Atomic weights and isotopic abundances of the elements: A future concern for the analytical chemist

Summary The recent evolution and present status of the atomic weights of the elements is reviewed. Attention is drawn upon a number of rather unknown characteristics of these values: the accuracy of a considerable number of atomic weights has been decreased due to lack of justification of the number of significant figures in published values. Furthermore geological and artificial variations in isotopic composition start to influence atomic weights of some elements being circulated in the reagents market; the analytical chemist should be aware of it.The concept of atomic weights and natural isotopic abundances being fundamental constants of nature should be abandoned.

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Atomgewichte und Isotopenhäufigkeiten der Elemente: ein künftiges Problem für den Analytiker

Zusammenfassung Ein Überblick wird gegeben über die jüngste Entwicklung und den gegenwärtigen Stand. Auf eine Anzahl ziemlich unbekannter Charakteristica dieser Daten wird hingewiesen. So hat z.B. die Genauigkeit vieler Atomgewichte abgenommen, da die Angabe der in den Veröffentlichungen angegebenen Dezimalstellen nicht mehr gerechtfertigt ist. Außerdem beginnen geologische und künstliche Veränderungen in der Isotopenzusammensetzung die Atomgewichte einiger Elemente, die in Reagentien verwendet werden, zu beeinflussen. Der Analytiker sollte darauf achten. Die Vorstellung von Atomgewichten und natürlichen Isotopenhäufigkeiten als grundlegenden Naturkonstanten sollte aufgegeben werden.

Associate Member of the IUPAC International Commission on Atomic Weights.     

High resolution capillary gas chromatographic hydrocarbon-type analysis of naphtha and gasoline

A slightly modified, commercially available high resolution capillary gas chromatograph and a PC-based data processing system running proprietary software (“PONA”) have been employed in the development of a system for petroleum type analysis which would be equivalent or superior to the FIA (fluorescent indicator adsorption) method in terms of ease of use and the speed, variety, and accuracy of the analytical data produced. The system is capable of performing identification and quantitation of most of the individual components in a complex gasoline sample consisting of more than 230 components and can report weight percentage and/or volume percentage for each component as well as types by carbon number (e.g., isoparaffins, normal paraffins, olefins, naphthenes, aromatic compounds) within a ca. 70 minute analysis cycle. Precolumn sulfonation to trap olefins and aromatic compounds has been used as an complementary technique to the basic mass spectrometric identification of components of interest. The estimation of correction factors for weight percentage (or volume percentage) calculation are also discussed. Comparisons are made between this system and others, and the results indicate that the proposed method supersedes the conventional method employing FIA.     

Copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of bridging bis(quinaldinyl)phenylphosphine oxide ligand

Abstract

A novel tertiary phosphine oxide containing two quinaldinyl substituents has been synthesized according to adapted literature procedures. Its coordination properties toward Cu(I) and Ag(I) were investigated and the resulting complexes were analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Multinuclear complexes are formed, wherein the ligand is bridging across two metal centers. Though for the silver complex, no argentophilic interactions are present. The copper complex was characterized further by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy at variable temperatures.     

Sulfamic acid andN-alkylsulfamates in the synthesis of nitro derivatives of guanidine and aminofurazan

TheN-nitro derivatives of the products of the condensation of formaldehyde with sulfamic acid derivatives and guanidine, nitroguanidine, 3,4-diaminofurazan, and 3-amino-4-methylfurazan have been synthesized.Deceased.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 719–721, April, 1995.     

The determination of chlorinated biphenyls,chlorinated dibenzodioxins,and chlorinated dibenzofurans by GC-MS

High resolution gas chromatography, with mass selective detection, has been used for the analysis of PCB on methyl 50 % octyl polysiloxane (SB 50 Octyl), methyl octadecyl polysiloxane, and a smectic polysiloxane (SB Smectic); and for the analysis of polychlorodibenzodioxins and polychlorodibenzofurans with 1 to 8 chlorine substituents on 100 % cyanopropyl siloxane (SP 2331), smectic polysiloxane (SB Smectic), a new polar stationary phase (DB-Dioxin). The analysis has also been performed by column coupling.     

Radiation: Waves or particles? A quantized approach to time

A fundamental difficulty in theoretical physics is the dual and apparently incompatible interpretations of radiation as showing both continuous and extensive wave properties but also those of discrete atomic or smaller individual particles. Some of these contradictions are outlined. The explanation offered is of a quantized nature of time; units t_o=h/m_oc² for a particle at rest, and of similar interval unit s_o when in relative motion, with conventional relativistic corrections.

For many purposes this form of quantization replaces the need for a wave concept which then appears as a mathematical approach, chosen to avoid the physical concept of an intrinsicc time for any particle, just as we have for its intrinsic mass, spin and electrical charge. t_o and s_o are directly related to its frequency, energy and mass. The uncertainty principle and interference relations follow directly from this model, without any physical wave concept.     

New dynamic axial compression columns with means for monitoring floating adapter position. Column design and utilisation in low pressure LC on soft packings

Summary The design of new dynamic, axial-compression columns with a system for continous packed bed adjustment and monitoring of the floating adapter position is described. The columns are meant for liquid chromatography at low pressures (up to 8 bar) in aqueous and organic media with stationary phases of all types. The columns have adapter position pickups for continuous automatic monitoring of the bed height (original “swellographic” monitoring). The column described with gas pressurisation was tested with soft Sephadex G-10 and G-25. In spite of the reduction in external porosity there was no dramatic increase in back-pressure. The column proved to provide long-term stability of the packed bed and improvement in resolution. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

New homochiralortho-palladated matrix bearing a bulky substituent at the carbon stereocenter

A new homochiral dimericortho-palladated complex bearing a bulkytert-butyl substituent at the carbon stereocenter was synthesized from optically activeN,N-dimethyl-α-tert-butylbenzylamine. Regioselective activation of only the aromatic C−H bond was shown to occur during the cyclometallation process proceeding under very mild conditions due to steric effects. Spectral characteristics of mononuclear derivatives of the new dimeric complex indicate that the five-membered palladacycle exists predominantly in one of two possible chiral conformations with the axial position of thetert-butyl substituent. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1375–1384, July, 1997.     

Determination of rare earth impurities in high purity uranium by isotope dilution analysis

Summary An isotope dilution method for the determination of rare earth impurities in uranium has been developed and Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd have been determined in uranium oxide samples. The method involves isotopic dilution with enriched isotopes of the rare earths being measured, followed by the separation of rare earths from uranium. A mass spectrometer with thermionic source was used to determine the relative isotopic abundances in each of these rare earths. All these five elements were analysed selectively by preferential evaporation technique. Trace concentrations down to parts per billion range can be measured with good sensitivity and accuracy.

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Bestimmung von Verunreinigungen an Seltenen Erden in hochreinem Uran durch Isotopenverdünnungsanalyse

Zusammenfassung Eine Isotopenverdünnungsmethode wurde ausgearbeitet zur Bestimmung von Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu und Gd in Uranoxidproben. Das Verfahren umfaßt isotopische Verdünnung mit angereicherten Isotopen der zu bestimmenden Elemente und nachfolgende Abtrennung der Seltenen Erden von Uran. Die relativen Isotopenhäufigkeiten wurden mit Hilfe eines Massenspektrometers mit thermischer Ionenquelle bestimmt. Alle fünf Elemente wurden durch selektive Verdampfung analysiert. Spurenkonzentrationen bis herab zum ppb-Bereich konnten mit guter Empfindlichkeit und Genauigkeit erfaßt werden.