Critical Comparison of Four Simple Adaptors for Flow Amperometric and Stripping Voltammetry with Mercury Drop Electrodes in Batch Cells

Electrochemical batch cells with mercury drop electrodes, MDEs, are readily available from a number of producers and widely used in electroanalysis for polarography, voltammetry and stripping voltammetry. To increase sample throughput and reduce reagent and sample consumption, the tendency is to couple the MDE with flow analysis systems (e.g., FIA, SIA or BIA). Many special flow cells for MDEs are described in the literature, but it is easier to convert existing commercial batch cells to flow operation. To assess the performance of such flow adaptors, four models were chosen because they are directly fitted to the glass capillary of any MDE, light enough not to impair the mechanical drop knocker and can be effortlessly built in the laboratory. They were all found adequate for flow amperometry and stripping voltammetry, with differences in sensitivity, flow rate dependence, response time, drop stability, tolerance to bubbles, uncompensated resistance and recontamination of disposed analyte from the electrolytic bath. Two of them, a simple L‐shaped PTFE tube and an upstream nozzle holder made from a disposable pipette tip, gather a larger set of desirable features.     

Thermodynamics of hydrogen-isotope-exchange reactions. Proton solvation inn-hexanol and water

This paper reports our results for the direct experimental determination of the equilibrium constant for the hydrogen-isotope-exchange reaction, 1/2D₂(g)+HCl(hexOH)=1/2H₂(g)+DCl(hexOD), where hexOH isn-hexanol and hexOD isn-hexanol with deuterium substitution in the alcohol function. The reaction was studied in electrochemical double cells without liquid junction for which the net cell reaction is the above isotope-exchange reaction. The experimentally determined value of ε° (296.0°K) for this cell is 4.03±0.95 mV (strong electrolyte standard states, mole-fraction composition scale); the value of the equilibrium constant for the reaction is 1.17±0.05. The contributions of isotope-exchange and transfer effects to the magnitude of the standard Gibbs energy change for the above reaction and for the analogous reaction 1/2D₂(g)+HCl(aq)=DCl(daq)+1/2H₂(g) are considered. Our results support the conclusion of Heinzinger and Weston that the formulation of the solvated proton in water as H₃O⁺, as opposed to H₉O₄ ⁺, is sufficient for the interpretation of the thermodynamics of hydrogen-isotope-exchange reactions in water. We also find that the formulation of the solvated proton inn-hexanol as ROH ₂ ⁺ is sufficient for the interpretation of our results on the thermodynamics of hydrogen-isotope-exchange inn-hexanol.     

Ferrocenyl and permethylferrocenyl cyclic and polyhedral siloxane polymers as mediators in amperometric biosensors

Cyclosiloxane and silsesquioxane-based ferrocenyl and permethylferrocenyl polymers have been used as mediators in amperometric enzyme electrodes for the detection of glucose. Biosensors have been prepared by electrostatically immobilizing the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) on electrodes modified with the polymers. The steady-state amperometric response of the sensors is investigated as a function of the applied potential and substrate concentration. The dependence of the sensors response on the structure of the siloxane-framework and on the presence or not of methyl groups on the ferrocenyl units is discussed.     

Studies of the electrochemical behavior of epinephrine at a homocysteine self-assembled electrode

The self-assembled electrode with the homocysteine monolayer (Hcy/Au) has been characterized by infrared spectroscopy and ac impedance spectroscopy in electrolyte. The Hcy/Au electrode is demonstrated to promote the electrochemical response of epinephrine (E) by cyclic voltammetry. A pair of well-defined redox waves was obtained and the calculated standard rate constant (k_s) is 2.1×10⁻² cm s⁻¹ at the self-assembled electrode. The reduction peak of E can be used to determine the concentration of E in presence of ascorbic acid (AA) owing to the Hcy/Au also promoting the electrochemical oxidation of AA.     

Elektronenstoss-induzierter zerfall von benzol-tricarbonyl-chrom- und -wolfram-derivaten; ein vergleich

The Electron impact mass spectra of (CO)₃ MC₆H₅—X complexes (M = Cr, W; X = OCH₃, OC₄H₉, CO₂CH₃, CO₂C₄H₉) were recorded. From metastable transitions and by high-resolution measurements complete fragmentation diagrams were obtained; in some cases comparative structure determinations of fragment ions were carried out by collisional activation. The fragmentation of the tungsten complexes considerably differs from that of the chromium compounds. The differences may be attributed to the stronger-electrophilic character as well as to the more pronounced tendency of tungsten to attain higher oxidation states.     

Structural chemistry of bimetallic hydride complexes of titanium and aluminium: I. Crystal and molecular structure of [(η5-C5H5)2,Ti(μ-H)2AlH2]2(CH3)2NCH2CH2N(CH3)2C6H6

The structure of a titanium aluminium hydride complex of composition [(C₅H₅)₂TiAlH₄]₂(CH₃)₂NC₂H₄N(CH₃)₂C₆H₆ has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The complex forms triclinic crystals with unit cell dimensions a = 8.406(2), b = 10.117(2), c = 11.269(3) Å; α = 112.01(2)°, β = 109.25(2)°, γ = 87.04(2)°, space group P$\text{1}$, Z = 2 and density d = 1.21 g/cm³. The structure was refined to give a discrepancy index R = 0.056. The crystals are composed of centrosymmetric molecules of (Cp₂TiAlH₄)₂TMEDA (Cp = η⁵-cyclopentadienyl) and molecules of crystal benzene. Two moieties of Cp₂TiH₂AlH₂ are linked by a tetramethylethylenediamine molecule (r_AlN 2.11 Å). The aluminium atom is bonded to a titanium atom by a double hydride bridge (r_AlH b = 1.8, 1.6 Å, r_TiH b = 1.6 Å), and has trigonal bipyramidal stereochemistry, [H₄N] (r_AlH t = 1.6 Å).     

A comparison of phototautomerism in different sites of free-base porphin (H2P) in n-alkane crystals

Selective laser-induced phototautomerism of free-base porphin in different n-alkanes (n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, nnonane, n-decane, n-undecane and n-dodecane) has been used to identify tautomer splittings in a number of sites in polycrystalline samples at 2 K. Pairs or lines arising from the two molecular orientations in each site can be reversibly transformed into each other. In the odd n-alkanes the occupation of different sites was not dependent on the rate at which the samples were frozen, but in the even n-alkanes metastable sites were only occupied following rapid quenching.     

Random walks on inhomogeneous lattices

For lattices with two kinds of points (black and white), distributed according to a translation-invariant joint probability distribution, we study statistical properties of the sequence of consecutive colors encountered by a random walker moving through the lattice. The probability distribution for the single steps of the walk is considered to be independent of the colors of the points. Several exact results are presented which are valid in any number of dimensions and for arbitrary probability distributions for the coloring of the points and the steps of the walk. They are used to derive a few general properties of random walks on lattices containing traps.Presented at the Symposium on Random Walks, Gaithersburg, MD, June 1982.     

Potentiometric determination of fluoride in geological and biological samples following pyrohydrolytic decomposition

A method for the determination of fluoride in coal, coal fly ash, phosphate rock, limestone, mineral clay, fossilised materials, oyster tissue and vegetation using pyrohydrolysis for sample decomposition is proposed. A specific apparatus was constructed and the influence of vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) as a catalyst for the pyrohydrolysis reaction was investigated. It was verified that V₂O₅ does not influence the release of fluoride from the vegetation, oyster tissue, coal and coal fly ash matrices analysed. However, the catalyst was necessary for the phosphate rock, fossil bone, mineral clay and limestone samples. Certified and noncertified samples were analysed using an ion selective electrode (ISE) for the analyte detection. Precise (relative standard deviation—R.S.D.<7%) and accurate (recovery in accordance to certified values) results were obtained. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was 5.0 μg g⁻¹ of fluoride using 20 mg of sample and a final dilution to 10 ml. The sample frequency was five samples per hour.