Influence of boric acid on the determination of iron in reactor coolant water by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Summary The matric effect of boric acid was investigated in the determination of iron in the primary circuit coolant water of nuclear power plants by furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of boric acid was of particular interest. The method was applied during refuelling and maintenance periods and the results were used to interpret the chemical changes in the water.

---

Einfluß von Borsäure auf die Bestimmung von Eisen in Reaktorkühlwasser durch GF-AAS

     

Simultaneous determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates and their biotransformation products by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Reversed-phase LC-MS/MS is used to determine major estrogenic alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) and their biotransformation products. It allows the simultaneous analysis of eight APEOs, alkylphenoxy carboxylates (APECs) and alkylphenols (APs) in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents in the same extract after solid-phase enrichment on polymeric Oasis HLB. As precursor ions, [APEO + NH4]+, [APEC - H]- and [AP - H]- were monitored. Instrumental limits of detection (LOD) were 2-600 pg, corresponding to sample concentrations of 0.04-12 ng l(-1), without correction for overall method recoveries. Matrix-induced signal suppression during electrospray ionisation (ESI) and extraction as well as overall method recoveries were assessed and the suitability of deuterated surrogates as internal standards was evaluated.     

Untersuchung einer Methode zur Bestimmung von Blei, Cadmium, Quecksilber, Arsen und Tellur in Lebensmitteln mit Hilfe der R?ntgenfluorescenzanalyse

Zusammenfassung Der Aufschluß von Nahrungsmitteln tierischen Ursprungs mit Salpetersäure-Schwefelsäure in einer Polyäthylenflasche bei 60° C und mit Salpetersäure in einem Bombengefäß bei 150° C wurde untersucht. Beide Verfahren liefern befriedigende Ergebnisse. Im zweiten Fall besteht wegen kleinerer Reagensmengen jedoch eine geringere Gefahr des Einschleppens von Blindwerten. Blei, Cadmium und Quecksilber können aus der Aufschlußlösung durch Adsorption an dem Austauscherharz Chelex 100 oder durch Fällung mit Ammonium-pyrrolidindithiocarbamat unter Zusatz von Kupfer als Träger abgetrennt werden. Arsen und Tellur lassen sich anschließend zusammen mit Kupferträger durch Schwefelwasserstoff ausfällen. Die Ausbeuten für Aufschluß und Abtrennung liegen bei 90% oder darüber. — Die quantitative Bestimmung wurde mit Hilfe der energiedispersiven Röntgenfluorescenzanalyse durchgeführt, wobei ¹⁰⁹Cd bzw. ²⁴¹Am oder eine Röntgenröhre mit Zirkon oder Molybdän als Sekundärstrahler zur Anregung verwendet wurden. Beim Blei und Quecksilber konnten noch 1 g, beim Arsen und Tellur noch 0,5 g quantitativ bestimmt werden.

---

Investigation of a method for the determination of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and tellurium in food by means of X-ray fluorescence analysis

The decomposition of food of animal origin with a mixture of nitric acid and sulphuric acid in a polyethylene flask at 60° C and with nitric acid in a steel vessel at 150° C was investigated. Both procedures give satisfactory results. The advantage of the second procedure lies in the small amounts of reagents needed, thus keeping blank values low. Lead, cadmium and mercury can be separated from the decomposition solution by the chelating resin Chelex 100 or by precipitation with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, using copper as carrier. Arsenic and tellurium may be precipitated in the filtrate by hydrogen sulphide, using copper as carrier. The overall yields are about 90% or more. — The quantitative determination was performed by means of the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis, using ¹⁰⁹Cd or ²⁴¹Am sources or an X-ray tube with zirconium or molybdenum as secondary target for the excitation. 1 g of lead and mercury and 0.5 g of arsenic and tellurium could still be determined.

     

New Perspectives in Polyoxometalate Chemistry by isolation of compounds containing very large moieties as transferable building blocks: (NMe4)5[As2Mo8V4AsO40] · 3H2O, (NH4)21[H3Mo57V6(NO)6O183(H2O)18] · 65 H2O, (NH2Me2)18(NH4)6[Mo57V6(NO)6O183(H2O)18] · 14 H2O,and (NH4)12[Mo36(NO)4O108(H2O)16] · 33 H2O

The compounds (NMe₄)₅[As₂Mo₈V₄AsO₄₀] · 3 H₂O 2a , (NH₄)₂₁[H₃Mo₅₇V₆(NO)₆O₁₈₃(H₂O)₁₈] · 65 H₂O 3a , (NH₂Me₂)₁₈(NH₄)₆[Mo₅₇V₆(NO)₆O₁₈₃(H₂O)₁₈] · 14 H₂O 3b and (NH₄)₁₂[Mo₃₆(NO)₄O₁₀₈(H₂O)₁₆] · 33 H₂O 4a ( 3a and 4a were not correctly reported in the literature regarding to their composition, structures and the oxidation states of the metal centres) which contain large isolated anionic species, have been prepared (among them 3a, 3b , and 4a in rather high yield) and characterized by complete crystal structure analysis as well as IR/Raman, UV/VIS/NIR, ESR spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements, redox titrations, bond valence sum calculations, elemental analyses and thermogravimetric studies. Perspectives for polyoxometalate chemistry referring to the synthesis of “extremely” large nanoscaled species are discussed, together with the occurrence of a large transferable {Mo₁₇} building block in the compounds 3a, 3b and 4a which also exists in the corresponding iron compound Na₃(NH₄)₁₂[H₁₅Mo₅₇Fe₆(NO)₆O₁₈₃(H₂O)₁₈] · 76 H₂O 7a .     

Synthesis of 2•,3•-Dideoxy-3•-<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>-hydroxymethylcytidine Phosphonomethyl Derivatives

Phosphonomethyl substituted 2?,3?-Dideoxy-3?-C-hydroxymethylcytidines have been synthesized and evaluated for their anti HIV-1 activities. The sugar moiety was synthesized starting from (S)-5-hydroxymethylfuran-2-(5H)-one using photocatalyzed addition of methanol. Reduction of the lactone, condensation with silylated 4-methoxy-2(1H)pyrimidinone, followed by phosphonomethylation and deprotection gave the title compounds. The compounds were tested for inhibition of HIV-1 activity but did not show any significant antiviral activity.     

Trace determination of volatile sulfur compounds by solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS

A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the following nine volatile sulfur compounds in gas samples: carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide, ethyl sulfide, ethyl methyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, isopropanethiol, methanethiol, methyl disulfide and methyl sulfide. The target compounds were preconcentrated by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and determined by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Experimental design was employed to optimize the extraction time and temperature and concurrent detection of the nine compounds was achieved by using an SPME fiber coated with Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (75 microns). Detection limits ranged from 1 ppt (v/v) for carbon disulfide to 350 ppt (v/v) for hydrogen sulfide and calibration functions were linear up to 20 ppb (v/v) for all the compounds investigated.     

N‐Heterocyclic Silylenes in Boron Chemistry: Facile Formation of Silylboranes and Silaborinines

Reaction of a N‐heterocyclic silylene (NHSi) with PhBX₂ (X=Cl, Br) readily afforded six‐membered silaborinines through an insertion/ring expansion sequence. Increasing the sterics of the borane from phenyl to duryl enabled the selective generation and isolation of the highly colored silylborane intermediates. Theoretical studies on the mechanism and energetics of the silaborinine formation were fully consistent with the experimental observations.