Detecting DNA Damage with a Silver Solid Amalgam Electrode

Mercury electrodes modified with supercoiled (sc) DNA have been used as highly sensitive tools for the detection of DNA strand breaks or as sensors for DNA cleaving substances. In this paper we show that silver solid amalgam electrode (AgSAE), in connection with alternating current voltammetry, provides similar information about DNA damage as the hanging mercury drop electrode. The AgSAE can be used for the detection of enzymatic or chemical DNA cleavage in solution or at the electrode surface. AgSAE modified with scDNA can be utilized as a sensor for DNA nicking substances.     

A selective voltammetric method for uric acid detection at Nafion(R)-coated carbon paste electrodes

A square-wave voltammetric method together with Nafion®-coated carbon paste electrodes were used for the selective determination of uric acid in the presence of a high concentration of ascorbic acid. Since the oxidation potential of uric acid is about 200 mV more positive than that of ascorbic acid at the Nafion®-coated carbon paste electrode, the selectivity can be greatly improved simply by applying an electrolysis potential of +0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl where only ascorbic acid is oxidised. The acceptable tolerance of ascorbic acid concentration for the determination of uric acid is as high as 1.5 mM. With 30 s of electrolysis time, a linear calibration curve is obtained over the 0–50 μM range in 0.05 M citrate buffer solution, pH 4.0, with slope (μA/μM) and correlation coefficient of 0.34 and 0.9984, respectively. The detection limit (3σ) is 0.25 μM. The practical analytical utility is illustrated by selective measurements of uric acid in human urine without any preliminary treatment.     

Determination of total fluoride in HF/HNO3/H2SiF6 etch solutions by new potentiometric titration methods

In the photovoltaic industry the etching of silicon in HF/HNO₃ solutions is a decisive process for cleaning wafer surfaces or to produce certain surface morphologies like polishing or texturization. With regard to cost efficiency, a maximal utilisation of etch baths in combination with highest quality and accuracy is strived. To provide an etch bath control realised by a replenishment with concentrated acids the main constituents of these HF/HNO₃ etch solutions including the reaction product H₂SiF₆ have to be analysed. Two new methods for the determination of the total fluoride content in an acidic etch solution based on the precipitation titration with La(NO₃)₃ are presented within this paper. The first method bases on the proper choice of the reaction conditions, since free fluoride ions have to be liberated from HF and H₂SiF₆ at the same time to be detected by a fluoride ion-selective electrode (F-ISE). Therefore, the sample is adjusted to a pH of 8 for total cleavage of the SiF₆²⁻ anion and titrated in absence of buffers. In a second method, the titration with La(NO₃)₃ is followed by a change of the pH-value using a HF resistant glass-electrode. Both methods provide consistent values, whereas the analysis is fast and accurate, and thus, applicable for industrial process control.     

Catalytic Oxidation of Dimethyl Ether to Dimethoxymethane over Cs Modified HaPW12O40/SiO2 Catalysts

The attractive utilization route for one-step catalytic oxidation of dimethyl ether to dimethoxymethane was successfully carried out over the H3PW12O40（40%）/SiO2 catalyst, modified by Cs, K, Ni, and V. The Cs modification of H3PW12O40（40%）/SiO2 gave the most promising result of 20% dimethyl ether conversion and 34.8% dimethoxymethane selectivity. Dimethoxymethane could be synthe- sized via methoxy groups decomposed from dimethyl ether through the synergistic effect between the acid sites and the redox sites of Cs modified H3PW12O40（40%）/SiO2.     

离子选择电极—流动注射分析法动力学测定葡萄糖存在下的果糖

本文将离子电极与流动注射分析相结合，利用３０℃下，在强碱性介质中，果糖和葡萄糖与２，４－二硝基酚钠反应速度明显差异，动力学测定了葡萄糖存在下果糖的含量。自制了２，４－二硝基酚电极作为动力学电位测定用的工作电极。本法测定果糖的范围为０．０２～１．００ｍｏｌ／Ｌ，其ＲＳＤ为４．０％～４．９％，ＲＥ为１．０～５．０％；当Ｃ葡／Ｃ果≤３倍时，葡萄糖的干扰不超过５％；本法也曾成功地用于果葡萄浆测定，其ＲＳＤ     

Ascorbate oxidase

Ascorbate oxidase fromCucurbita sp. was isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-dextran-silochrome column chromatography. The thermal and pH stabilities of the purified enzyme were investigated. TheK _M forl-ascorbic acid (1.5 mM) and chlorohydroquinone (0.37 mM) was determined. Substrate specificity of ascorbate oxidase was investigated and compared with those of laccases fromCoriolus hirsutus andCerrena maxima. Ascorbate oxidase was covalently bound to a polymeric membrane and used in an enzyme electrode for ascorbic acid.     

pH值对聚四氨基酞菁钴膜电化学和紫外光谱性质的影响

用循环伏安法在导电玻璃(ITO)和玻碳电极(GC)上制备了聚氨基酞菁钴(CoTAPc)修饰电极(CoTAPc/GC)。探讨了pH值对CoTAPc膜的光谱和电化学性质的影响，发现其氧化还原电位与pH值有线性关系，电催化活性也随酸度的增加而增加。CoTAPc膜的紫外吸收带变化与溶液pH值及在溶液中浸泡时间有关。     

Square-wave voltammetric determination of cefoperazone in a bacterial culture,pharmaceutical drug,milk, and urine

Use of square-wave voltammetry (SWV) for determination of cefoperazone (CFPZ) in some buffers, bacterial culture, urine, and milk is described. CFPZ provides a specific voltammetric signal which is affected by pH and solution components. Determination of CFPZ in Britton–Robinson buffer, pH 4.4, is sensitive with a low detection limit (about 0.5 nmol L^–1). In a more complex medium (bacterial 2YT medium, pH 7.2) the detection limit was approximately 1.5 mol L^–1. We provide evidence that SWV is a suitable and quick method for CFPZ determination in a culture of living bacteria without separation of biomass. We have found big differences between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in cultivation in the presence of CFPZ, depending on time. When CFPZ is cleaved by penicillinase, a new SWV peak b appears at more positive potentials. This peak rises both with increasing concentration of enzyme and with cleavage time while the original CFPZ peak is simultaneously decreasing. We determined the concentration of CFPZ in the drug Pathozone by the standard addition method and achieved good agreement with the declared value of CFPZ in the drug. With a simple pretreatment procedure it is possible to determine CFPZ in milk; for urine no pretreatment was required. Using SWV we could detect CFPZ concentrations as low as 500 nmol L^–1 in bovine milk and human urine.     

Direct and simultaneous voltammetric analysis of heavy metals in tap water samples at Assiut city: an approach to improve the analysis time for nickel and cobalt determination at mercury film electrode

Tap water samples (Assiut city, lie in the middle north of upper Egypt, approx. 370 km from Cairo, January-March, 2002) were taken from the eight sampling sites of different locations at Assiut city. The samples are analyzed to determine the total content of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) while nickel and cobalt are determined by a new simple differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPAdSV), using dimethylglyoxime (DMG) as the complexing agent. This method uses sodium sulfite as the supporting electrolyte, which facilitates the removal of oxygen interference without the traditional necessity of purging with inert gas. The effect of various parameters was studied using DPASV (for Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) and AdSV (for Ni and Co) methods. Subsequently, under the so found experimental conditions, the stability of calibration curves and the detection limits (μg/l) have been determined. The data achieved (for all metals utility) are comparable to those measured by the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometric (GF-AAS) method. The effects of the interferences between these metal ions have been investigated. Moreover, the effect of storage was discussed and the obtained results were compared favorably with standard official methods. Statistical analysis of the database exhibits applicability and the accuracy of the techniques. The results obtained from the two techniques (Voltammetry and GF-AAS) are in very good agreements in the most tap water samples.     

Voltammetry Under Microfluidic Control,a Flow Cell Aproach

A generic approach to the design, construction and experimental characterization of novel microelectrochemical reactors (MECR) is presented. Structurally well‐defined rectangular microchannels incorporating electrochemical sensors were fabricated using a propriety photosensitive glass and photolithographic techniques. Microelectrode sensors were produced via evaporation to yield, gold, silver or platinum bands of approximate lengths 10–50 μm. The approach outlined permits cells of dimensions in the range: height 50–100 μm, width 100–500 μm and length 1–3 cm to be accurately constructed, in single or array configurations and were characterized via a voltammetric study utilizing electrolyte solutions containing N,N,N′N′‐Tetramethyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine. In all cases, the test cells were constructed so that the three dimensional hydrodynamic boundary layer within the cells would significantly influence the reagent transport and therefore the observed current density at the microelectrodes. The current/flow rate relationship observed was analogous to the response of the observed within the macroscopic channel flow cells, where typically the cell design is restricted to configurations where a two dimensional transport analysis can be performed.