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The new tetradentate unsymmetrical N(2)O(2) Schiff base ligands, Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes were synthesised and chracterized by IR, UV-vis, (1)H NMR and elemental analysis. The electrochemical properties of the Ni(II) complexes were investigated. The thermogravimetry of the Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes were carried out in the range of 20-700 degrees C. Decomposition of synthesised complexes is related to the Schiff base characteristics., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A highly sensitive ion-selective bulk optode membrane for sensing UO2(2+) ion based on plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) containing 6,7,9,10,12,13,15,16,23,24,25,26-dodecahydrodibenzo[n,v][1,4,7,10,13,17,20]pentaoxa-diazacyclotricosine-22,27-dione as ionophore, dibenzodylmethane as chromoionophore and sodium tetraphenylborate as an ionic additive was prepared. In addition to its high stability, reproducibility and relatively long lifetime, the proposed optical sensor revealed good selectivity for uranyl ion over a large number of alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and heavy metal ions. The proposed sensor displays a calibration response for UO2(2+) over a concentration range of 4.3 x 10(-6) to 2.5 x 10(-8) M with a limit of detection of 8.0 x 10(-9) M and a response time of less than 12 min. The proposed optical sensor was applied successfully to the determination of UO2(2+) ion in tap water and Khoshumi mine concentrated solution samples.

A gold nanoparticle (AuNPs)-based simple and fast colorimetric sensor for selective detecting of Pb(II) in aqueous solution has been developed. Monodisperse AuNPs (approx. 2.0 nm diameter) has been prepared facilely and further modified with an alkanethiol-bearing monoazacrown ether terminus. These AuNPs are shown to selectively sense Pb(2+) through color change, which is visually discernible by an appearance of the surface plasmon band (SPB) at 520 nm. The recognition mechanism is attributed to the unique structure of the monoazacrown ether attached to AuNPs and metal sandwich coordination between two azacrown ether moieties that are attached to separate nanoparticles. This inter-particle cross-linking results in an aggregation and apparent color change from brown to purple. Additionally, TEM experiments support the optical absorption data proving the aggregation between azacrown ether-capped gold nanoparticles. This AuNP-based colorimetric assay is a facile and robust method and allows fast detection of Pb(2+) at ambient temperatures. More importantly, the developed technique does not utilize enzymatic reactions, light-sensitive dye molecules, lengthy protocols or sophisticated instrumentation.

Metallocapped complexation of the thallium(I) ion with calix[4]crown-6 (1) and three different calix[4]biscrown-6 derivatives (2-4) has been investigated by a combination of (203)Tl and (1)H NMR in a CD(3)CN/CDCl(3) (4:1 v/v) solution. The results clearly revealed the formation in solution of mono- and dithallium(I) complexes in which the metal cations are held in the ligands' cavities close to the calix[4]arene ring. In addition, a solid state mononuclear complex between 1,3-calix[4]bis-o-benzo-crown-6 (3) and TlClO(4) was prepared, and its X-ray crystal structure was determined. The results of the structural data in solution and the solid state suggested that the calix[4]crown-6 derivatives considered provide pi cavities as active sites for the complexation of thallium(I) ions.

A direct HPLC method for chiral separation of dorzolamide hydrochloride (4S,6S) and its enantiomer (4R,6R) was developed. Dorzolamide (4S,6S) and its antipode were separated on a chiral-alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein column (150 x 4.0 mm, 5 microm). The influences of pH, temperature, flow rate, buffer concentration, and organic modifiers of the mobile phase on the retention and enantioselectivity were evaluated. The mobile phase consisted of an ammonium acetate buffer of pH 7.0. The method was validated for linearity, repeatability, accuracy, LOD, and LOQ. Calibration curves were constructed in the range of 0.5-10 microg/mL for dorzolamide (4S,6S) and 0.2-5 microg/mL for its enantiomer (4R,6R). Repeatability (n=6) showed less than 2% RSD. LOD and LOQ of the two enantiomers were found to be 0.2 and 0.5 for dorzolamide (4S,6S), 0.05 and 0.2 for its enantiomer (4R,6R), respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of dorzolamide enantiomer (4R,6R) in a raw material and two different eye drop samples.

A novel technique called miniaturized homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction (MHLLE) followed by high performance liquid chromatographic-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) was developed for the extraction and determination of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model for analytical problem in sediment samples. The method is based on the rapid extraction of PAHs from a methanolic sample solution into 0.5 mL n-hexane, as a solvent of lower density than water. After addition of water, the extracting solvent immediately forms a distinct water-immiscible phase at the top of the vial, which can be easily separated, evaporated and re-dissolved in 25 microL of methanol and injected to the HPLC instrument. The parameters affecting the extraction process such as type and volume of organic extraction solvent, extraction time, and salt addition were investigated and the partition coefficient between methanol/water-n-hexane phases was evaluated and used to predict the extraction efficiency. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection were estimated for the individual PAHs as 3Sb (three times of the standard deviation of baseline) of the measured chromatogram, are in the range of 0.003-0.04 ng g(-1) for sediment samples. The relative recoveries of PAHs at spiking levels of 1.0 ng g(-1) for sediment samples were in the range of 81-92%. The method was also applied to a corresponding standard references materials (IAEA-408) successfully. The proposed method is very fast, simple, and sensitive without any need for stirring and centrifugation., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The complexation and exchange kinetics and mechanism for the dissociation and conformational change of thallium ion complex of calix[4]crown-6 were studied in CD(3)CN/CDCl(3) (4:1 v/v) solution by dynamic (1)H NMR. The results show the formation of a 1:1 complex with cone conformation. From variable temperature dynamic NMR analysis in the range 223-293 K, two coalescence temperatures at 228 and 243 K were ascertained. The activation parameters for the dissociation process, E(a) (kJ/mol), DeltaS(++) (J/mol.K), and DeltaH(++) (kJ/mol) are 11.0, -133.2, and 10.1 for the bimolecular regime and 21.5, -112.8, and 20.6 for the unimolecular regime, respectively. In addition, the dynamic (1)H NMR spectroscopy shows that the exchange of Tl(+) between the two crown sides of the complexed ligand proceeds through an intramolecular tunneling. An Arrhenius convex curve was observed for intramolecular exchange. This phenomenon is explained in terms of two conformer state formations differentiated by hydrogen bond association.

The title compound, N,N'-di(2-methoxyphenyl)formamidine (DMPF) was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, FT-Raman, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR spectroscopy and X-ray single crystal diffraction. The results show that the compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic system, with space group of Pbca and eight molecules in the unit cell. The unit cell parameters are: a=11.1118 (7)A, b=14.9878 (9)A and c=16.2851 (10)A. The molecular geometry, the normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of DMPF at the ground state were performed by HF and B3LYP methods with 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. It was observed that the bond lengths and angles in the molecule, obtained by X-ray at the level of theory, were in good agreement with those of the experiment. A detailed interpretation of the infrared and Raman spectra of DMPF was reported. The (13)C NMR and (1)H NMR of DMPF have been calculated using HF and B3LYP methods with 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. Comparison between experimental and theoretical results showed that B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) method is able to provide more satisfactory results for predicting IR, Raman, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR properties., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A simple analytical method based on the second-order calibration of the pH gradient spectrophotometric data was developed for assay of carminic acid (CA) in human plasma and orange juice over the concentration range of 1.5-14.0microM. The multi-way data analysis method was coupled with standard addition to encounter the significant effects of plasma and juices matrices on the acid-base behavior and UV-vis. absorbance spectra of CA. Thus, the standard addition three-way calibration data of plasma or fruit juices samples were analyzed by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and the concentration related scores were used to derive a standard addition plot such as one obtained in univariate standard addition method. The number of PARAFAC components was obtained utilizing different criteria such as core consistency and residual errors through pf-test implementation. The applicability of the proposed method was evaluated by analysis of human plasma and fruit juices spiked with different levels of standard CA solutions. The results confirmed the success of the proposed method in the analysis of pH gradient spectrophotometric data for determination of CA. The recoveries were between 86.7 and 106.7., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analyses using a novel type of electronic descriptors called quantum topological molecular similarity (QTMS) indices were operated to describe and compare the mechanisms of toxicity of phenols toward five different strains (i.e., Tetrahymena pyriformis, L1210 Leukemia, Pseudomonas putida, Raja japonica and Cucumis sativus). The appropriate QSAR models for the toxicity data were obtained separately employing partial least squares (PLS) regression combined with genetic algorithms (GA), as a variable selection method. The resulting QSAR models were used to identify molecular fragments of phenol derivatives whose electronic properties contribute significantly to the observed toxicities. Using this information, it was feasible to discriminate between the mechanisms of action of phenol toxicity to the studied strains. It was found that toxicities of phenols to all strains, except with L1210 Leukemia, are significantly affected by electronic features of the phenolic hydroxyl group (C-O-H). Meanwhile, the resulting models can describe the inductive and resonance effects of substituents on various toxicities.

Three different ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [EMIM][BF(4)]; 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate, [BMIM][OTf]; and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [bmpyrr][NTf(2)] were studied as electrolytes in the electroanalytical quantification of 2-furaldehyde using square wave and differential pulse voltammetries. On applying a cathodic scan, a well-defined 2-electron wave was observed corresponding to the reduction of 2-furaldehyde to furfuryl alcohol. The electrochemical stability of the ionic liquids as electrolytes for analytical aspects and electrokinetic studies was investigated using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The measurements were carried out in a designed double-wall three-electrode cell, using two platinum wires as the quasi-reference and counter electrodes. Differential pulse voltammetry was found to be the most sensitive method at GCE. The detection limits of 1.4, 19.0 and 2.5 microg g(-1) were obtained for the determination of 2-furaldehyde in [EMIM][BF(4)], [BMIM][OTf] and [BMPyrr][NTf(2)], respectively. At a concentration of 50 microg g(-1), the maximum relative standard deviation (n=3) was 4.9%. The effect of water content of the ionic liquids on their potential windows and waveforms was also investigated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of 2-furaldehyde in real samples, especially in oil matrices., ((c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel fluorescence chemical sensor for the highly sensitive and selective determination of Pb(2+) ions in aqueous solutions is described. The preliminary potentiometric and spectrofluorimetric complexation studies in solution revealed that the lipophilic ligand 5,8-bis((5'-chloro-8'-hydroxy-7'-quinolinyl)methyl)-2,11-dithia-5,8-diaza-2,6-pyridinophane (L2) forms a highly stable and selective [PbL2](2+) and [Pb(L2)(2)](2+) complexes which results in a strong fluorescence quenching of the ligand. Thus, a novel fluorescence Pb(2+) sensing system was prepared by incorporating L2 as a neutral lead-selective fluoroionophore in the plasticized PVC membrane containing tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl) borate as a liphophilic anionic additive. The response of the sensor is based on the strong selective fluorescence quenching of L2 by Pb(2+) ions. At pH 5.5, the proposed sensor displays a calibration curve over a wide concentration range of 3.0 x 10(-7) to 2.5x 10(-2)M with a relatively fast response time of less than 5 min. In addition to high stability, reversibility and reproducibility, the sensor shows a unique selectivity towards Pb(2+) ion with respect to common coexisting cations. The proposed fluorescence optode was successfully applied to the determination of lead in plastic toys and tap water samples., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new solid-phase extraction method for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of Ga(III) and In(III) in biological and water samples is proposed. The procedure is based on the adsorption of Ga(III) and In(III) ions on a column of Amberlite XAD-4 resin loaded with newly-synthesized pentadentate naphthol-derivative Schiff base 1-[(6-[(E)-1-(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)methylidene]amino-2-pyridyl)imino]methyl-2-naphthol (HMPN) prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The optimum pH values for quantitative sorption of Ga(III) and In(III) are 4.5-6.0 and 4.5-8.0, respectively, and their desorptions can be achieved by using 5 mL of 0.5 M HNO3. The sorption capacities of the resin for Ga(III) and In(III) were 1.27 and 1.45 mg g-1, respectively. The enrichment factor for preconcentration of Ga(III) and In(III) was found to be 200. The precision of the method, evaluated as the relative standard deviation obtained by analyzing a series of ten replicates, was below 3% for both elements. The proposed procedure was applied to the analysis of synthetic seawater, natural waters, wastewater and human blood serum using flame AAS.

Electrochemical oxidation of glucose on a glassy carbon disc electrode modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nickel(II) oxide (GC/MWCNT/NiO) was examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry in alkaline aqueous solutions. The results were compared with those obtained on a nickel(II) oxide modified glassy carbon electrode (GC/NiO). Both electrodes conditioned by potential cycling in a limited potential range (0.1-0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.10 M NaOH solution. It was found that the multi-walled carbon nanotubes improve remarkably the reactivity of nickel(II) oxide for glucose oxidation. The GC/MWCNT/NiO electrode exhibited good linear behavior in the concentration range from 2.0x10(-4) mol/L to 1.2x10(-2) mol/L for the quantitative analysis of glucose with a limit of detection of 1.6x10(-4) mol/L (3sigma). The prepared electrode exhibits satisfactory stability and long life if stored at ambient conditions. Finally, it has been demonstrated that the proposed modified electrode can be successfully used for the assay of glucose in serum samples., (2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new sulfur-containing macrocyclic diamide, 1,15-diaza-3,4,12,13-dibenzo-5,11-dithia-8-oxa-1,15-(2,6-pyrido)cyclooctadecan-2,14-dione, L, was synthesized, characterized and used as an active component for fabrication of PVC-based polymeric membrane (PME), coated graphite (CGE) and coated silver wire electrodes (CWE) for sensing Cd(2+) ion. The electrodes exhibited linear Nernstian responses to Cd(2+) ion in the concentration range of 3.3 x 10(-6) to 3.3 x 10(-1)M (for PME, LOD=1.2 x 10(-6)M), 2.0 x 10(-7) to 3.3 x 10(-1)M (for CWE, LOD=1.3 x 10(-7)M) and 1.6 x 10(-8) to 1.3 x 10(-1)M (for CGE, LOD=1.0 x 10(-8)M). The CGE was used as a proper detection system in flow-injection potentiometry (FIP) with a linear Nernstian range of 3.2 x 10(-8) to 1.4 x 10(-1)M (LOD=1.3 x 10(-8)M). The optimum pH range was 3.5-7.6. The electrodes revealed fairly good discriminating ability towards Cd(2+) in comparison with a large number of alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The electrodes found to be chemically inert, showing a fast response time of <5s, and could be used practically over a period of about 2-3 months. The practical utility of the proposed system has also been reported.

A series of recently synthesized benzo- and pyridine-substituted macrocyclic diamides were studied to characterize their abilities as lead ion carriers in PVC membrane electrodes. The electrode based on 3,15,21-triaza-4,5;13,14-dibenzo-6,9,12-trioxabicycloheneicosa-1,17,19-triene-2,16-dione exhibits a Nernstian response for Pb2+ ions over a wide concentration range (1.3 x 10(-2) to 3.6 x 10(-6) mol L(-1)) with a limit of detection of 2.0 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) (0.4 ppm). The response time of the sensor is approximately 16 s, and the membrane can be used for more than two months without observing any deviation. The electrode revealed comparatively good selectivities with respect to many cations including alkali earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The proposed sensor could be used in pH range of 3.7-6.5. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of chromate ions with a lead ion solution.

The UV-visible electronic spectra of some azo dyes have been studied. The different bands observed in the electronic spectra of the compounds in various organic solvents have been assigned to the proper electronic transitions. The solvatochromic behaviour of these compounds was investigated by studying their visible spectra in several pure and mixed organic solvents. The longer wavelength band displayed by para-nitro azo dyes is assigned to an intermolecular charge-transfer transition. The solvated H-bonding complexes formed between N,N-dimethylformamide and the para-nitro azo dyes were investigated. DeltaG and formation constant, the values of K(f) of the molecular complexes formed in solution have been determined. The effects of increase of temperature and concentration dependent spectroscopic changes on the longer wavelength visible band of para-nitro azo dyes were also investigated.

Multielement simultaneous determination of 35 trace elements in environmental samples was carried out by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after preconcentration with octadecyl silicagel, modified with aurin tricarboxylic acid (Aluminon). Optimal experimental conditions including pH of sample solution, sample volume, sample and eluent flow rate, type, concentration and volume of eluent and foreign ions effect were investigated and established. Trace element ions in aqueous solution were quantitatively adsorbed onto octadecyl silicagel modified with aurin tricarboxylic acid at pH 8.0 with a flow rate of 11.0 mL min(-1). The adsorbed element ions were eluted with 3-5 mL of 0.5 mol L(-1) HNO(3) at a flow rate of 10.0 mL min(-1) and analyzed by ICP-OES simultaneously. The proposed method has at least preconcentration factor of 100 in water samples, which results high sensitive detection of ultra-trace and trace analysis. The present methodology gave recoveries better than 70% and RSD less than 16%.

When using quantum chemical descriptors in quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies, there is always a challenge between accuracy of calculation and the complexity and time of computation. Very recently, we proposed the use of substituents electronic descriptors (SEDs) instead of the electronic properties of whole molecule as new and expedite source of electronic descriptors. For instance, SED parameters can be calculated with the highest degree of accuracy in very low computation time. In this article, we used SED parameters in QSAR modeling of six different biological data sets including (i) the dissociation constants for a set of substituted imidazolines, (ii) the pKa of imidazoles, (iii) inverse agonist activity of indoles, (iv) the influenza virus inhibition activities of benzimidazoles, (v) inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase by amides, and (vi) the natriuretic activity of sulfonamide. For poly-substituted molecules, SED parameters produce a vector of electronic descriptors for each substituent, and thus a matrix of SED parameters is obtained for each molecule. Consequently, a three-dimensional (3D) array is obtained by staking the descriptor data matrices of molecules beside each others. In addition to simple unfolding of the SED parameters, molecular maps of atom-level properties (MOLMAP) approach, as a novel data analysis method, was also applied to transfer 3D array of SED into new two-dimensional parameters using Kohonen network, following by genetic algorithm-based partial least square (GA-PLS) to connect a quantitative relationship between the Kohonen scores and biological activity. Accurate QSAR models were obtained by both approaches. However, the superiority of three-way analysis of SED parameters based on MOLMAP approach with respect to simple unfolding was obtained., (Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The fast chemiluminescence (CL) arising from the reaction of bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO) with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of 1-(dansylamidopropyl)-1-aza-4,7,10-trithiacyclododecane (L) as a novel fluorophore, and imidazole as catalyst, has been studied in ethyl acetate solution. The relationships between the chemiluminescence intensity and concentrations of TCPO, imidazole, hydrogen peroxide and L are reported. In the presence of imidazole as catalyst, the entire CL signal was completed in less than 3s. The quenching effect of Cu(2+), Pb(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+) and Ag(+) ions on the chemiluminescent system was investigated, the resulting Stern-Volmer plots were obtained and the K(Q) values were calculated. It was found that the quenching effect of metal ions on the chemiluminescence of L decreases in the order Cu(2+)>Pb(2+)>Cd(2+)>Hg(2+)>Ag(+).

A simple, reliable and rapid method for preconcentration and determination of the ultra trace amount of silver using octadecyl silica membrane disk modified by a recently synthesized triazene ligand, 1,3-bis(2-cyanobenzene)triazene (CBT), and flame atomic absorption spectrometry is presented. Various parameters including pH of aqueous solution, flow rates, the amount of ligand and the type of stripping solvents were optimized. The breakthrough volume was greater than 1800 ml with an enrichment factor of more than 360 and 6.0 ng l(-1) detection limit. The capacity of the membrane disks modified by 5mg of the ligand was found to be 1070 microg of silver. The effects of various cationic interferences on the percent recovery of silver ion were studied. The method was successfully applied to the determination of silver ion in different samples, especially determination of ultra trace amount of silver in the presence of large amount of lead.

A 2-furaldehyde-selective PVC-membrane electrode is designed based on the host-guest interaction between tetrabenzyl ether Calix[4]arene, as an ionophore, and a lipophilic hydrazone derivative generated in situ from reaction of 2-furaldehyde and Girard's reagent T. At a pH of 9.2, the electrode exhibits a Nernstian response over the 2-furaldehyde concentration range of (5.0 x 10(-5))-(1.0 x 10(-1)) M. The electrode has found to be chemically inert and of adequate stability with a response time of 15 s with a good reproducibility (+/-0.2 mV) and can be used for a long working lifetime. In order to improve the minimum detectable concentration of 2-furaldehyde, further studies have been performed using a coated graphite electrode and coated platinum and gold disks. Some analytical aspects of adsorptive square wave voltammetry have also been presented in order to elucidate the adduct formation between 2-furaldehyde and Girard's reagent T. The interfering effects of some Na(+), K(+), NH(4)(+), formaldehyde, 5-hydroxymethyl 2-furaldehyde (HMF), excess of Girard's reagent T and organic solvents such as isopropyl alcohol and N,N-dimethylformamide on the sensor's response have been studied. The viability of using the electrode for the trace determination of 2-furaldehyde in several Iranian oil refinery wastewater samples is also demonstrated. The results obtained from the developed method for real samples are compared with those from UV-spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic experiments.

A novel approach for the use of external memory in ant colony optimization strategy for solving descriptor selection problem in quantitative structure-activity/property relationship studies is described. In this approach, several ant colony system algorithms are run to build an external memory containing a number of elite ants. In the next step, all of the elite ants in the external memory are allowed to update the pheromones. Then the external memory is emptied and the updated pheromones are used again, by several ant colony system algorithms to build a new external memory. These steps are iteratively run for certain number of iterations. At the end, the memory will be containing several top solutions to the problem. The proposed approach was applied to solving variable selection problem in quantitative structure-activity/property relationship studies of rate constants of o-methylation of 36 phenol derivatives and activities of 31 antifilarial antimycin compounds, for which the obtained results revealed that both the speed and the solution quality are improved compared to conventional ant colony system algorithms.

An electrochemical DNA nano-biosensor is prepared by immobilization of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) onto a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) composed of azide- and hydroxyl-terminated thiols. The SAMs- and dsDNA-modified gold electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The interaction of spermidine with DNA was studied by differential pulse voltammetry at the DNA-modified electrode. The decrease in the guanine oxidation peak current was used to study the interaction. The binding constant (K), obtained by differential pulse voltammetry, was 1.85 x 10(5)M(-1). A linear dependence of the guanine peak currents was observed in the range of 1.6-70.4 microM spermidine, with a detection limit of 0.72 microM and r=0.994 by using differential pulse voltammetry.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV detection was applied for the extraction and determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in water samples. An appropriate mixture of acetone (disperser solvent) and chloroform (extraction solvent) was injected rapidly into a water sample containing BPA. After extraction, sedimented phase was analyzed by HPLC-UV. Under the optimum conditions (extractant solvent: 142 microL of chloroform, disperser solvent: 2.0 mL of acetone, and without salt addition), the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.5-100 microgL(-1) with the detection limit of 0.07 microgL(-1) for BPA. The relative standard deviation (RSD, n=5) for the extraction and determination of 100 microgL(-1) of BPA in the aqueous samples was 6.0%. The results showed that DLLME is a very simple, rapid, sensitive and efficient analytical method for the determination of trace amount of BPA in water samples and suitable results were obtained.

In the title compound, [Pb(ClO(4))(2)(C(15)H(11)N(3))](n), two molecules occupy general positions while the third lies on a crystallographic twofold axis, giving a total of two and a half molecules per asymmetric unit. Each metal centre is coordinated equatorially by three 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (terpy) N-donor atoms and axially by two perchlorate O-donor atoms. The distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry is completed by two equatorial O-donor atoms from two perchlorate anions which bridge to two different adjacent metal centres. The coordination about each metal centre is very similar to that seen at the unique Pb(II) centre in the previously published polymorph [Engelhardt, Harrowfield, Miyamae, Patrick, Skelton, Soudi & White (1996). Aust. J. Chem. 49, 1135-1146], but the new polymorph differs from it by the insertion on each side of an existing [bis(perchlorato)(terpy)lead(II)] molecule of two additional such units. Pairs of asymmetrically bridging perchlorate anions link irregularly spaced Pb(II) centres into undulating chains parallel to [201] which exhibit a repeat distance of 26.280 (4) A. The significance of this new polymorph lies in the fact that, while it is chemically identical to the known polymorph, it is structurally distinct from it.

A novel fluorescence chemical sensor for the highly sensitive and selective determination of Co(2+) ions in aqueous solutions is prepared. The cobalt sensing system was prepared by incorporating 7-[(5-chloro-8-hydroxy-7-quinolinyl)methyl]-5,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-2H-1,13,4,7,10-benzodioxatriazacyclopentadecine-3,11(4H,12H)-dione (L) as a neutral cobalt-selective fluoroionophore in the plasticized PVC membrane containing sodium tetraphenylborate as a liphophilic anionic additive. The response of the sensor is based on the strong selective fluorescence quenching of L by Co(2+) ions. At a pH 5.0, the proposed sensor displays a calibration curve over a wide concentration range of 5.0 x 10(-7) to 2.0 x 10(-2)M with a relatively fast response time of less than 5 min. In addition to high stability and reproducibility, the sensor shows a unique selectivity towards Co(2+) ion with respect to common coexisting cations. The proposed fluorescence optode was successfully applied to the determination of cobalt content of vitamin B12 ampoule, cobalt cake, cobalt alloy and tap water samples.

The primary goal of a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) is to identify a set of structurally based numerical descriptors that can be mathematically linked to a property of interest. Recently, we proposed some new topological indices (Sh indices) based on the distance sum and connectivity of a molecular graph that derived directly from two-dimensional molecular topology for use in QSAR/QSPR studies. In this study, the ability of these indices to predict the liquid densities (rho) of a large and diverse set of organic liquid compounds (521 compounds) has been examined. Ten different Sh indices were calculated for each molecule. Both linear and non-linear modeling methods were implemented using principal component regression (PCR) and principal component-artificial neural network (PC-ANN) with back-propagation learning algorithm, respectively. Correlation ranking procedure was used to rank the principal components and entered them into the models. PCR analysis of the data showed that the proposed Sh indices could explain about 91.82% of variations in the density data, while the variations explained by the ANN modeling were more than 97.93%. The predictive ability of the models was evaluated using external test set molecules and root mean square errors of prediction of 0.0308 g ml(-1) and 0.0248 g ml(-1) were obtained for liquid densities of external compounds by linear and non-linear models, respectively.

The retention behavior of 28 synthesized 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives in a reversed-phase (RP) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system has been studied on a C18-RP column using acetonitrile-water mixtures as mobile phase. The influences of the composition of mobile phase and the solute structure on the retention times of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives were investigated by linear solvation free energy relationship (LSFER) and quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) analyses. Among different solvatochromic parameters of solvent systems, their polarity/polarizability parameter (pi*) was identified as the controlling factor affecting retention behavior of these compounds. A four-parametric QSRR model was obtained between solute structures and retention indices. Finally, a unified model containing both the molecular structure parameters and mobile phase properties was developed to describe the chromatographic behavior of the systems studied. The resulted QSRR models could explain and predict higher than 90% of variances in the retention indices. Among the solvent properties, polarity/polarizability parameter (pi*), and among the solute properties, HATS5v (leverage-weighted autocorrelation of lag 5/weighted by atomic van der Waals volumes, GETAWAY descriptors), Mor14p (3D-MoRSE-signal 14/weighted by atomic polarizabilities, 3D-MoRSE descriptors), GATS5p (Geary autocorrelation-lag 5/weighted by atomic polarizabilities, 2D autocorrelations) and R6u+(R maximal autocorrelation of lag 6/unweighted, GETAWAY descriptors) were identified as controlling factors in the RP-HPLC behavior of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives in actonitrile-water binary solvents.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a powerful, non-invasive and informative technique was used to obtain important information about kinetics of doping process in conducting polymers. Polypyrrole (PPy) and its derivatives can form conducting polymer films which represent excellent charge transfer behaviors during doping processes. It can also have a wide range of applications in bioelectrochemistry. In the present study the conducting polymer of alpha-carboxy pyrrole (alpha-COOH-PPy), appended onto the underlying film of PPy, was prepared by electrochemical methods and its behavior was analyzed using EIS. From highly accurate fitting of impedance results it was found that the charging mechanism is governed by the diffusion process. In addition, the impedance analyses provided values for the bulk polymer parameters including diffusion coefficient (D), equilibrium capacitance (C(0)) and diffusion resistance (R(0)). The surface morphology of the polymeric film was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The film was then used to immobilize the cytochrome C (cyt-C) and to perform its electrochemical studies. The modified cyt-C/alpha-COOH-PPy electrode was used for electrocatalytic reduction of H(2)O(2) in solution and its viability as a new impedimetric biosensor was examined. Based on the calibration curve obtained for the proposed impedimetric biosensor, the limit of detection and relative standard deviation were evaluated as 0.25 micromolL(-1) and 7%, respectively. Finally, the prolonged stability test was performed and high stability and reproducibility of the new biosensor was confirmed.

A multiwavelength spectrophotometric titration method was applied to study the acidity constants of some azo dyes in water. The UV-vis absorption spectra of azo dye solutions were recorded in the course of their pH-metric titration with a standard base solution. The protolytic equilibrium constants, spectral profiles, concentration diagrams and also the number of components have been calculated. The quantitative effects of the substituents on the acidity of the studied azo dyes were investigated by the linear free energy relationship (LFER) using Hammet sigma constant (sigma) and field and resonance effects of Kamlet and Taft (f and Re, respectively).

A surface modification procedure for the creation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that can be used as a scaffold for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) incorporation onto the gold surfaces is described. The SAMs of an azidohexane thiol derivative were prepared on the Au electrode and then used for the immobilization of dsDNA. The electrochemical characteristics of dsDNA onto the SAM-modified gold electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the surface concentration of dsDNA onto the SAMs surface was estimated. The interaction of dsDNA with the anticancer drug, taxol (paclitaxel), was also studied on the surface of DNA/SAM/Au electrode. The observed decrease in the guanine oxidation peak current was used to monitor the interaction of taxol with DNA. The resulting Langmuir isotherm for taxol binding to DNA at the modified electrode was used to evaluate the binding constant of taxol-DNA. The results obtained supported the groove binding interaction of taxol with DNA. The modified electrode was used as a sensitive sensor for quantification of taxol in human serum sample.

PbO(2) nano-powder was synthesized by the ultrasonic irradiation of an aqueous suspension of dispersed beta-PbO, as precursor, in the presence of ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant. The reaction rate increased with an increase in temperature and ammonium peroxydisulfate concentration. In the presence of ammonium peroxydisulfate, the increased concentration of hydroxyl radical facilitated the oxidation of beta-PbO to PbO(2) under ultrasonic irradiation. The PbO(2) nano-powder was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the applied ultrasonic wave determines the particle size. PbO(2) samples prepared under optimized experimental conditions have lead dioxide particles in the range of 50-100 nm, as shown by SEM. The XRD results reveal that only beta-PbO(2) is formed under optimum conditions. When the reaction mixture was stirred instead of ultrasonically irradiated, only a fraction of the lead oxide was converted to lead dioxide, and lead sulfate was the main reaction product.

A simple, rapid and sensitive method is proposed for selective determination of ultra trace amounts of gold from different samples. The method is based on highly efficient separation and pre-concentration of gold by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of gold followed by its determination with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The pre-concentration procedure results in quantitative extraction of gold by victoria blue R from a 10-mL sample into fine droplets of chlorobenzene, with a sedimented volume of 25 microL. Then, 20 microL of 0.04% Pd(NO3)2, as chemical modifier, followed by 10 microL of the sedimented phase were consecutively pipetted into the same auto-sampler device and the content is injected into the graphite tube and the gold content is determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. After optimizing the extraction conditions and instrumental parameters, a pre-concentration factor of about 388 is obtained for the system. The analytical curve is linear in a concentration range of 0.03-0.5 ng mL(-1). The detection limit and relative standard deviation are 0.005 ng mL(-1) and 4.2%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of gold in tap water and silicate ore samples.

A quantitative structure-property relation (QSPR) study was conducted on the solubility in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SCF-CO2) of some recently synthesized anthraquinone, anthrone and xanthone derivatives. The data set consisted of 29 molecules in various temperatures and pressures, which form 1190 solubility data. The combined data splitting-feature selection (CDFS) strategy, which previously developed in our research group, was used as descriptor selection and model development method. Modeling of the relationship between selected molecular descriptors and solubility data was achieved by linear (multiple linear regression; MLR) and nonlinear (artificial neural network; ANN) methods. The QSPR models were validated by cross-validation as well as application of the models to predict the solubility of three external set compounds, which did not have contribution in model development steps. Both linear and nonlinear methods resulted in accurate prediction whereas more accurate results were obtained by ANN model. The respective root mean square error of prediction obtained by MLR and ANN models were 0.284 and 0.095 in the term of logarithm of g solute m(-3) of SCF-CO2. A comparison was made between the models selected by CDFS method and the conventional stepwise feature selection method. It was found that the latter produced models with higher number of descriptors and lowered prediction ability, thus it can be considered as an over-fitted model.

The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) behavior of some newly synthesized hydroxythioxanthone derivatives using binary acetonitrile-water mixtures as mobile phase has been examined. First, the variation in the retention time of each molecule as a function of mobile phase properties was studied by Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic equations. Then, the influences of molecular structure of the hydroxythioxanthone derivatives on their retention time in various mobile phase mixtures were investigated by quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) analysis. Finally, a unified model containing both the molecular structure parameters and mobile phase properties was developed to describe the chromatographic behavior of the systems studied. Among the solvent properties, polarity/polarizability parameter (pi*) and hydrogen-bond basicity (beta), and among the solute properties, the most positive local charge (MPC), the sum of positive charges on hydrogen atoms contributing in hydrogen bonding (SPCH) and lipophilicity index (logP) were identified as controlling factors in the RP-HPLC behavior of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives in actonitrile-water binary solvents.

(19)F NMR spectroscopy was applied to the quantitative determination of fluoxetine enantiomers using different chiral recognition agents in pharmaceutical formulations. Several parameters affecting the enantioresolution including the type and concentration of chiral selector, concentration of fluoxetine and temperature were studied. The chiral selectors investigated are the cyclic oligosaccharides alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin and a diamino derivative of methylated alpha-cyclodextrin (DAM-alpha-CD), linear polysaccharides (maltodextrin with dextrose equivalents of 4.0-7.0, 13.0-17.0 and 16.5-19.5) and the macrocyclic antibiotic vancomycin. Among the chiral selectors used, DAM-alpha-CD turned out to give the best resolution of the (19)F NMR signals of (R)- and (S)-fluoxetine. The calibration curve was linear for (R)- and (S)-fluoxetine over the range 0.10-1.35 mgmL(-1), the detection limits (S/N=3) being 5.9 and 7.5 microgmL(-1) for the pure solutions of (R)- and (S)-fluoxetine, respectively. The recovery studies performed on pharmaceutical samples ranged from about 90 to 110% with relative standard deviations of <8%. The results showed that the proposed method is rapid, precise and accurate. Applying statistical Student's t-test revealed insignificant difference between the real and measured contents at the 95% confidence level.

This work reports the preparation of a new copper(II) ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) material, using 5,6;14,15-dibenzo-1,4-dioxa-8,12-diazacyclopentadecane-5,14-diene (DBDA15C4) and 2-vinylpyridine (VP) as a non-vinylated chelating agent and a functional vinyl monomer, respectively. The Cu2+ ion can form stable complexes with DBDA15C4 and VP. The stoichiometries of Cu2+-DBDA15C4 and ternary Cu2+-DBDA15C4-VP complexes were elucidated using conductometric and spectrophotometric methods, and found to be Cu2+ (DBDA15C4), Cu2+ (DBDA15C4)2 and Cu2+ (DBDA15C4)(VP)2. The results obtained from solution studies were also supported by ab initio theoretical calculations. The resulting ternary complex Cu2+ (DBDA15C4)(VP)2 was copolymerized with ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, as a cross-linking monomer, via bulk polymerization method. The imprinted copper ion was removed from the polymeric matrix by 0.1 M HNO3. The Cu2+-imprinted polymer particles were characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Optimum pH range for rebinding of Cu2+ on the IIP and equilibrium binding time were 7.0-7.5 and 45 min, respectively. Sorbent capacity and enrichment factor for Cu2+ were obtained as 75.3+/-1.9 micromol g(-1) and 100, respectively. In selectivity study, it was found that imprinting results in increased affinity of the material toward Cu2+ ion over other competitor metal ions with the same charge and close ionic radius. The prepared IIPs were repeatedly used and regenerated for five times without a significant decrease in polymer binding affinities.

A new ion imprinted polymer coated silica gel sorbent has been prepared using the radical "grafting from" polymerization method through surface-bound azo initiators for selective uranyl uptake. The introduction of azo initiator onto the silica surface was achieved by the reaction of surface amino groups with 4,4'-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid chloride). The grafting step was then carried out in a stirred solution of initiator-modified silica particles in the presence of uranyl ion and functional and cross-linking monomers. The prepared sorbent was characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and BET adsorption isotherm analysis. The influence of the uranyl concentration, pH, and flow rate of solution on the grafted polymer affinity has been investigated. Maximum uptake of uranyl ion was observed at a pH 3.0. The rebinding behavior of the sorbent has been successfully described by the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm. The dynamic column capacity of sorbent and enrichment factor for uranyl ion were 52.9 +/- 3.4 micromol g(-1) and 52, respectively. It was found that imprinting results in increased affinity of the sorbent toward uranyl ion over strong competitor metal ions such as Fe(III) and Th(IV). The sorbent was repeatedly used and regenerated for 3 months without any significant decrease in polymer binding affinities. Finally the sorbent was applied to the preconcentration and determination of uranyl ion in real water samples.

Electrochemical oxidation of catechols (1a-c) has been studied in the presence of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphtoquinone (3b) in aqueous solutions, using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. The results indicated that the electrochemically generated o-benzoquinones (2a-c) participate in Michael addition reaction with 3b to the corresponding benzofuranoquinones (8a-c, 10a-c). The electrochemical synthesis of these compounds has been successfully preformed at a carbon rod electrode with good yields using an environmentally friendly method.

Solution studies on the binding properties of uranyl ion toward four different recently synthesized benzo-substituted macrocyclic diamides L1-L4 revealed the occurrence of a 1:1 complexation of the ligands with UO(2)(2+) ion, with a stability order of L2>L1>L4>L3. Consequently, L2 was used as a suitable neutral ionophore for the preparation of novel polymeric membrane (PME) and coated graphite (CGE) UO(2)(2+)-selective electrodes. The electrodes exhibit a Nernstian behavior for UO(2)(2+) ions over wide concentration ranges (1.0 x 10(-6) - 1.0 x 10(-1) M for PME and 1.0 x 10(-7) - 1.0 x 10(-1) M for CGE) and very low limits of detection (8.0 x 10(-7) M for PME and 7.3 x 10(-8) M for CGE). The proposed potentiometric sensors manifest advantages of fast response and, most importantly, good selectivity with respect to many alkali, alkaline earth, transition, and heavy metal ions. The potentiometric responses of the electrodes are independent of the pH of the test solution in the pH range 2.9-3.7. The CGE was used in flow injection potentiometry and resulted in well defined peaks for uranyl ions with stable baseline, excellent reproducibility and very high sampling rate of 170 injections per hour. The proposed FIP system was used for the determination of trace uranyl ions in real and synthetic samples.

The chemiluminescence arising from the reaction of bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO) with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of brightener 4,4'-bis{[4,6-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino}stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid-disodium salt (Triazinyl) has been studied. The influence of concentration of TCPO, hydrogen peroxide, Triazinyl, base catalysts and temperature on the resulting chemiluminescence was investigated. The kinetic parameters for the peroxyoxalate-chemiluminescence (PO-CL) of Triazinyl were evaluated from computer fitting of the resulting intensity-time plots. The activation energies, E(a), were evaluated from temperature dependence of the corresponding rise and fall rate constants.

19F nuclear magnetic resonance was used as a suitable analytical tool for the identification and selective determination of haloperidol in human serum and pharmaceutical preparations. The method is based on the integration of appropriate signals of haloperidol and trifluoroacetic acid as an internal standard. The proposed method is a rapid and facile, while without any sample pretreatment, manipulation of large samples and lengthy instrument time. The regression equation for haloperidol in human serum showed a good linearity in the range of 60-600 microg ml(-1) with a detection limit of 1.4 microg ml(-1). The mean recovery results on human serum samples ranged from about 96-103%, with relative standard deviations <8%. The method was also applied successfully to the determination of haloperidol in real pharmaceutical samples, and compared with the results obtained by a reference method. The drug's degradation was studied by the proposed method in hydrochloric acid media and main products were identified.

This work reports the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles for selective extraction and determination of selenium ions from aqueous media. Polymerization was achieved in a glass tube containing SeO(2), o-phenylenediamine, 2-vinylpyridine (VP), ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (EDMA), 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The polymer block obtained was ground and sieved (55-75 microm) and the Se-o-phenylenediamine complex was removed from polymer particles by leaching with 2M of HCl, which leaves a cavity in the polymer particles. The polymer particles both prior to and after leaching have been characterized by IR and thermogravimetric (TG) studies. The effect of different parameters, such as pH, extraction time, type and least amount of eluent for elution of complex from polymer were evaluated. Extraction efficiencies >99% were obtained by elution of the polymers with 15 mL of methanol-acetonitrile mixture (1:2, v/v). The limit of detection of the proposed method followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-AAS) was found to be 3.3 microg L(-1) and a dynamic linear range (DLR) of 10-200 microg L(-1) was obtained. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) at 30.0 microg L(-1) of Se were below than 8.1%. The influence of various cationic interferences on percent recovery of complex was studied. The method was applied to the recovery and determination of selenium in different real samples.

The first study on the high efficiency of nano-structured lead dioxide as a new fiber for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) purposes has been reported. The size of the PbO2 particles was in the range of 34-136 nm. Lead dioxide-based fibers were prepared via electrochemical deposition on a platinum wire. The extraction properties of the fiber to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) were examined using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) mode coupled to gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The results obtained proved the suitability of proposed fibers for the sampling of organic compounds from water. The extraction procedure was optimized by selecting the appropriate extraction parameters, including preparation conditions of coating, salt concentration, time and temperature of adsorption and desorption and stirring rate. The calibration graphs were linear in a concentration range of 0.1-100 microg l(-1) (R2 > 0.994) with detection limits below 0.012 microg l(-1) level. Single fiber repeatability and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility were less than 10.0 and 12.5%, respectively. The PbO2 coating was proved to be very stable at relatively high temperatures (up to 300 degrees C) with a high extraction capacity and long lifespan (more than 50 times). Higher chemical resistance and lower cost are among the advantages of PbO2 fibers over commercially available SPME fibers. Good recoveries (81-108%) were obtained when environmental samples were analyzed.

A stability-indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of steroidal hormones levonorgestrel and ethinyloestradiol both in bulk drug and in low-dosage oral contraceptives. Optimization of conditions for the spectrodensitometric procedure was reached by eluting HPTLC silica gel plates in a 10 cm x 10 cm horizontal chamber. The solvent system consisted of hexane-chloroform-methanol (1.0:3.0:0.25, v/v/v). This system was found to give compact, dense and typical peaks for both levonorgestrel (R(f)=0.65+/-0.03) and ethinyloestradiol (R(f)=0.43+/-0.02). Densitometric analysis of the drugs was carried out in the reflectance mode at 225 nm by using a computer controlled densitometric scanner. The calibration curves of levonorgestrel and ethinyloestradiol were linear in the range of 200-800 and 40-160 ng per spot, respectively. The method was validated for precision, robustness and recovery. As the proposed method can effectively separate the drugs from their degradation products, it can be employed as a stability-indicating method.

Electrochemical oxidation of catechol and some 3-substituted catechols (1a--c) has been studied in the presence of 2-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (3) in aqueous solution using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. The results indicate that the quinones derived from catechols (1a--c) participate in a Michael addition reaction with 2-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (3) with consumption of only two electrons per molecule of (1a--c) to from the corresponding benzoforans (10a--c). The electrochemical synthesis of benzofurans has been successfully performed at a carbon rod electrode and in an undivided cell with high yields and purity.

The electrooxidation of 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone (1) has been studied in the presence of 2-phenyl-1,3-indandione (3a), 3-hydroxy-1H-phenalen-1-one (3b), and 2-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (3c) as CH acid nucleophiles in water/acetonitrile (85/15) solution, using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. The results indicate that p-benzoquinone, generated by electrochemically driven oxidation of the 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone (1), is scavenged by 3a-c, to give related products (5a, 9b, 8c) via various electrochemical mechanisms. The electrochemical syntheses of 5a, 9b, and 8c have been successfully performed in one-pot in an undivided cell using an environmentally friendly method with high atomic economy.

The formation of molecular complexes between 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) and aza-substituted macrocycles diaza-18-crown-6 (DA18C6), tetraaza-14-crown-4 (TA14C4) and cryptand C222 in 1,2-dichloroethane solution was investigated spectrophotometrically and conductometrically. The mole ratio and continuous variations studies based on both physicochemical techniques employed clearly revealed the formation of both 1:1 and 2:1 (TNP:macrocycle) adducts in solution. Formation of the resulting complexes was also confirmed by 1H NMR and IR spectroscopic studies. Formation constants of the resulting complexes were evaluated from computer fitting of the corresponding mole ratio data. Stability of the resulting complexes was found to vary in the order C222 approximately TA14C4 > DA18C6.

A new optical chemical sensor has been developed for the selective determination of copper(II) ions in aqueous solutions. The reversible sensing system was prepared by incorporating 1-hydrpxy-2-(prop-2'-enyl)-4-(prop-2'-enyloxy)-9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) as a neutral Cu2+-selective fluoroionophore in the plasticized PVC membrane with potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl borate) as an anionic additive. The response of the sensor is based on the fluorescence quenching of AQ by Cu2+ ions. At a pH 5.5, the proposed sensor displays a calibration response for Cu2+ over a wide concentration rang of 1.0 x 10(-2) to 1.0 x 10(-6) M, with a relatively fast response of less than 40 s. In addition to high stability and reproducibility, the sensor shows a unique selectivity towards Cu2+ ion with respect to common co-existing cations. The proposed fluorescence optode was applied successfully to the determination of copper(II) in black tea samples.