Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Heavy Metals at Nanocrystalline Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

Boron‐doped Diamond (BDD) electrode has become one of the important tools for heavy metal detection. By studying some analytical parameters of DPASV method, like deposition time and potential in different electrolyte concentrations (acetate buffer), the conditions for detecting very low metal ion levels (Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu) could be chosen. Diluted electrolyte (0.01 M buffer) was one of the factors favoring low detection and quantification limits, but its quantification range is short in comparison to more concentrated media. For ?1.7 V deposition potential, the detection of single metal at ppb levels was reached in 60 s deposition time. Understanding different metal‐metal interactions shows the limits to the simultaneous determination of heavy metals at BDD. Quantification was possible for the simultaneous determination of Zn, Cd and Pb despite the overlapping of Zn and Cd peaks. The performance of the BDD was compared with that of another C‐based solid electrode: the glassy carbon electrode (without mercury plating). A lower base line current, wider potential range, higher sensitivity (3 to 5 times higher than GC) and longevity of the material were noticed for the BDD.     

Hétérocycles à fonction quinone. 7. Benzo[f]quinazolinediones-7,10 à action antitumorale potentielle

Few benzo[f]quinazoline-7,10-diones 4a-c are prepared by oxidation, with potassium nitrosodisulfonate, of the corresponding benzo[f]quinazolinamines, made by reduction of the nitro analogues which were obtained from 8-methoxybenzo[f]quinazolin-1(2H)-one. The compound 4a shows an interesting cytotoxicity.     

Modification of bovine beta-lactoglobulin by glycation in a powdered state or in aqueous solution: adsorption at the air-water interface

The adsorption at the air-water interface of native and various glycated forms of beta-Lactoglobulin B (beta-LG), prepared under two different experimental conditions, was investigated by ellipsometry, surface tension and shear elastic constant measurements. The measurements were performed in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, 0.1 M NaCl, pH 6.8. It was found that the interfacial properties of beta-LG were more affected when the glycation was performed in solution than in the dry-way system. Dry-way glycated beta-LG, despite a higher glycation extent, affected slightly its interfacial behaviour. Solution glycated beta-LG exhibited a higher adsorption and more rigid interface as expressed by shear elastic constant measurement at saturation (16.5 mN/m against 8.7 and 11.5 mN/m for native and control treated beta-LG, respectively). These results were attributed to the specific molecular species induced during glycation in solution, which includes monomers and unfolded covalent homodimers of beta-LG molecules with a high tendency to self-association via non-covalent interactions.     

A Conductometric Sensor Specific for Cationic Surfactants

In this work, a fast, sensitive and miniaturised conductometric sensor based on interdigitated electrodes, working in differential mode, was developed for the determination of cationic surfactants. The membrane was composed of a polymer (PVC), a plasticizer (dinonylphtalate (DNP)) and a carrier (sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBΦ₄)). The sensor response was linear from at least 10^?9 M to 10^?2 M for dodecyltrimethylammonium (DTA⁺). No significant loss of sensor response was observed after 8 weeks. The sensor exhibited a lower sensitivity and a narrower dynamic range for tetrabutylammonium, decyltrimethylammonium and cetyltrimethylammonium cationic surfactants. A ten times lower sensitivity was observed for laurylsulfate anionic surfactant, (LS^?).     

Detection of individual insulating entities by electrochemical blocking

Electrochemical blocking is a type of single-entity electrochemical measurement particularly well adapted to the detection of insulating particles. The digital detection of ultralow concentrations of artificial entities such as polymer particles or biotargets such as proteins and bacteria represents an exceptional opportunity for sensing applications. In this review, we explore the latest development in the field of electrochemical blocking and propose some perspectives.     

Application of Different Zeolites for Improvement of the Characteristics of a pH‐FET Biosensor Based on Immobilized Urease

Different modifications of the zeolites Na⁺‐Beta and LTA were applied for improving the working characteristics of a urea biosensor. The bioselective membrane of the biosensor was based on urease and different zeolites co‐immobilized with bovine serum albumin on the surface of a pH‐FET. It was shown that the biosensors modified with the zeolites H⁺‐Beta30 and H⁺‐Beta50 are characterized by increased sensitivity to urea. The influence of the zeolite concentration on the sensitivity of the biosensors was studied. The optimal concentration of the zeolites H⁺‐Beta30 and H⁺‐Beta50 in the bioselective membrane was 15 %. Different variants of co‐immobilization of urease and zeolite H⁺‐Beta30 were studied and the optimal method was selected. Thus, a general conclusion is that the urea biosensor sensitivity can be improved using zeolite H⁺‐Beta30 for urease immobilization in the bioselective membrane.     

Phase stability of terawatt-class ultrabroadband parametric amplification

The phase stability of broadband (280 nm bandwidth) terawatt-class parametric amplification was measured, for the first time to our knowledge, with a combination of spatial and spectral interferometry. Measurements at four different wavelengths from 750 to 900 nm were performed in combination with numerical modeling. The phase stability is better than 1/23 rms of an optical cycle for all the measured wavelengths, depending on the phase-matching conditions in the amplifier.     

Simultaneous Detection of Single Attoliter Droplet Collisions by Electrochemical and Electrogenerated Chemiluminescent Responses

We provide evidence of single attoliter oil droplet collisions at the surface of an ultra‐microelectrode (UME) by the observation of simultaneous electrochemical current transients (i–t curves) and electrogenerated chemiluminescent (ECL) transients in an oil/water emulsion. An emulsion system based on droplets of toluene and tri‐n‐propylamine (2:1 v/v) emulsified with an ionic liquid and suspended in an aqueous continuous phase was formed by ultrasonification. When an ECL luminophore, such as rubrene, is added to the emulsion droplet, stochastic events can be tracked by observing both the current blips from oxidation at the electrode surface and the ECL blips from the follow‐up ECL reaction, which produces light. This report provides a means of studying fundamental aspects of electrochemistry using the attoliter oil droplet and offers complementary analytical techniques for analyzing discrete collision events, size distribution of emulsion systems, and individual droplet electroactivity.     

Energy-filtered XPEEM with NanoESCA using synchrotron and laboratory X-ray sources: Principles and first demonstrated results

The importance of energy filtering in PEEM-based imaging methods has been shown in recent years with the availability of powerful instruments. A new instrument, the NanoESCA, combines a fully electrostatic PEEM column and an aberration corrected double hemispherical analyser as energy filter. This paper reports on recently demonstrated XPEEM results using the first commercially available NanoESCA instrument operated with both synchrotron soft X-rays and monochromatic laboratory Al Kα radiation. The implementation of elemental and bonding-state specific imaging is shown with both excitation sources. The presently achieved (but not yet ultimate) lateral resolutions on energy filtered core-level images are 150 nm with a large synchrotron spot and below 1 μm with a focused laboratory source. To date this is the unique example of laboratory XPEEM core-level imaging.     

H(2) formation by electron irradiation of SBA-15 materials and the effect of Cu(II) grafting

Measurement of H(2) production from electron irradiation (10 MeV) on SBA-15 materials has shown that adsorbed water is attacked preferentially. Silanol groups are only attacked when they are in the majority with respect to adsorbed water, however they are much less efficient at producing H(2). The comparison between water content before and after electron irradiation and the corresponding H(2) production indicates that water desorption is the main route to adsorbed water loss for SBA-15 materials. On the other hand, surface silanol groups are more susceptible to attack, leading to H(2) production when SBA-15 samples have undergone extensive thermal treatment. Electron irradiation of SBA-15-Cu materials has shown that the presence of Cu(II) on the surface reduces and inhibits the production of H(2.) This inhibiting power affects adsorbed water bonded to grafted copper but not surface silanol groups.