Cloud-point formation based on mixed micelles for the extraction, preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of beryllium in water samples.

A cloud-point extraction process using a mixed micelle of the cationic surfactant cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) and non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114 to extract beryllium from aqueous solutions was investigated. The method is based on the color reaction of beryllium with Chrome Azurol S (CAS) in acetate buffer and the mixed micelle-mediated extraction of the complex. This complex was concentrated in a surfactant-rich phase after separation. The optimal extraction and reaction conditions (e.g. pH, reagent and surfactant concentrations, temperature, incubation and centrifuge times) were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the analytical characteristics of the method (e.g. limit of detection, linear range and preconcentration factor) were obtained. Linearity was obeyed in the range of 0.30 - 18 ng mL(-1) of beryllium and the detection limit of the method was 0.05 ng mL(-1). The interference effect of some cations and anions was also studied. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of beryllium in real water samples.     

Encapsulation of small fullerenes into nitrogenated holey nanotubes: a density functional theory study

Encapsulation of fullerene into nanotubes based on a C₂N sheet, known as nitrogenated holey graphene, was investigated using density functional theory. The structural and electronic properties of these carbon hybrid materials, consisting of nitrogenated holey nanotubes and a small C₂₀ fullerene, were studied. The formation energies showed that encapsulation of the fullerene into the nitrogenated holey nanotube is an exothermic process. To characterise the electronic properties, the electronic band structure and density of states of armchair and zigzag nitrogenated holey nanotubes were calculated. Filling these nanotubes with the C₂₀ fullerene resulted in a p-type semiconducting character. The energy band gap of the nitrogenated holey nanotubes decreased with fullerene encapsulation. The results are indicative of the possibility of band gap engineering by encapsulation of small fullerenes into nitrogenated holey nanotubes.     

Zn( L‐proline)2 as a powerful and reusable organometallic catalyst for the very fast synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐benzo[g]chromene derivatives under solvent‐free conditions

An efficient route for the synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐benzo[g]chromenes via a three‐component coupling reaction of aldehydes, malononitrile and 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthaquinone in the presence of Zn( L ‐proline)₂ is reported. High yields, short reaction times, non‐toxicity and recyclability of the catalyst, and easy work‐up are the main merits of this protocol. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cr(VI) ion removal from artificial waste water using supported liquid membrane

In this study, a novel flat-type synergic-supported liquid membrane was evaluated with a mixture of N-methyl-N,N,N-trioctylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) and tributyl phosphate (TBP) as the carrier and kerosene as the diluent to remove Cr(VI) from synthetic waste water. The main parameters involved in the process were identified and optimised. The parameters were divided into two groups, those that were independent and those having an interaction. The parameters of the carrier/kerosene volumetric proportion and stirring rate were optimised individually due to their nature. The optimal values of these parameters were 0.5 and 500 min^?1, respectively, for a constant carrier/kerosene ratio and stirring rate in the designed experiments using the response surface method (RSM). The four parameters of TBP/Aliquat 336, chromium concentration in the feed phase, feed and product pH were optimised using RSM; it was observed that the TBP/Aliquat 336 ratio, feed pH, pH of the stripping phase and interaction of this parameter with feed concentration have the most important effects on the removal of Cr(VI). The optimal levels of these parameters were 0.61, 71.75 mg L^?1, 3.5 and 12.66 for the ratio of TBP/Aliquat 336, feed chromium concentration, pH of the feed and pH of the product, respectively. An experimental removal rate of 94.63 % at the optimized levels was obtained.     

Synthesis,crystal structural study and catalyst active of benzyloxycarbonylmethyl triphenylphosphonium hexabromopalladate (II) in amination of aryl halides and Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

In this study, palladium (II) chloride reacted with the phosphonium salt [PhCH₂COOCH₂P(Ph)₃]Br to give [PhCH₂COOCH₂P(Ph)₃]₂[Pd₂Br₆] (1). The characterization of synthesized compound was performed by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H, ³¹P, ¹³C NMR and also X-ray crystallography. It was found that this compound works as an efficient catalyst for the amination of aryl halides to afford primary amines, the results of which were satisfactory. Furthermore, it was found that the catalyst showed a high activity for Suzuki carbon–carbon cross-coupling of aryl halides and phenylboronic acid. Interestingly, the catalyst can be recovered from the reaction mixture and recycled four consecutive runs without any significant loss in activity.     

Synthesis and X‐ray structural characterization of a bidendate phosphine (dppe) palladium(II) complex and its application in Stille and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions

The synthesis, characterization, crystal structure and catalyst activity of the bidentate phosphine complex [1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane]palladium(II) bromide, [PdBr₂(dppe)], are presented. Treatment of 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane with palladium(II) bromide under mild conditions resulted in the compound in high yield and purity. The characterization of the synthesized compound was performed using spectroscopic methods, such as Fourier transform infrared and NMR, CHN analysis and X‐ray crystallography. The structure of the compound was slightly distorted square planar. This compound was found to work as an efficient catalyst for both Stille and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions of various aryl halides with triphenyltin chloride and/or phenylboronic acid. Also, the catalyst could be recovered and reused several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of beryllium using 1,8-dihydroxyanthrone as a new chromogenic reagent

A simple, rapid, and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the trace level determination of beryllium based on the formation of a 1:2 complex with anthralin (1,8-dihydroxyanthrone) as a new reagent is developed. A spectrophotometric method was used to determine the acidity constant and stepwise proton dissociation of the reagent. The experimental conditions for determining beryllium including the influences of pH, reagent concentration and time were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the molar absorptivity of the complex is 0.47 × 10⁴ l mol^?1 cm^?1 at 545 nm. Calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.04–1.04 μg ml^?1 with a detection limit of 0.012 μg ml^?1 and a %RSD of 0.43%, for 5 replicate determinations at 0.48 μg ml^?1 of Be(II). The interferring effect of some cations and anions was also studied. The method was applied for the determination of beryllium in beryl, silicate rock and alloys. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used for masking interfering ions.     

Simultaneous preconcentration of cadmium,cobalt and nickel in water samples by cationic micellar precipitation and their determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

In the present study an easy micellar precipitation process at ambient temperature using cationic surfactant cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was applied to the simultaneous extraction of cadmium, cobalt and nickel from aqueous samples. The analytical procedure involved the complex formation of these cations with 1,8-dihydroxyanthrone as a chelating agent in buffer media of pH 7.0. After the phase separation, the precipitated complexes were first dissolved in 0.25 mL of 80:20 propanol–water mixture containing 0.03 mL HNO₃ and then subjected to the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. The concentration of 1,8-dihydroxyanthrone, pH, amount of CTAB and centrifuge time was optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the preconcentration factor was 40 and the improvement factors of 11.6, 9.5 and 14.4 with detection limits of 0.008, 0.009 and 0.004 (ng mL^? 1) were obtained for Cd, Co and Ni respectively. Under the presence of foreign ions no significant interference was observed. Finally, the proposed extraction method was successfully applied to the determination of these elements in various water and geological CRM samples with recovery percentages of 97–104% and RSD values of 1.87–2.36%.     

Micellar extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-ultra violet determination of some explosives in water samples

An analytical method based on the cloud point extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography is used for the extraction, separation and determination of four explosives; octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazine (HMX), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). These compounds are extracted by using of Triton X-114 and cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). After extraction, the samples were analyzed using a HPLC-UV system. The parameters affecting extraction efficiency (such as Triton X-114 and CTAB concentrations, amount of Na₂SO₄, temperature, incubation and centrifuge times) were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the preconcentration factor was 40 and the improvement factors of 34, 29, 61 and 42 with detection limits of 0.09, 0.14, 0.08 and 0.40 (μg L⁻¹) were obtained for HMX, RDX, TNT and PETN, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of these compounds in water samples and showed recovery percentages of 97-102% with RSD values of 2.13-4.92%.     

Catalytic application of a nano-molten salt catalyst in the synthesis of biological naphthoquinone-based compounds

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this investigation, a new application of 1H-imidazol-3-ium tricyanomethanide catalyst was explored. The catalyst presented a robust catalytic applicability...