes and correlated to the electrochemical information collected using glassy carbon electrodes. Studies at high pH are motivated by the efficient increase in luminol chemiluminescence at high OH⁻ concentration, and by potential application in luminescence sensors. Although the films are not removed, some structural changes occur when they are exposed to solutions of high pH. In addition, an estimation of the number of monolayers has also been calculated. The atomic diameters of cobalt and zinc are very close in value, but the estimated number of monolayers, based on cyclic voltammetric data, for a given number of electropolymerization cycles is approximately four-fold higher in the zinc-based film. This would correspond to three-fold thicker films when zinc is the central metal ion. Ellipsometry measurements have been correlated with cyclic voltammetric data to confirm that film thickness varies among the different complexes, even though the conditions of electropolymerization are the same.     

Chemical Liquid Phase Deposition of Thin Aluminum Oxide Films

Introduction Inorganic oxide films have attracted a lot of interest in the last several decades. Among them, silicon dioxide films are widely used in modern microelectronics, optics and mechanics. This material has been grown by various methods including thermal oxidation, chemical vapor phase deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor phase deposition, and so on.1,2 Recently, Nagayama et al.3 have reported that SiO2 thin films could be produced by a new chemical method of liquid phase depos…     

SciFinder-guided rational design of fluorescent carbon dots for ratiometric monitoring intracellular pH fluctuations under heat shock

Intracellular pH plays a significant role in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, enzyme activity and homeostasis. In this work, a novel design strategy for the preparation of pH responsive carbon dots (CDs-pH) for ratiometric intracellular imaging was reported. By using SciFinder database, fluorescent CDs-pH with the required pK_a value of 6.84 were rationally designed, which is vital important for precise sensing of intracellular pH. As a result, the synthesized CDs-pH demonstrated robust ability to test pH fluctuations within the physiological range of 5.4-7.4. The CDs-pH was further utilized for fluorescent ratiometric imaging of pH in living HeLa cells, effectively avoided the influence of autofluorescence from native cellular species. Moreover, real-time monitoring of intracellular pH fluctuation under heat shock was successfully realized. This SciFinder-guided design strategy is simple and flexible, which has a great potential to be used for the development of other types of CDs for various applications.