Determination of Iron in Calf Serum Using Bathophenanthroline and Thermal Lens Spectrometry

ABSTRACT

Thermal lens spectrometry has been used for the determination of iron in calf serum. The method is based on dissociation of Fe³⁺ from proteins, reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ and formation of a coloured complex between Fe²⁺ and bathophenanthroline. Contrary to the spectrophotometric method, it is shown that thermal lens spectrometry is less sensitive to scattering caused by the presence of small particles remaining in the test solution after the deproteinization step. The background signal is very small and the response is only slightly dependent on the amount of scattering particles. The method is reliable, sensitive and reproducible. The limit of detection for iron is 4 ppb and the relative standard deviation is around 2%. It is expected that the volume of serum sample necessary for an analysis can be reduced to less than 100 μl.     

First mushroom-shaped adhesive microstructure: A review

This letter reviews the adhesive and frictional properties of the first mushroom-shaped adhesive microstructure (MSAMS), which has come a long way from inspiration by the attachment devices evolved in beetles to a large-scale industrial production. It was shown to have an that about twice higher pull-off force compared to a smooth control made from the same material measured on smooth substrates. Pull-off forces measured underwater are even higher than those in air. Moreover, it retained adhesive performance over thousands of attachment cycles and initial adhesive capability could be recovered by washing after being contaminated. In shearing, MSAMS exhibits reduced and stabilized friction in comparison with a smooth control, which demonstrated pronounced stick-slip motion, and shows zero pull-off force in a sheared state, allowing the adhesion to be switched on and off. The presence of a fluid in the contact zone showed adhesion enhancement on both smooth and rough substrates. All these features lead us to conclude that MSAMS may have practical potential in a variety of applications.     

The contact Yamabe flow on K-contact manifolds

We use the contact Yamabe flow to find solutions of the contact Yamabe problem on K-contact manifolds.     

Grafting onto Wool. XXVII. Graft Copolymerization of MixeD Vinyl Monomers by Use of Ceric Ammonium Nitrate as Redox Initiator

In order to ascertain the effect of a donor monomer, vinyl acetate (VAc), on the graft copolymerization of acceptor monomers, ethyl acrylate (EA) and butyl acrylate (BA), grafting of mixed vinyl monomers (EA + VAc) and (BA + VAc) was carried out on Himachali wool in aqueous medium using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as a redox initiator. Graft copolymerization was carried out at different temperatures for various reaction periods. Percent grafting and percent efficiency were determined as functions of 1) concentration of mixed vinyl monomers, 2) concentration of CAN, 3) concentration of HNO₃ 4) temperature, and 5) reaction time. VAc, the donor monomer, was found to decrease percent grafting of EA and BA onto wool.     

2-（5-溴-2-吡啶偶氮）-5-二甲氨基苯胺激光热透镜光谱法测定痕量铑的研究

基于铑(Ⅲ)与2-(5-溴-2-吡啶偶氮)-5-二甲氨基苯胺(5-Br-PADMA)的高灵敏显色反应,建立了激光热透镜光谱法测定痕量铑的新方法。实验表明,在pH 3.6～6.0的HAc-NaAc缓冲介质中,Rh(Ⅲ)与5-Br-PADMA显色形成紫红色铑络合物;继续以1.2 mol/L HClO4酸化后,可转变为另一种具有较高吸收特性的绿蓝色质子化型体,其最大吸收波长位于612 nm处,与所用He-Ne激光器的输出激光波长(632.8 nm)能较好匹配。铑的质量浓度在5～140μg/L范围内与热透镜信号强度呈良好的线性关系,检出限(S/N=3)为1.1μg/L。该方法灵敏度高、选择性好,用于铑炭催化剂中痕量铑的测定,结果满意。     

Surface characterization and radical decay studies of oxygen plasma‐treated PMMA films

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films were modified by RF oxygen plasma with various powers applied for different periods, and the effects of these parameters on the surface properties such as hydrophilicity, surface free energy (SFE), chemistry, and topography were investigated by water contact angle, goniometer, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy, and the types of the created free radicals and their decay were detected by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). SFE and contact angle results varied depending on the plasma parameters. Oxygen plasma treatment (100 W–30 min) enhanced the hydrophilicity of PMMA surface as shown by decreasing the water contact angle from 70° to 26°. XPS analysis showed the change in the amounts of the present functionalities as well as formation of new groups as free carbonyl and carbonate groups. The roughness of the surface increased considerably from ~2 nm to ~75 nm after 100 W–30 min oxygen plasma treatment. ESR analysis indicated the introduction of peroxy radicals by oxygen plasma treatment, and the intensity of the radicals increased with increasing the applied power. Significant decrease in radical concentration was observed especially for the samples treated with higher powers when the samples were kept under the atmospheric conditions. As a conclusion, RF plasma, causes changes in the chemical and physical properties of the materials depending on the applied parameters, and can be used for the creation of specific groups or radicals to link or immobilize active molecules onto the surface of a material. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and Characterization of Styrene/Butyl Acrylate Emulsifier-Free Latex with 2-Acrylamido-2-Methyl Propane Sulfonic Acid as a Reactive Emulsifier

A kind of emulsifier-free latex (FL) was successfully synthesized from styrene (St) and butyl acrylate (BA) with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) as a reactive emulsifier. The particle size of latex particles, stability against electrolytes, minimum film forming temperature (MFT) and water contact angle (CA) were evaluated and compared with a conventional latex (CL). Test results show that FL has larger particle size, better stability against electrolytes and lower MFT value compared with CL; higher AMPS content leads to smaller particle size and smaller water CA.     

Contact Angle Determined by Spontaneous Imbibition in Porous Media: Experiment and Theory

In this paper, a theoretical model was established to determine the contact angle by introducing a new defined effective capillary radius into the Lucas–Washburn equation. Based on the theoretical model, capillary rise experiments of water imbibed by different glass beads were carried out to measure the contact angle; the results were similar to the available data published in the literature. In addition, the model was modified to take account of the dynamic contact angle, according to the experimental data. The influence of the dynamic contact angle on the movement of the spontaneous imbibition was studied.     

Influence of Interfacial Tension on Seeded Calcium Carbonate Scale Precipitation: Effect of Adsorbed Asphaltenes

Clay particles with adsorbed asphaltenes, which are commonly found in produced water, have been used as seed particles during precipitation of calcium carbonate in order to determine whether such particles may influence the kinetics of precipitation. The results show that the presence of the adsorbed asphaltenes accelerates the precipitation, and there is also a significant difference between different types of adsorbed asphaltenes. The adsorption of asphaltenes at the seed surface leads to a significant increase in the interfacial tension between the seed surface and the aqueous solution, and calcium carbonate therefore precipitates at the seed surface in order to reduce this high interfacial tension.     

Simultaneous effect of carbon and water on NOx adsorption on a stabilized Pt–Ba/Al2O3 catalyst

The influence of the presence of H₂O on the contact between carbon, used as model soot, and a model four-way catalyst (1% Pt–10% BaO/Al₂O₃) was investigated. NO_x adsorption/TPD cycles at 300 °C together with XRD, XPS and DRIFTS characterizations showed that only surface nitrate species are destabilized by the carbon present in the catalytic bed, leading to a decrease of the NO_x storage capacity and carbonate species formation. In another way, injection of water in the reactive gas flow decreases also the NO_x storage capacity of the catalyst, but promotes the formation of stable nitrate species. A non-cumulative effect of carbon and water was observed. It was proposed that a competition between the destabilization, by carbon, of weakly bonded surface nitrate species and the enhancement of bulk nitrate species formation in the presence of water occurs.