Kinetic study of uranium speciation in model solutions and in natural waters using Competitive Ligand Exchange Method

Kinetic speciation of uranium in model solutions containing uranium and humic acid (HA) and in natural waters has been investigated by Competitive Ligand Exchange Method (CLEM). In alkaline freshwaters, most of uranium species were uranium-carbonate species, which were labile in the CLEM experiment. The uranium speciation of every sample was characterized either as “labile” or “non-labile” uranium complexes depending on the dissociation rate coefficients of the complexes. The results showed that as the U(VI)/HA ratio was decreased, the dissociation rate coefficients decreased and the labile fraction decreased as well. When the U(VI)/HA ratio was 0.1, the labile fraction of the U(VI)-HA increased with increasing pH; however, there was no pH effect on the dissociation of U(VI)-HA complexes at lower U(VI)/HA ratios. Chelex-100 had some limitations in its use for the study of dissociation of U(VI)-HA complex at very low U(VI)/HA ratios. By developing an analytical method and procedure for quantitative determination of kinetic parameters for the dissociation of uranium-HA complexes in model solutions and natural waters, this work has made a substantial contribution to analytical chemistry.     

Mutual Separation and Determination of Th(IV) and U(VI) Using Arsenazo III as a Dye Collector Reagent by Flotation‐Spectrophotometric Method

This paper reports a simple and highly selective method for the separation, preconcentration, and determination of trace amounts of thorium and uranium in some complex samples via staircase flotation. The method is based on the initial flotation of the Th(IV)‐arsenazo III complex in the presence of U(VI) from a solution of 5 mol dm^?3 HCl, then reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) and repetition of the flotation step. In both steps, the floated complex was dissolved in a 5‐mL portion of methanol and its absorbance was measured at 655 nm, spectrophotometrically. For a 30‐mL portion of the sample, Beer's law was obeyed over the concentration ranges of 3.40 × 10^?7to 3.06 × 10^?6 mol dm^?3 for Th(IV) and3.40 × 10^?7 to 3.40 × 10^?6 mol dm^?3 for U(IV) with the apparent molar absorptivity of 4.20 × 10⁵ dm³ mol^?1 cm^?1 and 3.59 × 10⁵ dm³ mol^?1 cm^?1, respectively. The RSDs (n = 7) corresponding to 1.7 × 10^?6 mol dm^?3 of Th(IV) and U(IV) were obtained as 1.7% and 1.87%. The detection limits (7 blanks) for both the metal ions were found to be 1.7 × 10^?7 mol dm^?3. The important benefit of the method is that the determinations are free from the interference of almost all cations and anions found in the complex matrixes, such as seawater samples. The proposed method was also applied to reference materials, and the determinations were shown to have good agreement with the certified values.     

High-precision measurements of seawater Pb isotope compositions by double spike thermal ionization mass spectrometry

A new method for the determination of seawater Pb isotope compositions and concentrations was developed, which combines and optimizes previously published protocols for the separation and isotopic analysis of this element. For isotopic analysis, the procedure involves initial separation of Pb from 1 to 2 L of seawater by co-precipitation with Mg hydroxide and further purification by a two stage anion exchange procedure. The Pb isotope measurements are subsequently carried out by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using a ²⁰⁷Pb–²⁰⁴Pb double spike for correction of instrumental mass fractionation. These methods are associated with a total procedural Pb blank of 28 ± 21 pg (1sd) and typical Pb recoveries of 40–60%. The Pb concentrations are determined by isotope dilution (ID) on 50 mL of seawater, using a simplified version of above methods. Analyses of multiple aliquots of six seawater samples yield a reproducibility of about ±1 to ±10% (1sd) for Pb concentrations of between 7 and 50 pmol/kg, where precision was primarily limited by the uncertainty of the blank correction (12 ± 4 pg; 1sd). For the Pb isotope analyses, typical reproducibilities (±2sd) of 700–1500 ppm and 1000–2000 ppm were achieved for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, respectively. These results are superior to literature data that were obtained using plasma source mass spectrometry and they are at least a factor of five more precise for ratios involving the minor ²⁰⁴Pb isotope. Both Pb concentration and isotope data, furthermore, show good agreement with published results for two seawater intercomparison samples of the GEOTRACES program. Finally, the new methods were applied to a seawater depth profile from the eastern South Atlantic. Both Pb contents and isotope compositions display a smooth evolution with depth, and no obvious outliers. Compared to previous Pb isotope data for seawater, the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios are well correlated with ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, underlining the significant improvement achieved in the measurement of the minor ²⁰⁴Pb isotope.     

顶空气相色谱-质谱联用结合同位素峰形校正检索技术鉴别芝麻油风味成分

采用顶空气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)仪结合同位素峰形校正检索技术鉴别了市售芝麻油风味成分中的71种化合物,占总检出化合物的90.2%。检出化合物可分为吡嗪、吡咯、吡啶、噻唑、噻吩、吲哚、唑、呋喃、醛类和酚类等,其中醛、酚、吡嗪和呋喃类化合物的含量较高,分别占风味成分含量的37.4%,20.1%,10.0%和6.7%。同位素峰形校正检索技术在低分辨率质谱上可对化合物的相对分子质量实现精确测量,从而为低分辨率四极杆质谱确定化合物的元素组成和解析化合物结构提供了重要依据,同时也为芝麻油的成分分析提供了新的技术手段。     

Hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0). A new colorimetric actinide sensor

Hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0) (isoamethyrin) undergoes a significant color change in the presence of UO₂²⁺, PuO₂²⁺, and NpO₂²⁺. The complexation of the first of these dioxo actinide cations was studied in semi-quantitative fashion in 1:1 MeOH-CH₂Cl₂. Under these conditions, the detection limit for UO₂²⁺ was found to be ca. 5.8 ppm by naked eye monitoring and <28 ppb by UV-vis spectroscopy. Isoamethyrin does not undergo a color change in the presence of most transition metals or when exposed to Gd(III). Isoamethyrin thus constitutes an attractive alternative to 2,2′(1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-disulfonaphthylene-2,7-bisazo)-bisbenzenarsonic acid (AzIII) and 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(diethylamino)phenol (BrPADAP), systems currently used as actinide cation sensors.     

Microscopic Models for Proton Transfer in Water and Strongly Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes with a Single-Well Proton Potential

A new mechanism and formalism for proton transfer in donor-acceptor complexes with long hydrogen bonds introduced recently [1], is applied to a proton transfer in liquid water. Structural diffusion of hydroxonium ions is regarded as totally adiabatic process, with synchronous hindered translation of two closest water molecules to and from the reaction complex as crucial steps. The water molecules induce a gated shift of the proton from the donor to the acceptor in the double-well potential with simultaneous breaking/formation of hydrogen bonds between these molecules and the proton donor and acceptor. The short-range and long-range proton transfer as structural diffusion of Zundel complexes is also considered. The theoretical formalism is illustrated with the use of Morse, exponential, and harmonic molecular potentials. This approach is extended to proton transfer in strongly hydrogen-bonded donor-acceptor complexes. In contrast to the above model [1], the short hydrogen bond between the donor and acceptor moieties, however, completely erodes the barrier along the proton transfer mode. This introduces some physical pattern differences from proton transfer reactions in truly double-well potentials with a finite proton transfer barrier at the transition configuration with respect to the environmental nuclear coordinates. The differences apply particularly to the origin of the kinetic isotope effect. We discuss explicitly details of the excess proton conductivity in aqueous solution, but the concepts and formalism apply broadly to acid-base reactions, proton conduction channels, and other strongly hydrogen-bonded O- and N-proton donor-acceptor systems.     

Compressibility and Volume Effects of Mixing of 1-Propanol with Heavy Water

Speed of sound and density of 1-propanol + heavy water were measured in the whole concentration range at temperatures from 293 to 313 K. Isentropic compressibility was calculated from the Laplace formula. The partial molar volume of 1-propanol reaches a minimum at the mole fraction of 1-propanol x ₁ 0.03. At the same concentration, the compressibility isotherms intersect one another. These features of the investigated system are similar to those of 1-propanol + H₂O, that points to essential similarity of the two mixtures. A clathrate-like structure was suggested to explain the experimental results for dilute solutions of the alcohol. Somewhat more pronounced hydrophobic hydration in D₂O than in H₂O is manifested by an effect similar to that resulting from the elongation of the alcohol molecule.     

Site-specific C content by quantitative isotopic C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry: A pilot inter-laboratory study

Isotopic ¹³C NMR spectrometry, which is able to measure intra-molecular ¹³C composition, is of emerging demand because of the new information provided by the ¹³C site-specific content of a given molecule. A systematic evaluation of instrumental behaviour is of importance to envisage isotopic ¹³C NMR as a routine tool. This paper describes the first collaborative study of intra-molecular ¹³C composition by NMR. The main goals of the ring test were to establish intra- and inter-variability of the spectrometer response. Eight instruments with different configuration were retained for the exercise on the basis of a qualification test. Reproducibility at the natural abundance of isotopic ¹³C NMR was then assessed on vanillin from three different origins associated with specific δ¹³C_i profiles. The standard deviation was, on average, between 0.9 and 1.2‰ for intra-variability. The highest standard deviation for inter-variability was 2.1‰. This is significantly higher than the internal precision but could be considered good in respect of a first ring test on a new analytical method. The standard deviation of δ¹³C_i in vanillin was not homogeneous over the eight carbons, with no trend either for the carbon position or for the configuration of the spectrometer. However, since the repeatability for each instrument was satisfactory, correction factors for each carbon in vanillin could be calculated to harmonize the results.     

Effect of H/D isotope substitution on polarizability of methanol molecules

The electron polarizabilities (α₀·10²⁴/cm³ molec.⁻¹) were estimated from the data on refractive indices and molar volumes of H/D isotopomers of methanol at 25 °C using the Lorentz-Lorentz formula: 3.265 (CH₃OH), 3.260 (CH₃OD), 3.235 (CD₃OH), and 3.231 (CD₃OD). A relationship between the isotope effects for α₀ and volume (packing) changes in the structure of liquid methanol induced by deuterosubstitution in the methanol molecule was proposed. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1927–1928, August, 2005.     

Classifying wine according to geographical origin via quadrupole-based ICP–mass spectrometry measurements of boron isotope ratios

The potential of quadrupole-based ICP–MS as a tool for B-isotopic analysis of wines and its usefulness in provenance determinations were assessed. A precision of 0.1–0.25% RSD (corresponding to a relative standard deviation of the mean of three replicate measurements of 0.06–0.12%) was sufficient to establish small differences in the B isotope ratios in wines from different geographical origins. Each sample measurement was bracketed by measurements of a standard and mass bias drift correction made by interpolation. Sample preparation was kept to a minimum to avoid possible fractionation. Dilution of the wine samples by a factor of 100 with 0.65% HNO₃ was found to reduce matrix-induced mass discrimination substantially. Wines from three wine-producing regions, Stellenbosch, Robertson, and Swartland, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and wines from specific regions in France (Bergerac) and Italy (Valpolicella) were analyzed by ICP–QMS for their B-isotopic compositions. It was concluded that the ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios can be used to characterize wines from different geographical origins. Average ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios in red wines from South Africa (Stellenbosch), France (Bergerac), and Italy (Valpolicella) were found to differ by between 0.5 and 1.5%.