A comparison of double-focusing sector field ICP-MS, ICP-OES and octopole collision cell ICP-MS for the high-accuracy determination of calcium in human serum

Human serum is routinely measured for total calcium content in clinical studies. A definitive high-accuracy and low-uncertainty method is required for reference measurements to underpin medical diagnoses. This study presents a novel octopole collision cell ICP-MS, high-accuracy, methodology and comparison of that technique with double-focusing sector field ICP-MS and an ICP-OES method. Double-matched isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) was employed for ICP-MS techniques and an exact matching bracketing technique using scandium as an internal standard was used for ICP-OES analysis. Medium resolution mode was utilised for double-focusing sector field ICP-MS analysis to resolve the dominant interferences on the ⁴⁴Ca/⁴²Ca isotope pair. Hydrogen reaction gas was employed to chemically resolve a number of polyatomic interferences predominantly through charge transfer reactions in the octopole collision cell. Comparison data presented for NIST CRM 909b human serum analysis from all three techniques demonstrates highest accuracy (99.6%) and lowest uncertainty (1.1%) for octopole collision cell ICP-MS. Data from ICP-OES using a non-IDMS technique produces comparably accurate data and low-uncertainties. The much higher total expanded uncertainties for double-focusing sector field ICP-MS compared with octopole collision cell data are explained by lower precision on the measurement of the ⁴⁴Ca/⁴²Ca isotope ratio. Data for octopole collision cell ICP-MS submitted for an international blind trial comparison (CCQM K-14) demonstrated excellent agreement with the mean of all participants with a low expanded uncertainty.     

Identification of micro-scale calorimetric devices

Micro-calorimetric devices using Si-based sensors are very useful for the study of gas–solid reactions, in which very low mass of reactants are necessary. But in fact the consequence of using flat detectors is an increase of the uncertainty in the measured energy. In this work a calorimetric gas sensor based on Xensor chip is analysed studying the local x–y contributions of dissipation to the sensitivity related to the value in the centre. We study also the effects of the gas-flow on the sensitivity, comparing the results obtained with two Xensor type chips. Finally we carry out a deeper analysis of the x–y effects on the calorimetric detector for dissipations in the reactant shell extremely close to the detector surface to visualize the link between the power density distribution and the output signal.     

Thermodynamic properties of aqueous organic mixtures near the critical demixing: Cases of 2,6-dimethylpyridine and of 2-isobutoxyethanol

Phase diagrams, volumes and heat capacities of aqueous mixtures of 2,6-dimethylpyridine (2,6-L) and 2-isobutoxyethanol (iBE) and activities of 2,6-L in aqueous mixtures were measured in the monophasic region near the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). With 2,6-L some measurement were also made just above the LCST. From the temperature dependence of these data, partial molar relative enthalpies (2,6-L), expansibilities and the temperature derivative of heat capacities were calculated and show that iBE undergoes a microphase transition at low concentration which is not related to the phase separation. On the other hand, the properties of 2,6-L in the water-rich region at temperatures well below the LCST indicates that this solute has only a slight tendency to associate. The heat capacities of 2,6-L show an important increase near the LCST. Such changes are not observed for iBE and other alkoxyethanols and amines since these systems already exist in the form of microphases; the partial molar properties of iBE near the LCST are nearly equal to the molar values of the pure liquid, and the changes in thermodynamic properties corresponding to the macroscopic phase transition, are therefore too small to be measured by the present techniques.     

Investigation of homo- and heterodimer alkali metal cation complexes of resorc[4]arenes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Resorc[4]arenes are compounds with interesting properties, mainly because of their ability to form host-guest complexes with the guest located inside the cavity. The size of the guest limits the complexation, as shown by a competition experiment with tetraalkylammonium ions of different size. By electroscopy ionization tandem mass spectrometric experiments on resorc[4]arene heterodimers bearing an alkali metal ion as guest, it was found that there must be two different binding mechanisms for alkali metal ions with high surface charge density (Li(+) and Na(+)) on the one hand compared with those with a lower surface charge density on the other hand (K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+)).     

The predictive accuracy for estimating infinite dilution activity coefficients by γ∞-based UNIFAC

The predictive accuracy for estimating infinite dilution activity coefficients by a modification of the UNIFAC method wherein the group interaction parameters were based on only data (referred to as -based UNIFAC) has been studied. Estimates and measured values were compared for six prototypical solutes in a series of homologous n-alkanes, l-alcohols and alkanenitrile solvents. Despite the fact that the interaction parameters were derived using only data, this approach still gave serious errors due to several inherent problems in the original UNIFAC model. Its performance is sometimes even poorer than that of the original UNIFAC method. For example for nitromethane in alcohols and p-dioxane in nitriles values predicted by the -based UNIFAC are essentially zero. The large errors for these systems are most likely due to inaccurate interaction parameters in the -based UNIFAC method.     

Synthesis and thermal stability of silicon-containing esters of phosphorus acids

A number of trialkylsilylmethyl diphenyl phosphates MeRR′SiCH₂OP(O)(OPh)₂ (1a-e: R=Et (a), Pr (b), CF₃CH₂CH₂ (c, e), Me₃SiCH₂ (d); R′=Me (a-d), Et (e)) were synthesized and their thermal rearrangement, of the 1,2-shift type, was studied. The rearrangement consists of the migration of an alkyl group from Si atom to the methylene carbon atom and gives the corresponding silyl esters. The rate of the rearrangement was found to increase in the order1d<1b<1a<1 (R=R′=Me)<1c corresponding to the enhancement of the total inductive effect (−I) of the substituents at the Si atom. The relative migration ability of the substituents at the Si atom, determined by GC/MS analysis of the disiloxane fraction resulting from hydrolysis of pyrolyzed phosphates1a-e, increases in the order R=Pr<Et<CF₃CH₂CH₂<Me≪Me₃SiCH₂, which differs substantially from the order in which the rate of the rearrangement of phosphates1a-d changes. The electronegativity of the migrating group affects noticeably the relative ability to migrate. For Part 4, see Ref. 1. Deceased. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1767–1772, September, 1998.     

Hygrometric Determination of Water Activities and Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of NH4Cl–LiCl–H2O at 25°C

The mixed aqueous electrolyte system of ammonium and lithium chlorides has been studied by the hygrometric method at 25°C. The relative humidities of this system are measured at total molalities from 0.3 to 6 mol-kg^{– 1} for different ionic-strength fractions y of NH₄Cl with y = 0.33, 0.50, and 0.67. The data obtained allow the deduction of new water activities and osmotic coefficients. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of the ECA (extended composed additivity) law proposed in our previous work. The Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR), the Robinson–Stokes (RS), Reilly–Wood–Robinson (RWR), the Pitzer, and the Lietzke–Stoughton (LS II) models are also compared with our results. Predictions made using these models are, in general, consistent with our results. From these measurements, new Pitzer mixing ionic parameters are determined and used to predict the solute activity coefficients in the mixture for different ionic-strength fractions.     

Quantum-Chemical Investigation of Intermediates in the Addition of Phenylsulfenium Cation to Substituted Acetylenes

The reaction paths for the transformations of substituted acetylenes (X—CC—Y; X, Y = H, Me, Ph, CN) in reaction with phenylsulfenium cation were studied by quantum-chemical methods. It was shown that the reactions take place with the formation of acyclic and cyclic cationic intermediates. The factor that determines the structure and characteristics of these cations is the induction and polarizing action of the substituents in the acetylenes and to a lesser degree their electron-donor characteristics. The resonance effect of the phenyl substituent has a predominantly levelling action on the distribution of charges.     

peri-Naphthylenediamines. 36. 5,6-Bis(dimethylamino)acenaphthylene in [4+2] cycloaddition reactions. Synthesis and characteristic features of protonation of “proton sponges” with the 8,9-diazafluoranthene structure

5,6-Bis(dimethylamino)acenaphthylene is readily involved in [4+2] cycloaddition reactions with symm-tetrazine derivatives to form new proton sponges with the diazafluoranthene skeleton. Under analogous condition, 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)-4-vinylnaphthalene gave 4-pyridazinyl derivatives. The relative reactivities of 5,6-bis(dimethylamino)acenaphthylene, 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)-4-vinylnaphthalene, 5-dimethylaminoacenaphthylene, and acenaphthylene in the reactions with 3,6-diphenyl-symm-tetrazine are in a ratio of 32 : 17 : 14 : 1. The site of protonation of 3,4-bis(dimethylamino)-7,10-diphenyl-8,9-diazafluoranthene is controlled by the basicity of the solvent. The reaction in acetonitrile afforded the cation stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond, whereas the reaction in dimethyl sulfoxide gave rise to the resonance-stabilized cation. 6,7-Bis(dimethylamino)phenalen-1-one was protonated only at the carbonyl group.     

Assignment of the relative configuration of spiro[4.5]decanes by 13C, 15N and 17O NMR

The relative configuration of 11 1,4-diazaspiro[4.5]decanes (1a-1j and 1m), 15 1,4-oxazaspiro[4.5]decanes (2a-2o) and 10 1,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decanes (3a-3n) substituted at the 2-, 6-, 7- or 8-position by a methyl group or using the tert-butyl group as a model for the ananchomeric structure is reported. The relative stereochemistry was analyzed by 1H, 13C, 15N and 17O NMR and all isomers present were characterized spectroscopically. Compounds with a methyl group in the six-membered ring show a chair conformation preference with the methyl group in the equatorial position. Compounds with one or two nitrogens exhibit a tautomeric equilibrium between the imine-diazolidine forms, as demonstrated by IR and 13C NMR.