Basic principles,recent trends and future directions of microextraction techniques for the analysis of aqueous environmental samples

Microextraction-based sample preparation techniques have exhibited remarkable importance in analytical chemistry since they were first developed in the 1980s. The application of these techniques involves efficient and, at the same time, environmentally-friendly analytical methodologies. They are also generally faster when compared with classical sample preparation techniques, requiring low solvent and sample volumes, and also allowing for automated or semi-automated procedures. This paper provides an overview of the basic principles of sample preparation techniques and the important applications and developments that have taken place in this area over the past five years. These procedures include solid-phase microextraction (SPME), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), bar adsorptive microextraction (BAμE), rotating disk sorptive extraction (RDSE), micro solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) and liquid-phase microextraction (LPME). The main variations are discussed with a focus on recent applications in the analysis of environmental water samples. Lastly, some of the trends and perspectives associated with these outstanding microextraction sample preparation approaches are highlighted.     

Mass‐spectrometry‐based lipidomics

Lipids, which have a core function in energy storage, signalling and biofilm structures, play important roles in a variety of cellular processes because of the great diversity of their structural and physiochemical properties. Lipidomics is the large‐scale profiling and quantification of biogenic lipid molecules, the comprehensive study of their pathways and the interpretation of their physiological significance based on analytical chemistry and statistical analysis. Lipidomics will not only provide insight into the physiological functions of lipid molecules but will also provide an approach to discovering important biomarkers for diagnosis or treatment of human diseases. Mass‐spectrometry‐based analytical techniques are currently the most widely used and most effective tools for lipid profiling and quantification. In this review, the field of mass‐spectrometry‐based lipidomics was discussed. Recent progress in all essential steps in lipidomics was carefully discussed in this review, including lipid extraction strategies, separation techniques and mass‐spectrometry‐based analytical and quantitative methods in lipidomics. We also focused on novel resolution strategies for difficult problems in determining C=C bond positions in lipidomics. Finally, new technologies that were developed in recent years including single‐cell lipidomics, flux‐based lipidomics and multiomics technologies were also reviewed.     

l‐Cysteine‐modified silver‐functionalized silica‐based material as an efficient solid‐phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of bisphenol A

A new silver‐functionalized silica‐based material with a core–shell structure based on silver nanoparticle‐coated silica spheres was synthesized, and silver nanoparticles were modified using strongly bound l‐ cysteine. l‐ Cysteine‐silver@silica was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Then, a solid‐phase extraction method based on l‐ cysteine‐silver@silica was developed and successfully used for bisphenol A determination prior to HPLC analysis. The results showed that the l‐ cysteine‐silver@silica as an adsorbent exhibited good enrichment capability for bisphenol A, and the maximum adsorption saturation was 20.93 mg/g. Moreover, a short adsorption equilibrium time was obtained due to the presence of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the silica. The extraction efficiencies were then optimized by varying the eluents and pH. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity for bisphenol A was obtained in the range from 0.4 to 4.0 μM (R² > 0.99) with a low limit of detection (1.15 ng/mL). The spiked recoveries from tap water and milk samples were satisfactory (85–102%) with relative standard deviations below 5.2% (n = 3), which indicated that the method was suitable for the analysis of bisphenol A in complex samples.     

Minireview: Advances in Germanium Isotope Analysis by Multiple Collector–Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry

The advent of multiple collector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) has made the high-precision determination of Ge isotopes possible, which leads to the widespread application of Ge isotopes in earth, ocean, and cosmochemistry fields. This paper reviews the history of Ge isotope analysis, chemical dissolution and purification, and mass spectrometry measurements. Concentrated HNO₃ is sufficient to dissolve nearly all types of samples and HF is also involved for Si-rich samples. Low-temperature ashing prior to dissolution is an alternative way to preconcentrate Ge in organic-rich samples. For different matrices, Ge isotopes can be determined by MC-ICP-MS coupled with a traditional nebulizer system or hydride generation system after two-step separation, one step cation/anion-exchange separation, or Mg/Fe co-precipitation protocols. Ion-exchange column methods are suitable for samples with elevated matrix and Ge content such as sulfides, iron oxides, silicate rocks, and coals, whereas Mg or Fe coprecipitation methods are particularly suitable for all kinds of water. Hydride generation systems are improved over traditional nebulizer system due to the smaller sample quantity and fewer matrix-related interferences. Sample-standard bracketing, double spike, and external Ga isotope normalization are used to mass bias correction and yield consistent results. Analytical methods involving Ge-poor samples and Ge isotope analyses based on different Ge species or specific Ge compound in natural environment will be important prospects in the further study. For further applications of Ge isotopes in mineral deposits such as sulfide and iron oxide deposits, sulfides, and iron oxides reference materials should be developed in the future.     

蛋白质组学技术前沿进展

蛋白质组学是以生物体系整体蛋白质为研究对象的新的研究领域,已经成为后基因时代中生命科学最重要研究方向之一。 近年来,蛋白质组学研究取得了令人鼓舞的进展,一系列新技术与新方法得到了快速的发展。 本文总结了2013年以来蛋白质组学研究的有关新技术,并对其发展进行了展望。     

X射线荧光光谱法快速测定灰岩样品中主、次量组分

采用粉末压片制样,利用岛津1800型X 射线荧光光谱分析仪,对石灰石、白云石等灰岩类标准物质拟合校准曲线,建立了 X 射线荧光光谱法(XRF)同时测定石灰石、白云石样品中主次量组分(SiO₂、Al₂O₃、TFe₂O₃、MgO、CaO、K₂O、Na₂O、MnO、P)的快速分析方法。通过试验确定了样品粒度要达到74μm以下,30t压力下制片。通过灼烧减量对SiO₂、Al₂O₃、TFe₂O₃、MgO、CaO 含量进行校正,根据其含量与强度的对应关系绘制校准曲线,采用经验系数法可减小元素间的增强-吸收效应。对灰岩类试样进行精密度考察,各组分含量的相对标准偏差 RSD＜2%;对石灰石和白云石标准样品和实际样品进行准确度考察,测定值与标准推荐值或传统方法的测定值一致。     

Calorimetric study ofβ-cyclodextrin undecahydrate

Heat capacities of crystalline-cyclodextrin undecahydrate have been measured in the temperature range between 13 and 300K by use of a miniaturized adiabatic low-temperature calorimeter. A first-order phase transition occurred at 226K with a discontinuous entropy change of 45.0 ± 1.0J K ^–1 mol^–1. The highly disordered nature of the high temperature phase was considered in relation to the entropy contribution. A glass transition phenomenon observed around 150K was ascribed to the freezing of a configurational change of the protons engaged in the four-membered hydrogen-bonded ring which appeared only in the low temperature phase.     

Conductance study of the thermodynamics of ammonium ion complexes with several crown ethers in acetonitrile solution

A conductance study concerning the interaction between ammonium ion and several crown ethers in acetonitrile solution has been carried out at different temperatures. The stability constants of the resulting 11 complexes at various temperatures were determined from the molar conductance-mole ratio data and found to vary in the order DC18C6>18C6>DB30C10>DB21C7>DB24C8>DB18C6>15C5>B15C5. The enthalpy and entropy of complexation were determined from the temperature dependence of the formation constants. The influence on the thermodynamic data of different parameters such as cavity size and dimensionality of crown ethers, nature of substituents in the polyether ring, conformations of the free and complexed ligands, solvent-ligand interaction and number of N–H bonds available for hydrogen bonding are discussed.