Sampling and sample-preparation strategies based on solid-phase microextraction for analysis of indoor air

Applications of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to the sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds in indoor air are reviewed, including a summary of quantification methods, coatings, compounds, concentrations, sampling locations and times, and detection limits. Strategies for on-site and off-site sampling and analysis, advantages and challenges associated with SPME for air sampling are discussed.     

多色蓝在核酸分子上的Langmuir聚集吸附

用微相吸附-光谱修正（MPASC）新技术研究核酸与多色蓝(PCB)探针分子间的相互作用，分析核酸分子内双静电膜的形成与Langmuir吸附的关联性.通过pH 7.24的介质核酸-PCB反应的光谱研究，测定了结合产物的物理化学参数：结合比1PCB:2DNA-PCB、1PCB:3RNA-PCB, 平衡常数KDNA-PCB=5.42×104， KRNA-PCB=2.82×104,摩尔吸收系数ε(DNA-PCB, 625 nm)=5.65×103（mo1－1•L ）•cm－1， ε(RNA-PCB, 625 nm)=3.85×103 （mol－1•L）•cm－1.结果表明， RNA分子仅形成约60％双螺旋结构链，核酸双螺旋每一周期的负静电沟最大聚集10个PCB分子.该吸附反应用于核酸样品测定，结果良好.     

Practical capillary gas chromatography—a systematic approach

Capillary gc is now rapidly expanding. Naturally, initiation is most often attempted on the basis of the experience acquired with packed columns. However, such an extrapolation is successful only if a number of essential peculiarities of capillary gc are considered. Based on practical examples this paper discusses six essential details: 1) design and maintenance of the gas flow paths, 2) the greatly increased importance of sampling technique, which should not be confined just to stream splitting, 3) the problems in quantitative analysis arising from small sample size, 4) specific sources of trouble related to small amounts of liquid phase, 5) specific arguments for the choice of the carrier gas, clearly pointing to hydrogen as the ideal carrier and, 6) the different way to approach column production. Figures for all selected examples are given.     

火焰原子吸收光谱法测定茶叶中的锰

介绍悬浮液进样-次灵敏线火焰原子吸收光谱法测定茶叶中的锰的方法。以琼脂为悬浮剂，将茶叶样品均匀、稳定地悬浮于琼脂溶胶中，直接喷入空气-乙炔火焰中，利用锰280.1nm次灵敏线，以工作曲线或标准加入法测定锰的含量，方法简便、快速，用于测定茶叶和桃叶样品中的锰，结果准确。     

Theoretical analysis of the performance of a model supercapacitor consisting of metal oxide nano-particles

The factors influencing the electrochemical behaviour of a supercapacitor have been partly examined in this work. The effects of so-called intrinsic parameters, i.e. exchange current density, unit cell length and double layer (DL) capacitance; as well as the so-called application parameters, i.e. cell current, on the cell potential discharge time have been considered. The contributions of each type of capacitors, DL capacitor and faradaic supercapacitor under various states of operation and material have been analyzed, and the competing (compensating) effects of the two types of capacitors as regards to the discharge and power characteristics manifested by current–potential and energy–power (Ragone plots) are elucidated.     

Double pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of explosives: Initial study towards improved discrimination

Detecting trace explosive residues at standoff distances in real-time is a difficult problem. One method ideally suited for real-time standoff detection is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). However, atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen contributes to the LIBS signal from the oxygen- and nitrogen-containing explosive compounds, complicating the discrimination of explosives from other organic materials. While bathing the sample in an inert gas will remove atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen interference, it cannot practically be applied for standoff LIBS. Alternatively, we have investigated the potential of double pulse LIBS to improve the discrimination of explosives by diminishing the contribution of atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen to the LIBS signal. These initial studies compare the close-contact (< 1 m) LIBS spectra of explosives using single pulse LIBS in argon with double pulse LIBS in atmosphere. We have demonstrated improved discrimination of an explosive and an organic interferent using double pulse LIBS to reduce the air entrained in the analytical plasma.     

Freon (CHF<Subscript>3</Subscript>)-assisted atomization for the determination of titanium using ultrasonic slurry sampling–graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (USS–GFAAS): a simple and advantageous method for solid samples

A simple and advantageous method for the determination of titanium using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with slurry sampling has been developed. Titanium is one of the refractory elements that form thermally stable carbides in the graphite tube, which leads to severe memory effects. Trifluoromethane (Freon-23) was applied in the purge gas during the atomization step or alternatively just prior to the atomization to successfully eliminate the problems of carbide formation and increase the lifetime of the furnace tube which could be used for more than 600 heating cycles. A flow rate of 40 mL min^–1 (5% of Freon in argon) was used to obtain symmetrical peaks with no tailing. However, when the gas flow rate was too high (250 mL min^–1) the peak-tailing and memory effects reappeared. Ti was determined in various materials covering a wide range of concentrations, from 2.8 g g^–1 to 12% (m/m) Ti. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analyzing certified reference materials (CRMs) or by comparing the results with those obtained using inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES) after decomposition of the samples. The materials analyzed were soil, plant, human hair, coal, urban particulate matters, toothpaste, and powdered paint.     

Study of a Catalytic Mechanism in Additive Differential Pulse Techniques

The new electrochemical double pulse technique, known as additive differential normal pulse voltammetry (ADNPV) when there is no restriction on the duration of both pulses, and additive differential pulse voltammetry (ADPV) when t₂?t₁, has been applied to a pseudo‐first‐order catalytic mechanism. The expressions obtained here are applicable to planar and spherical electrodes, of any radius. This is of great interest since the size of the electrode plays an important role in the preponderating of diffusive and kinetics processes. The signal obtained with this technique presents the same morphological characteristics as the triple pulse technique, double differential pulse voltammetry (DDPV) and is more advantageous than DDPV and than the double pulse one, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV).     

An open optimization problem in statistical quality control

We ask the experts in global optimization if there is an efficient solution to an optimization problem in acceptance sampling: Here, one often has incomplete prior information about the quality of incoming lots. Given a cost model, a decision rule for the inspection of a lot may then be designed that minimizes the maximum loss compatible with the available information. The resulting minimax problem is sometimes hard to solve, as the loss functions may have several local maxima which vary in an unpredictable way with the parameters of the decision rule.     

Headspace-gas chromatography: The influence of sample volume on analytical results

Summary The role of the volume of the sample and the sample vial in equilibrium headspace-gas chromatography is discussed. A new term, thesample phase fraction (_S) is introduced. It is shown that if the value of _S is kept constant, the vial's volume has no influence on the sensitivity of the headspace analysis (which is proportional to the concentration of the analyte in the headspace). In a given headspace sampling system, concentration of the compound of interest in the headspace (c _G ^* ) at equilibrium is related to the value of _S: a higher _S will increase c _G ^* . However, the influence is important only in the case of low distribution coefficients: in the case of higher distribution coefficients this influence is negligible. This conclusion is also true for small changes in the sample volume in duplicate analyses: exact reproducibility of the sample volume is important only in the case of low distribution coefficient values.