Sheath liquid interface for the coupling of normal-phase liquid chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometry and its application to the analysis of neoflavonoids

A novel interface that allows normal-phase liquid chromatography to be coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) is reported. A make-up solution of 60 mM ammonium acetate in methanol, infused at a 5 microl min(-1) flow-rate at the tip of the electrospray probe, provides a sheath liquid which is poorly miscible with the chromatographic effluent, but promotes efficient ionization of the targeted analytes. Protonated molecules generated in the ESI source were subjected to tandem mass spectrometric experiments in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The main fragmentation reactions were characterized for each analyte and specific mass spectral transitions were used to acquire chromatographic data in the multiple reaction monitoring detection mode. Results obtained during optimization of the sheath liquid composition and flow-rate suggest that the electrospray process was mainly under the control of the make-up solution, and that it forms an external charged layer around a neutral chromatographic mobile phase core. This sheath liquid interface was implemented for the analysis of some neoflavonoid compounds and its performance was evaluated. Limits of detection were established for calophillolide, inophyllum B, inophyllum P and inophyllum C at 100, 25, 15 and 100 ng ml(-1), respectively.     

Stoichiometry and conformation of the azacrown moiety in sodium complexes of azacrown ethers. A Raman/IR spectroscopic study. Part I: Complexes of 4,13-Diaza-18-crown-6

Three sodium complexes (bromide, iodide and thiocyanate) of 4,13-diaza-18-crown-6 were studied using Raman and IR spectroscopy and normal coordinate calculations to probe the stoichiometry of the complexes and the variation in the conformation of azacrown moiety on complex formation. complex formation is accompanied by characteristic shifts of the bands, especially of those in the 800–900 cm^–1 region. Complexes of both 11 and 21 stoichiometry were observed. Normal coordinate calculations showed the reduction of symmetry of azacrown moiety toC _i , in contrast to theC _2h symmetry known for the parent azacrown and potassium thiocyanate complex.     

High resolution applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for environmental and forensic applications

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used in the elemental analysis for a variety of environmental samples and as a proof of concept for a host of forensic applications. In the first application, LIBS was used for the rapid detection of carbon from a number of different soil types. In this application, a major breakthrough was achieved by using a multivariate analytical approach that has brought us closer towards a “universal calibration curve”. In a second application, it has been demonstrated that LIBS in combination with multivariate analysis can be employed to analyze the chemical composition of annual tree growth rings and correlate them to external parameters such as changes in climate, forest fires, and disturbances involving human activity. The objectives of using this technology in fire scar determinations are: 1) To determine the characteristic spectra of wood exposed to forest fires and 2) To examine the viability of this technique for detecting fire occurrences in stems that did not develop fire scars. These examples demonstrate that LIBS-based techniques are inherently well suited for diverse environmental applications. LIBS was also applied to a variety of proof of concept forensic applications such as the analysis of cremains (human cremation remains) and elemental composition analysis of prosthetic implants.     

Analysis of interferents by means a D-optimal screening design and calibration using partial least squares regression in the spectrophotometric determination of Cr(VI)

Using a central composite design, the signal of the process for the spectrophotometric determination of hexavalent chromium (λ = 543 nm) is maximised and its variability minimised using as complexing agent 1,5-diphenylcarbazide in sufficiently acid medium. To analyse the interference of various analytes (Mo(VI), V(V), Fe(III) and Mn(VII)) on the Cr(VI) as a function of concentration of interferent, a factorial design was prepared at three levels of each (zero, medium and high concentration), which implies performing 81 determinations. However, a D-optimal design with just nine experiments is sufficiently good to estimate the model proposed.The interference of these metals makes it impossible to determine Cr(VI) when they are present in the sample. To avoid prior separation steps, a multivariate regression by partial least squares, PLS, is proposed to calibrate the Cr(VI) in the presence of these analytes varying the concentration of the Cr(VI) between 0.1 and 0.9 μg ml⁻¹ and that of the interferents between 3 and 5 μg ml⁻¹. The average errors obtained were 4.5% and 3.29% fitted and in prediction, respectively, with a standard error in prediction (RMSEP) of 0.016% presenting absence of both constant and proportional bias.The detection limit with the PLS regression in the presence of interferents is 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ with a probability of false positive equal to 5% and less than 5% for false negative. The capability of detection is similar to that obtained with the univariate calibration (absorbance at 543 nm) in absence of interferents.With the PLS regression it is possible to discriminate 0.085 μg ml⁻¹ of Cr(VI) in a sample with 0.5 μg ml⁻¹ of Cr(VI) with probabilities of false compliance and false non-compliance equal to 0.05. For the univariate calibration without interferents, it was established at 0.0971 μg ml⁻¹ of Cr(VI) for the same nominal concentration.In relation to interference of V(V), Fe(III) and Mn(VII), the PLS calibration could be an efficient alternative to the separation step for Cr(VI) spectrophotometric determination using 1,5-diphenylcarbazide.     

Partial least squares multicomponent fluorimetric determination of fluoroquinolones in human urine samples

Ternary mixtures of fluoroquinolones, with a 7-piperazinyl substituted group have been simultaneously determined in human urine samples by application of a multivariate calibration partial least squares (PLS) model. The calibration set was designed with 15 urine samples containing different concentrations of the three fluoroquinolones and 16 blank urine samples. The concentration range for the fluoroquinolones were up to 25 ng ml⁻¹ for norfloxacin (NOR), 80 ng ml⁻¹ for ofloxacin (OFLO) and 300 ng ml⁻¹ for enoxacin (ENO). The method is based on the native fluorescence emission of these compounds in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) medium, at pH 4.0, when exciting at 277 nm. A selection of the emission wavelength range used for the analysis was made for each component. Intraday and interday precision values were determined. Figures of merit as selectivity, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD) and analytical sensitivity were also calculated. Using the standard addition methodology, five urine samples from five different persons, fortified with three concentration levels of the fluoroquinolones, were analyzed. The limits of detection in urine were 10.0, 0.5 and 0.8 ng ml⁻¹ for ENO, NOR and OFLO, respectively.     

基于扎根理论的化学师范生顶岗实习实践性知识发展研究

基于扎根理论，从顶岗实习的视角，运用质的研究方法，对化学专业师范生顶岗实习过程中实践性知识的发展路径及阶段性特征获得以下理性认识：（1）顶岗实习过程中化学专业师范生实践性知识发展的路径主要有：理论与实践的冲突与融合，个人经验的积累与建构，他人经验的参考与借鉴，活动参与的反思与提升，团队智慧的碰撞与交流，实习环境的熏陶与促动。（2）顶岗实习过程中化学专业师范生实践性知识发展呈现一定的阶段性特征：顶岗实习前期，化学专业师范生实践性知识的发展具有较为明显的个体性、理想性、冲突性、借鉴性特征；顶岗实习后期，化学专业师范生实践性知识的发展则具有较为明显的针对性、融合性、迁移性和验证性特征。基于研究结论提出关于师范生实践性知识生成与发展的几点建议。     

校正变换矩阵法及其在多组分直接同时测定中的应用

将目标变换因子分析中自由浮动技术引入多元校准中，提出了一种新的多组分同时校准法———校正变换矩阵法。该法用于四组分氨基酸人工混合样品分析，结果令人满意，通过与传统目标变换因子分析法比较研究，表明该法用于组分光谱严重共线的波长范围时，其校准能力大大优于传统目标变换法。     

近红外漫反射一阶导数光谱法作安体舒通质量控制研究

研究了近红外漫反射一阶导数光谱法作安休舒通粉末药品质量控制的可能性，用多变量统计分类技术，从安体舒通粉末药品的近红外漫反射一阶导数光谱，成功地鉴别了真，劣和假药，结果令人满意。     

Simultaneous determination of antimony(III) and antimony(V) by UV-vis spectroscopy and partial least squares method (PLS)

This paper describes a procedure for the speciation of antimony by UV-vis spectroscopy using pyrogallol as complexing agent. A partial least squares (PLS) regression was performed to resolve highly overlapping spectrophotometric signals obtained from mixtures of Sb(III) and Sb(V). The relative error in absolute value was less than 5% when concentrations of several mixtures were calculated. The minimum concentration determined was 3.96 × 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ and 3.98 × 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ for Sb(V) and Sb(III), respectively. The analysis of the possible effect of the presence of foreign ions in the solution was performed and the procedure was successfully applied to the speciation of antimony in pharmaceutical preparations and aqueous samples.