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Isotope analysis is a tool for material research. For example, it may provide information about the provenance of a sample or changes in dynamic systems. Here is presented optical spectroscopy as an analytical alternative to mass spectrometry for isotope quantification based on the isotopic shift of atoms and diatomic molecules.
Calcium isotope analysis can be an important tool for paleoclimate studies of the carbon cycle, as well in carbon capture technology, but its utility is limited by challenges using conventional mass spectrometry. We propose a new fast, precise, and high-throughput technology based on multiple complementary high-resolution spectroscopies analyzed by machine-learning.
The introduction of HR-CS-MAS instrumentation, as it is shown in Fig. 1, provides a new way for the determination of non-metals including fluorine via molecular absorption. We present a sensitive and fluorine-specific method for total fluorine determination in fifteen consume care products in which perfluordecalin were declared (nail polishes, eye shadows and body creams). After pyrohydrolytic digestion of samples, fluorine content was determined by GF-HR-CS-MAS. Calcium was used as a molecule forming element and the molecular absorption of calcium monofluoride (CaF) at the wavelength 606.440 nm was used for its quantification. No matrix effect was observed. Analytical signal depends only on the fluorine concentration and therefore pure sodium fluoride NaF was used as calibration standard. The use of zirconium oxide nanoparticles as permanent modifier improves the limit of detection (from 0.2 to 0.1 ng) and characteristic mass (from 0.10 to 0.05 ng) from a previous reported method. These results were also compared with ISE method (standard DIN 51-084) and no significant difference was found
Analysis of stable isotopes has been used as proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to estimate a contamination source and to determine geological processes. This kind of analysis needs high accuracy and precision for reliable conclusions. Currently, stable isotope analysis is dominated by mass spectrometric techniques that are time consuming and expensive. Here we present a fast and low cost alternative for isotope analysis of boron and magnesium: high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). Two stable isotope systems were evaluated separately: boron (10B:11B) and magnesium 24Mg:25Mg:26Mg). Their isotope amount ratios were estimated by monitoring their absorption spectra in-situ generated monohydrides. The molecular absorption spectrum of a XH molecule (X= B or Mg) with n isotopes would be a linear combination of n isotopologue spectra and the amount of each component (isotope) could be calculated by a multivariate regression (n= 2 and 3 for B and Mg respectively). For the Analysis of boron certified reference materials (CRM), the band 1→1 for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π was measured around wavelength 437.1 nm. Since boron has a Memory effect in graphite furnaces, a combination of 2 % (v/v) hydrogen gas in argon, 1 % trifluoromethane in argon, an acid solution of calcium chloride and mannitol as chemical modifiers were used during the BH vaporization at 2600 °C. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples was applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotope ratios for PLS regression was created. Magnesium does not have memory effect. Therefore, only 2 % of hydrogen in argon as gas modifier during vaporization at 2500 °C was employed for analysis of magnesium CRM. Absorption spectra of MgH for the X2Σ→A2Π electronic transition (band 0→0) were recorded around wavelength 513.45 nm. A similar PLS procedure to the BH was applied. Results for B and Mg CRM are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. An accuracy of 0.08 ‰ for B and 0.1 ‰ Mg was obtained as the average deviation from the isotope CRM. Expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 range between 0.10 - 0.40 ‰.
Following fluorinated drugs by molecular absorption spectrometry – from cancer cells to body fluids
(2018)
Fluorine has been widely introduced into pharmaceutical drugs. Due to the high C-F bond strength, a single atom substitution with fluorine produces drastic desirable and tunable changes in the molecular properties. However, the clinical monitoring of these drugs is not straightforward.
Organofluorine compounds are elusive for a non-targeted analysis; a significant problem in fluorine determination is the lack of suitable detection techniques. Standard atomic absorption and emission spectrometers cannot access fluorine, because their resonance lines lie in the VUV spectral range below 100 nm. In the case of conventional inductively coupled argon plasmas (ICP), the plasma energy is too low to generate a significant population of excited fluorine atoms. Recently, our group introduces high-resolution continuum source absorption spectrometry (HR-CS MAS) as a new way for the indirect monitoring of fluorinated compounds. Main benefits of HR-CS-MAS includes low limits of detection, complete analyte recovery, simple to no sample preparation, and short time analysis.
Currently, two main high speed processes can be investigated: electromagnetic absorption and electromagnetic scattering. At the summer university of the School of Analytical Sciences Adlershof (SALSA-HU), a series of 5 articles were presented to ilustrate the potential of ultrafast spectroscopy, from IR band assignment to monitoring time resolved structural changes. First, by studying light absorption is possible to do assignment and interpretation of IR bands in small molecules and to study the influence of ligands or labeled molecules in protein structures. Second, by studying light scattering is possible to monitoring photoinduced structural changes in solid materials.
This presentation contains a study of photoinduced structural changes monitored by light scattering in condensed matter.
Boron presents two stable isotopes, 10B and 11B and due to their relatively large mass difference (~ 10%) isotope fractionation leads to considerable isotope amount ratio variations n(10B)/n(11B) in natural occurrence. These have been used as a proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to estimate a contamination source and to the determination of geological processes by erosion or subduction. Additionally, boron is employed in the nuclear industry due to the capability of its isotope 10B to thermal-neutron capture and therefore 10B enriched boric acid solutions are used in the cooling system of thermonuclear facilities and in the alloying of steel and carbides for protective shielding. Usually, isotope ratio variations are determined by mass spectroscopic methods.
Here an alternative faster and low cost method for isotope ratio determination is proposed: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Boron isotope amount ratios have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of boron monohydride (BH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. Bands (0→0) and (1→1) for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π were evaluated around wavelengths 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm respectively. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression was built. Results obtained around the 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm spectral regions are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Moreover, a precision and accuracy of the method of ± 0.5 ‰ for the evaluated spectral region around 437.1 nm is reported here. This accuracy and precision is comparable with those obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for boron isotope ratio measurements.
Analysis of stable isotopes has been used as proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to estimate a contamination source and to determine geological processes. This kind of analysis needs high accuracy and precision for reliable conclusions. Currently, stable isotope analysis is dominated by mass spectrometric techniques that are time consuming and expensive. Here we present a fast and low cost alternative for isotope analysis of boron and magnesium: high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). Two stable isotope systems were evaluated separately: boron (10B:11B) and magnesium (24Mg:25Mg:26Mg). Their isotope amount ratios were estimated by monitoring their absorption spectra in-situ generated monohydrides. The molecular absorption spectrum of a XH molecule (X= B or Mg) with n isotopes would be a linear combination of n isotopologue spectra and the amount of each component (isotope) could be calculated by a multivariate regression (n= 2 and 3 for B and Mg respectively). For the analysis of boron certified reference materials (CRM), the band 1→1 for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π was measured around wavelength 437.1 nm. Since boron has a memory effect in graphite furnaces, a combination of 2 % (v/v) hydrogen gas in argon, 1 % trifluoromethane in argon, an acid solution of calcium chloride and mannitol as chemical modifiers were used during the BH vaporization at 2600 °C. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples was applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotope ratios for PLS regression was created. Magnesium does not have memory effect. Therefore, only 2 % of hydrogen in argon as gas modifier during vaporization at 2500 °C was employed for analysis of magnesium CRM. Absorption spectra of MgH for the X2Σ→A2Π electronic transition (band 0→0) were recorded around wavelength 513.45 nm. A similar PLS procedure to the BH was applied. Results for B and Mg CRM are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. An accuracy of 0.08 ‰ for B and 0.1 ‰ Mg was obtained as the average deviation from the isotope CRM. Expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 range between 0.10 - 0.40 ‰.
Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) Atomic Section Student Award.
Magnesium is a major element in the hydrosphere and biosphere and plays important roles in (bio-) geochemical and physiological cycles. Mg has three stable isotopes, 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg. It is due to their relatively large mass difference (~8% between) that isotope fractionation leads to slight variations of isotope amount ratios in biological, environmental and geological samples. Traditionally, isotope ratios are measured by mass spectrometric methods. Their drawbacks include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate time-consuming chromatographic sample preparation.
Recently, optical spectrometric methods have been proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements by means of high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS), and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS).
For the determination of Mg isotope ratios in selected rock reference materials, the molecular spectrum of the in-situ generated MgF and MgO molecules were studied and their results compared with MC-ICP-MS. By HR-CS-MAS, samples were dissolved by acid digestion and Mg isotopes analyzed with and without matrix. The absorption spectrum was recorded for MgF for the electronic transitions X 2Σ → A 2 Πi, and X 2Σ → B 2Σ+. In the case of LAMIS, we investigated the MgF molecule for the electronic transition A 2Πi → X 2Σ, as well as direct analysis by the MgO molecule for the electronic transition A 1Π+ → X 1Σ. The MgF and MgO spectra are described as the linear combination of their isotopic components or isotopologues: 24MgF, 25MgF, and 26MgF for the MgF and 24MgO, 25MgO, and 26MgO for the MgO. The isotope analysis was done by deconvolution of the MgF spectrum by partial least square regression (PLS) calibrated with enriched isotope spikes. Results were accurate with precisions ranging between 0.2 ‰ and 0.8 ‰ (2 SD, n= 10) for HR-CS-GFMAS. No statistically significant differences were observed for samples w/o matrix extraction. On the other hand, LAMIS allows the direct analysis of solid samples with the extended possibility of direct analysis, however the precision is lower due the lack of solid isotopic calibration standards.
Advances and Applications of Molecular Absorption Spectrometry: from Non-Metals to Isotope Analysis
(2020)
The present work covers two main aspects of high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS), an analytical technique for elemental trace analysis.
First, a comprehensive mechanistic study of molecule formation in graphite furnaces is presented, which is a key step into the recovery of analytical signals. For this, the molecule formation of CaF was studied, which is used for the indirect analytical determination of fluorine in HR-CS-GFMAS. A zirconium coating catalyzes the CaF formation, and its structure was investigated. The kinetics of this reaction was established by monitoring its molecular spectrum at different atomisation temperatures. An Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo-first order reaction with respect to fluorine (n = 1). An intermediate state was isolated, and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), and Raman microspectroscopy. Here a mechanism is proposed, where ZrO2 works as a heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, an intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) is activated, and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface.
Second, analytical methods were developed by using HR-CS-MAS as detector for non-metals and isotope analysis. Therefore, the determination of organic absorbable chlorine in water, the quantification of fluorine in consume care products with declared perfluorinated ingredients, and the determination of sulfur content in crude oils were investigated. Finally, the high resolution of the instrumentation allows to measure isotopic shifts with high precision in some observed molecular spectra. Consequently, the molecular spectra of enriched isotopes of boron and magnesium were investigated, establishing so the potential of HR-CS-MAS for the accurate and precise determination of isotopic amount ratios.
Magnesium is a major element in the hydrosphere and biosphere, and it is direct correlated with the carbon cycle. Therefore, the study of its isotopic fractionation in sediments and sea water helps to understand the earth’s climate and global warming. Mg has three stable isotopes, 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg, and traditionally isotope amount ratios are measured by mass spectrometric methods. Their drawbacks include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate time-consuming chromatographic sample preparation. Recently, an optical spectrometric method has been proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios: high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS).
For the determination of Mg isotope ratios in selected rock reference materials, the high-resolution molecular absorption spectrum of in-situ generated MgF molecule was studied applying multivariate analysis and the results compared with MC-ICP-MS. Samples were dissolved by acid digestion and Mg isotopes analyzed with and without matrix extraction. The absorption spectra were recorded for MgF for the electronic transition X 2Σ → B 2Σ+. The MgF spectrum is described as the linear combination of their isotopic components or isotopologues: 24MgF, 25MgF, and 26MgF. The isotope analysis was done by deconvolution of the MgF spectrum by partial least square regression (PLS). A PLS model was built and calibrated with enriched isotope spikes and certified reference materials. Spectra data was preprocessed by a derivate of second order and venetian blinds cross-validation was employed for finding the optimum latent variables. Finally, the model was refined by a genetic algorithm which identified the best subset of variables for a precise and accurate regression. Results are compatible with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS with an accuracy of ± 0.3‰ with uncertainties ranging between 0.02 to 0.6‰. This accuracy and precision discriminate the isotope fractionation in geological samples, and it is suitable for earth’s climate studies.
High-Resolution Continuum Source Molecular Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS) with graphite furnace atomizers has been successfully used for the analytical determination of non-metals. The use of permanent modifiers (or coatings) for molecule formation is necessary, but their mechanisms of action remain unclear. In order to understand and improve the current analytical methods, we present a comprehensive mechanistic study of molecule formation in graphite furnaces: a key step into the recovery of analytical signals. Therefore, a well-known system for fluorine determination was studied: the molecule formation of CaF, with Zr as permanent modifier. Through a kinetic approach, an Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo first order reaction respect to F-. By spectroscopic methods (XPS, XAS, EDX) it was possible to elucidate an intermediate state. Here a mechanism is proposed, where ZrO2 works as heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, it is activated to the intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface. With this analytical information, improved surface modifications and coatings for graphite furnaces can be designed and some of them, for example with Zr nanoparticle and Zr xerogels are here presented.
Small variations in the isotopic composition of some elements have been used as proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to describe geological processes, and to estimate a contamination source. Routinely, isotope compositions are measured by mass spectrometry; the working horse of the isotope analysis. However, mass spectrometric methods are expensive, time-consuming and they require a high qualified analyst.
Here, an alternative faster and low-cost optical method for isotope ratio determination is investigated: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount composition of X = Li, B, Mg, Ca and Sr have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectra of their in situ generated hydrides (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. For example, the system of two stable isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) was studied via its hydride for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π (Fig. 1a). The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, isotopic composition of samples and reference materials are calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library is built by using samples with known isotope composition. Results are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. [1] Similar results are obtained for n isotope systems like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shift of their isotopologues can be resolved as shown in Fig.1 b. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca and Sr is discussed [2].
References:
[1] C. Abad, S. Florek, H. Becker-Ross, M.-D. Huang, H.-J. Heinrich, S. Recknagel, J. Vogl, N. Jakubowski, U. Panne, Determination of boron isotope ratios by high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry using graphite furnace vaporizers, Spectrochim. Acta, Part B, 136 (2017) 116-122.
[2] C. Abad et al., unpublished results, 2018.
Magnesium is a naturally occurring element that can be found in several mineral forms in the earth crust. This element presents three stable isotopes 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg with a natural abundance of 79%, 10%, and 11% respectively. It is due to their relatively large mass difference (~8% between 24Mg and 26Mg) that isotope fractionation leads to slight isotope amount ratio variations n(26Mg)/n(24Mg) in biological and geological samples. Traditionally, isotope amount ratios have been measured by mass spectrometric methods. However, drawbacks of these methods include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate chromatographic sample preparation which are time-consuming. Recently, optical spectrometric methods have been proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements by means of high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). For the determination of Mg isotope amount ratios, the molecular spectrum of the in-situ generated MgF and MgO molecules were studied. In the case of HR-CS-GFMAS, the absorption spectrum was recorded for MgF for the electronic transitions X 2Σ → A 2 Πi and X 2Σ → B 2Σ+ around wavelengths 358 nm and 268 nm respectively. In the case of LAMIS, it was studied the MgF molecule for the electronic transitions A 2Πi → X 2Σ as well as the MgO molecule for the electronic transition A 1Π+ → X 1Σ around 500 nm. The MgF and MgO spectra are composed by the linear combination of their isotopic components or isotopologues: 24MgF, 25MgF, and 26MgF for the MgF and 24MgO, 25MgO, and 26MgO for the MgO (F is monoisotopic, and the isotope composition of O is assumed as constant). By HR-CS-GFMAS the analysis of Mg was done by deconvolution of the MgF spectrum by a partial least square regression (PLS) calibrated with enriched isotope spikes. The isotope amount ratios in rock samples with and without matrix separation were analyzed. Resulting delta values were obtained with precisions ranging between 0.2-0.5 ‰. On the other hand, LAMIS allows the direct analysis of solid samples with the extended possibility of in-situ analysis. Main advantages, limitations, and scopes of both optical techniques are going to be discussed and compared with MC-ICP-MS.
Der Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Preis 2022 wurde am 23.06.2022 anlässlich der analytica conference in München an Dr. Carlos Abad verliehen - in Anerkennung seiner exzellenten Entwicklungen im Bereich der continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (CS-AAS).
Dr. Carlos Abad ist ein herausragender Experte auf dem Gebiet der Atom- und molekularen Absorptionsspektrometrie. insbesondere trug er maßgeblich zur substanziellen Weiterentwicklung von Echelle-Spektrometern für die CS-AAS bei. So gelang es, einen quantitativen Zugang zu Elementen wie Bor, Chlor, Fluor und Schwefel, mittels AAS zu erreichen. Erstmals demonstriert Dr. Carlos Abad am Beispiel eines Zr-Modifier, dass durch die Zeitauflösung der eingesetzten Echelle-Systeme mechanistische Untersuchungen zur Wirkung des Modifiers im Graphitrohrofen möglich sind.
Besonders hervorzuheben sind seine Arbeiten zum Einsatz der CS-AAS für die Analyse von Isotopen, die eine Genauigkeit aufweist, welche an die der Multikollektor-induktiv gekoppelten Plasma-Massenspektrometrie (MC-ICP-MS) heranreicht. Damit ergeben sich völlig neue Einsatzmöglichkeiten für technologisch hochrelevante Applikationen, wie z.B. die Untersuchung der Alterung von Lithium-Batterien oder die Lithium-Analyse in Blutserum.
Is it a parmesan cheese from Italy? Who painted the Mona Lisa? The determination of the place of origin is essential for consumer protection, detection of falsifications, and also to bring justice.
All the tangible possess an isotopic fingerprint. However, current technologies are too expensive. We work on the development of fast and low-cost optical instruments and methods for isotope analysis.
Boron presents two stable isotopes, 10B and 11B and due to their relatively large mass difference (~ 10%) isotope fractionation leads to considerable isotope amount ratio variations n(10B)/n(11B) in natural occurrence. These have been used as a proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to estimate a contamination source and to the determination of geological processes by erosion or subduction. Additionally, boron is employed in the nuclear industry due to the capability of its isotope 10B to thermal-neutron capture and therefore 10B enriched boric acid solutions are used in the cooling system of thermonuclear facilities and in the alloying of steel and carbides for protective shielding. Usually, isotope ratio variations are determined by mass spectroscopic methods.
Here an alternative faster and low cost method for isotope ratio determination is proposed: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Boron isotope amount ratios have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of boron monohydride (BH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. Bands (0→0) and (1→1) for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π were evaluated around wavelengths 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm respectively. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression was built. Results obtained around the 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm spectral regions are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Moreover, a precision and accuracy of the method of ± 0.5 ‰ for the evaluated spectral region around 437.1 nm is reported here. This accuracy and precision is comparable with those obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for boron isotope ratio measurements.
Variations in the isotope amount composition of some elements like lithium, boron, magnesium, calcium, copper and strontium have been used as proof of provenance of a sample and to describe geological processes. Routinely, isotope compositions are determinate by mass spectrometry; the working horse of the isotope analysis. However, mass spectrometric methods are expensive, time consuming and they require a high qualified analysist.
Here an alternative faster and low cost optical method for isotope ratio determination is proposed: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount composition of X= Li, B, Mg, Ca, Cu and Sr have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of their monohydride (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. For example, for the three Mg isotopes (24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg) band (0→0) for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π was evaluated around wavelength 513.4 nm (Fig. 1). Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression were built. Results are metrological compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods.
Isotope analysis can be used to determine the age and provenance of geological samples. Modern techniques in optical spectrometry allow us a stand-off isotope analysis. This seminar will discuss how planetary science with the next Moon and Mars missions drive optical spectrometry into precise and accurate isotope analysis and how BAM will contribute.
Boron and Magnesium present two and three stable isotopes respectevely. It is due to their relatively large mass difference (~ 10%) that isotope fractionation leads to considerable isotope amount ratio variations in the nature. These have been used as a proof of provenance of mineral and biological samples, to estimate a contamination source and to the determination of geological processes by erosion or subduction. Additionally, boron is employed in the nuclear industry due to the capability of its isotope 10B to thermal-neutron capture and therefore 10B enriched boric acid solutions are used in the cooling system of thermonuclear facilities and in the alloying of steel and carbides for protective shielding. Traditionally, isotope ratio variations have been determined by mass spectroscopic methods.
Here an alternative faster and low cost method for isotope ratio determination is proposed: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Isotope amount ratios have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of boron monohydride (BH) for boron and Magnesium monofluoride (MgF) for magnesium in a graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. Bands (0→0) and (1→1) were evaluated. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression was built. Results obtained are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Moreover, a precision and accuracy of the method of ± 0.5 ‰. This accuracy and precision is comparable with those obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) for boron isotope ratio measurements
Is it a parmesan cheese from Italy? Who painted the Mona Lisa? The determination of the place of origin is essential for consumer protection, detection of falsifications, and also to bring justice.
All the tangible possess an isotopic fingerprint. However, current technologies are too expensive. We work on the development of fast and low-cost optical instruments and methods for isotope analysis.
We propose an alternative faster and low-cost optical method for isotope analysis: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS).
Stable isotope amount composition of X = Li, B, Mg, Ca and Sr were determined by monitoring the absorption spectra of their in situ generated mono-hydrides (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. Isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) were studied via their hydrides for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π (Fig. 1a). The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, the isotopic composition of samples can be calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library is built by using samples with known isotope composition. Results with an accuracy of 0.15 ‰ are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Similar results are obtained for n isotope systems like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shifts of their isotopologues can be resolved as shown in Fig.1b. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca and Sr is discussed.
Variations in the isotope amount composition of some elements like lithium, boron, magnesium, calcium and copper have been used as proof of provenance of a sample and to describe geological processes. Routinely, isotope compositions are determinate by mass spectrometry; the working horse of the isotope analysis. However, mass spectrometric methods are expensive, time consuming and they require a high qualified analysist.
Here an alternative faster and low cost optical method for isotope ratio determination is proposed: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount composition of X= Li, B, Mg, Ca, Cu and Sr have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of their monohydride (XH) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS.
Magnesium is a major element in the hydrosphere and biosphere and plays important roles in (bio-) geochemical and physiological cycles. Mg has three stable isotopes, 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg. It is due to their relatively large mass difference (~8% between) that isotope fractionation leads to slight variations of isotope amount ratios in biological, environmental and geological samples. Traditionally, isotope amount ratios are measured by mass spectrometric methods. Their drawbacks include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate time-consuming chromatographic sample preparation. Recently, an optical spectrometric method has been proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios: high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS).
For the determination of Mg isotope ratios in selected rock reference materials, the high-resolution molecular absorption spectrum of in-situ generated MgF molecule was studied applying multivariate analysis and the results compared with MC-ICP-MS. Samples were dissolved by acid digestion and Mg isotopes analyzed with and without matrix. The absorption spectra were recorded for MgF for the electronic transition X 2Σ → B 2Σ+. The MgF spectrum is described as the linear combination of their isotopic components or isotopologues: 24MgF, 25MgF, and 26MgF. The isotope analysis was done by deconvolution of the MgF spectrum by partial least square regression (PLS). A PLS model was built and calibrated with enriched isotope spikes and certified reference materials. Spectra data was preprocessed by a derivate of second order and venetian blinds cross-validation was employed for finding the optimum latent variables. Finally, the model was refined by a genetic algorithm which identified the best subset of variables for a precise and accurate regression. Results are compatible with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS with an accuracy of ± 0.3‰ with uncertainties ranging between 0.02 to 0.6‰.
Isotope analysis can be used to determine the age and provenance of geological samples or to study dynamic systems like Li-ion batteries. Modern techniques in optical spectrometry allow us a fast and slow-cost isotope analysis. These techniques include high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry. This seminar will discuss our recent work on precise and accurate isotope analysis of boron, magnesium, and lithium with geology, climate, and energy research applications.
Magnesium (Mg) is a major element in a range of silicate and carbonate minerals, the hydrosphere and biosphere and plays important roles in (bio-) geochemical and physiological cycles. Mg has three stable isotopes, 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg with natural abundances of 79 %, 10 %, and 11 %, respectively. It is due to their relatively large mass difference (~8% between 24Mg and 26Mg) that isotope fractionation leads to slight variations of isotope amount ratios n(26Mg)/n(24Mg) in biological, environmental and geological samples. Traditionally, isotope ratios are measured by mass spectrometric methods and isotope ratios are expressed as deviation from an internationally agreed upon material, i.e. the zero-point of the δ-value scale. Drawbacks of this method include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate, time-consuming chromatographic sample preparation.
Recently, optical spectrometric methods have been proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements by means of high- resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR- CS-GFMAS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS).
For the determination of Mg isotope amount ratios, the molecular spectrum of the in-situ generated MgF and MgO molecules were studied. In the case of HR-CS-GFMAS, the absorption spectrum was recorded for MgF for the electronic transitions X2Σ → A2Πi and X 2Σ → B2Σ+ around wavelengths 358 nm and 268 nm, respectively. In the case of LAMIS, we investigated the MgF molecule for the electronic transition A2Πi → X2Σ as well as the MgO molecule for the electronic transition A1Π+ → X1Σ around 500 nm. The MgF and MgO spectra are described by the linear combination of their isotopic components or isotopologues: 24MgF, 25MgF, and 26MgF for the MgF and 24MgO, 25MgO, and 26MgO for the MgO (F is monoisotopic, and the isotope composition of O is assumed as constant). By HR-CS-GFMAS the analysis of Mg was done by deconvolution of the MgF spectrum by partial least square regression (PLS) calibrated with enriched isotope spikes. Isotope amount ratios in rock samples with and without matrix separation were analyzed. Calculated δ-values were accurate and obtained with precisions ranging between 0.2 ‰ and 0.5 ‰ (1 SD, n = 10). On the other hand, LAMIS allows the direct analysis of solid samples with the extended possibility of in-situ analysis. Main advantages, limitations, and scopes of both optical techniques are going to be discussed and compared to MC-ICP-MS.
Analytical applications of high resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry
(2017)
High-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS) has been apply for the determination of non-metals and isotope analysis, extending so the application range of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). This seminar is divides in two main parts. First, here is presented a comprehensive mechanistic study of molecule formation in graphite furnaces, a key step into the recovery of analytical signals in AAS and MAS. Therefore, a well-known system for fluorine determination was studied: the molecule formation of CaF, with Zr as permanent modifier. Through a kinetic approach, an Arrhenius behaved pseudo first order reaction respect to F- was observed and by spectroscopic methods (XPS, XAS, EDX) an intermediate state was possible to be elucidated. Here it is proposed a mechanism, where zirconium works as heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, it is activated the intermediate ZrO(OCaF) and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface. Second, we have developed analytical methods using HR-CS-MAS as detector for quantification of fluorine in consume-care products with declared per-fluorinated ingredients. Ad, the high resolution of the instrumentation allows identify isotopic shifts in some observed molecular spectra. Consequently, the molecular spectra of enriched isotopes of B were investigated and so the potential of HR-CS-MAS for the determination of isotopic ratios is established.
Mass spectrometric methods (MC-ICP-MS and TIMS) are without doubt the working horse of stable isotope analysis. However, drawbacks of these methods include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate chromatographic sample preparation which are time consuming.
We propose a lower-cost and faster optical alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements: high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Stable isotope amount compositions of boron (B) and magnesium (Mg) were determined based on the absorption spectra of in-situ generated mono-hydrides and halide (MH and MX) using graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. The use of a modular simultaneous echelle spectrograph (MOSES) helps to find the maximal isotope shift in the diatomic molecular spectra produced in a graphite furnace by using isotopic spike solutions. Isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) were studied via their hydrides for the electronic transition X 1Σ+ → A 1Π. The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, the isotopic composition of samples can be calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library was built by using samples and spikes with known isotope composition. Boron isotope ratios measured by HR-CS-MAS are identical with those measured by mass spectrometric methods at the 0.15 ‰ level. Similar results were obtained for a multiple isotope system like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shifts of their isotopologues can be resolved in the MgF molecule for the electronic transition X 2Σ → A 2 Πi. The extension of this methodology to other elements like Li, Ca, Cu, and Sr is discussed.
Mass spectrometric Methods MC-ICP-MS and TIMS) are without doubt the working horse of stable isotope analysis. However, drawbacks of these methods include the high costs for instruments and their operation, experienced operators and elaborate chromatographic sample preparation which are time consuming.
Optical spectrometric methods are proposed as faster and low-cost alternative for the analysis of isotope ratios of selected elements by means of high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). First, stable isotope amount compositions of boron (B) and magnesium (Mg) were determined based on the absorption spectra of in-situ generated heteronuclear diatomic molecules (MH or MX) in graphite furnace HR-CS-MAS. The use of a modular simultaneous echelle spectrograph (MOSES) helps to find the maximal isotope shift in the diatomic molecular spectra produced in a graphite furnace by using isotopic spike solutions. Isotopes of boron (10B and 11B) were studied via their hydrides for the electronic transition X 1Σ+ → A 1Π. The spectrum of a given sample is a linear combination of the 10BH molecule and its isotopologue 11BH. Therefore, the isotopic composition of samples can be calculated by a partial least square regression (PLS). For this, a spectral library was built by using samples and spikes with known isotope composition. Boron isotope ratios measured by HR-CS-MAS are identical with those measured by mass spectrometric methods at the 0.15 ‰ level. Similar results were obtained for a multiple isotope system like Mg (24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg), where isotope shifts of their isotopologues can be resolved in the MgF molecule for the electronic transition X 2Σ → A 2 Πi. Finally, the application of molecular spectrometry via emission by LAMIS is compared and discussed.
Simultaneous multielemental analysis of crude oils by high-resolutions absorption spectrometry
(2019)
When crude oil arrives at a refinery it needs a lot of processing before it is suitable for cracking into lighter fractions. Sulfur has to be extracted to meet ultra-low sulfur legislation for most of the fuel grades, and desalination is a crucial process as chlorine within salts is corrosive to refinery equipment. Measuring the amounts of sulfur and chlorine within crude oil is the first step in a complex clean-up process.
Heavy metals, such as vanadium, nickel and iron need to be removed too. These metals can poison the catalyst used to crack the oil into lighter fractions. This is costly as it reduces the useful life of the catalyst. Like chlorine, heavy metals also have a corrosive effect on the plant. There is some evidence that the presence of some metals in the final product can reduce performance.
A fast determination of elements and size of suspended particles is vital for diagnosis and safeguard of refinery equipment. However, sample preparation for current analytical methods consumes precious time and lost particle size information.
High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFAS) is proposed as a fast analytical method for elemental determination in crude oils and potentially for simultaneous multielement and particle size analysis. This HR-CS-GFAS instrumentation is coupled to a modular simultaneous echelle spectrometer (MOSES) and provides a full optical window with high resolution (from 180 to 900 nm with bandwidth λ/170,000). By using this set-up, it is possible to generate a multiparameter 3D spectral image (atomic and molecular lines, isotopic shift, atomization delay, and intensities). The generated spectral images can be analyzed by multivariate regressions for the elemental and particle size analysis. Additionally, if several atomic and molecular lines are simultaneously measured, they may be used in multi-energy calibration (MEC), a method based on the use of many wavelengths of the same absorbing/emitting entity to improve the accuracy in analytical atomic spectrometry. This MEC approach combined with multivariate image analysis allows the quantification of selected elements (Si, Al, Ni, Fe, V, S, and Cl) and overcomes matrix effects.
Advances and Applications of Molecular Absorption Spectrometry: from Non-Metals to Isotope Analysis
(2019)
The present work covers two main aspects of high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS), an analytical technique for elemental trace analysis.
First, a comprehensive mechanistic study of molecule formation in graphite furnaces is presented, which is a key step into the recovery of analytical signals. For this, the molecule formation of CaF was studied, which is used for the indirect analytical determination of fluorine in HR-CS-GFMAS. A zirconium coating catalyzes the CaF formation, and its structure was investigated. The kinetics of this reaction was established by monitoring its molecular spectrum at different atomisation temperatures. An Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo-first order reaction with respect to fluorine (n = 1). An intermediate state was isolated, and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), and Raman microspectroscopy. Here a mechanism is proposed, where ZrO2 works as a heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, an intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) is activated, and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface.
Second, analytical methods were developed by using HR-CS-MAS as detector for non-metals and isotope analysis. Therefore, the determination of organic absorbable chlorine in water, the quantification of fluorine in consume care products with declared perfluorinated ingredients, and the determination of sulfur content in crude oils were investigated. Finally, the high resolution of the instrumentation allows to measure isotopic shifts with high precision in some observed molecular spectra. Consequently, the molecular spectra of enriched isotopes of boron and magnesium were investigated, establishing so the potential of HR-CS-MAS for the accurate and precise determination of isotopic amount ratios.
Zusammenfassung
Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit zwei zentralen Aspekten der High-Resolution-Continuum-Source-Molekülabsorptionsspektrometrie mit Graphitrohrtechnik (HR-CS-GFMAS), einer Analysetechnik für elementare Spurenanalyse.
Der erste Teil der Arbeit umfasst eine mechanistische Studie zur Molekülbildung auf Graphitoberflächen. Dies ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um analytische Signale zu entdecken. Dazu wurde die Molekülbildung von CaF analysiert, welches für die indirekte, analytische Bestimmung von Fluor in HR-CS-GFMAS genutzt wird. Die CaF Bildung wurde mittels einer Beschichtung aus Zirconium katalysiert und deren Struktur analysiert. Die Kinetik dieser Reaktion wurde durch Beobachtung des jeweiligen Molekülspektrums bei verschiedenen Atomisierungstemperaturen beobachtet. Ein Arrheniusplot zeigte für Fluor (n = 1) eine Reaktion Pseudo-erster Ordnung. Ein Übergangszustand wurde über die mit Zirconium überzogene Grafitoberfläche isoliert und seine Struktur mittels spektroskopischer Methoden Energiedispersive Rasterelektronenmikroskopie / Röntgenspektroskopie (REM-EDX), Röntgenphoto¬elektronenspektroskopie (XPS), Röntgenabsorptionsspektroskopie (XAS) und Raman Spektroskopie untersucht. Auf Grundlage dieser Ergebnisse wird ein Mechanismus vorgeschlagen, bei dem ZrO2 als heterogener Katalysator fungiert; in Folge einer Pyrolysestufe wird ein Übergangszustand des ZrO(OCaF) aktiviert, welcher bei höheren Temperaturen CaF(g) an der Zirconium-Graphitoberfläche freisetzt.
Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit werden Analysemethoden entwickelt, in dem HR-CS-MAS als Detektor für Nichtmetalle und Isotopanalyse angewandt wird. Hierfür wurde organisch gebundenes Chlor im Wasser bestimmt, der Fluorgehalt in Pflegeprodukten mit perfluorierten Inhaltsstoffen quantifiziert und der Schwefelgehalt in Erdöl untersucht. Weiterhin ermöglicht die hohe Auflösung der Messgeräte eine präzise Bestimmung der Isotopenverschiebung einiger untersuchter Molekülspektren. Daher wurden die Molekülspektren angereicherter Bor- und Magnesiumisotope untersucht. Auf diese Weise wurde das Potential von HR-CS-MAS für die akkurate und präzise Bestimmung von Isotop-Mengenverhältnissen nachgewiesen.
An alternative method for lithium isotope analysis by using high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-AAS) is proposed herein. This method is based on monitoring the isotope shift of approximately 15 pm for the electronic transition 22P←22S at around the wavelength of 670.8 nm, which can be measured by state-of-the-art HR-CS-AAS. Isotope analysis can be used for (i) the traceable determination of Li concentration and (ii) isotope amount ratio analysis based on a combination of HR-CS-AAS and spectral data analysis by machine learning (ML).
In the first case, the Li spectra are described as the linear superposition of the contributions of the respective isotopes, each consisting of a spin-orbit doublet, which can be expressed as Gaussian components with constant spectral position and width and different relative intensity, reflecting the isotope ratio in the sample. Precision was further improved by using lanthanum as internal spectral standard. The procedure has been validated using human serum-certified reference materials. The results are metrologically comparable and compatible with the certified values.
In the second case, for isotope amount ratio analysis, a scalable tree boosting ML algorithm (XGBoost) was employed and calibrated using a set of samples with 6Li isotope amount fractions ranging from 0.06 to 0.99 mol mol−1. The training ML model was validated with certified reference materials. The procedure was applied to the isotope amount ratio determination of a set of stock chemicals and a BAM candidate reference material NMC111 (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2), a Li-battery cathode material. These determinations were compared with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS and found to be metrologically comparable and compatible. The residual bias was −1.8‰, and the precision obtained ranged from 1.9‰ to 6.2‰. This precision was sufficient to resolve naturally occurring variations. The NMC111 cathode candidate reference material was analyzed using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry with and without matrix purification to assess its suitability for technical applications. The results obtained were metrologically compatible with each other.
Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) is a technique for the analysis of solids such as metals, semiconductors, and ceramics. A low-pressure glow discharge plasma is applied in this system, which ‘sputters’ and promotes the sample atoms to a higher energy state. When the atoms return to their ground state, they emit light with characteristic wavelengths, which a spectrometer can detect. Thus, GD-OES combines the advantages of ICP-OES with solid sampling techniques, which enables it to determine the bulk elemental composition and depth profiles. However, direct solid sampling methods such as glow-discharge spectroscopy require reference materials for calibration due to the strong matrix effect.
Reference materials are essential when the accuracy and reliability of measurement results need to be guaranteed to generate confidence in the analysis. These materials are frequently used to determine measurement uncertainty, validate methods, suitability testing, and quality assurance. In addition, they guarantee that measurement results can be compared to recognized reference values. Unfortunately, the availability of certified reference materials suited to calibrate all elements in different matrix materials is limited. Therefore various calibration strategies and the preparation of traceable matrix-matched calibration standards will be discussed.
Machine learning is an essential component of the growing field of data science. Through statistical methods, algorithms are trained to make classifications or predictions, uncovering key insights within data mining projects. Therefore, it was tried in our work to combine GD-OES with machine learning strategies to establish a new and robust calibration model, which can be used to identify the elemental composition and concentration of metals from a single spectrum. For this purpose, copper reference materials from different manufacturers, which contain various impurity elements, were investigated using GD-OES. The obtained spectra information are evaluated with different algorithms (e.g., gradient boosting and artificial neural networks), and the results are compared and discussed in detail.
Heavy alcohol induces several chronic diseases, including cirrhosis. Consequently, cirrhotic patients need liver transplantation. However, alcoholic patients are not suitable for this. How can be physicians sure of non-alcohol consumption of a potential organ receptor? Monitoring of biomarkers by mass spectrometric techniques is today the most suitable option. This subject was discussed at the Graduate School of Analytical Science Adlershof (SALSA) in Berlin, as a part of a lecture series in analytical science.
The mechanism of action of zirconium permanent modifiers on graphite surfaces was investigated in order to understand its influence on the analytical signal in atomic and molecular absorption spectrometry (AAS/MAS). For this, the molecule formation of CaF was studied, which is used for the indirect analytical determination of fluorine in high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). The kinetics of this reaction was established by monitoring its molecular spectrum at different atomisation temperatures. An Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo-first order reaction with respect to fluorine (n = 1). An intermediate state was isolated, and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEMEDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), and Raman microspectroscopy. We propose here a mechanism, where ZrO2 acts as a heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, an intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) is activated, and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface. No evidence of the formation of zirconium carbide was found. Consequently, as the CaF formation is catalysed by a heterogeneous catalyst, surface modifications with ZrO2 nanoparticles and ZrO xerogels were investigated in order to increase the surface area. Their influence was evaluated in the molecule formation of CaF, CaCl, CaBr, and CaI. Graphite furnace modification with zirconium oxide nanoparticles proves to be the best choice for fluorine analysis with a signal enhancement of more than eleven times with respect a non-coated graphite furnace. However, the influence of zirconium modifications in the analytical signals of Cl, and I is lower than the F signals or even negative in case of the Br. Understanding zirconium modifiers as heterogeneous catalysts offers a new perspective to AAS and MAS, and reveals the potential of surface analytical methods for development of improved permanent modifiers and graphite furnace coatings.
Boron isotope amount ratios n(10B)/n(11B) have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of boron monohydride (BH) in a graphite furnace using high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Bands (0→0) and (1→1) for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π were evaluated around wavelengths 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm respectively. Clean and free of memory effect molecular spectra of BH were recorded. In order to eliminate the memory effect of boron, a combination of 2% (v/v) hydrogen gas in argon and 1% trifluoromethane in argon, an acid solution of calcium chloride and mannitol as chemical modifiers was used. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression was built. Results obtained around the 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm spectral regions are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Moreover, for the evaluated region of 437 nm, an accuracy of 0.15‰ is obtained as the average deviation from the isotope reference materials. Expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 range between 0.15 and 0.44‰. This accuracy and precision are compatible with those obtained by mass spectrometry for boron isotope ratio measurements.
A fast and simple method for sulfur quantification in crude oils was developed by using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). For this, heavy crude oil samples were prepared as microemulsion (shake) and injected into a graphite furnace (shut). Finally, the concentration of sulfur was determined by monitoring in situ the transient molecular spectrum of GeS at wavelength 295.205nm after adding a germanium solution as molecular forming agent (and go). Zirconium dioxide in the form of nanoparticles (45–55nm) was employed as a permanent modifier of the graphite furnace. Calibration was done with an aqueous solution standard of ammonium sulfate, and a characteristic mass (m0) of 7.5ng was achieved. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated analizing, ten heavy crude oil samples with Sulfur amounts ranging between 0.3 and 4.5% as well as two NIST standard reference materials, 1620c and 1622e. Results were compared with those obtained by routine ICP-OES analysis, and no statistical relevant differences were found.
High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GF-MAS) was employed for determining adsorbable organic chlorine (AOCl) in water. Organic chlorine was indirectly quantified by monitoring the molecular absorption of the transient aluminum monochloride molecule (AlCl) around a wavelength of 261.42 nm in a graphite furnace. An aluminum solution was used as the molecularforming modifier. A zirconium coated graphite furnace, as well as Sr and Ag solutions were applied as modifiers for a maximal enhancement of the absorption signal. The pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures were 600 °C and 2300 °C, respectively. Non-spectral interferences were observed with F, Br, and I at concentrations higher than 6 mg L-1, 50 mg L-1, and 100 mg L-1, respectively. Calibration curves with NaCl, 4-chlorophenol, and trichlorophenol present the same slope and dynamic range, which indicates the chlorine atom specificity of the method. This method was evaluated and validated using synthetic water samples, following the current standard DIN EN ISO 9562:2004 for the determination of the sum parameter adsorbable organic halides (AOX) for water quality. These samples contain 4-chlorophenol as the chlorinated organic standard in an inorganic chloride matrix. Prior to analysis, organic chlorine was extracted from the inorganic matrix via solid-phase extraction with a recovery rate >95%. There were no statistically significant differences observed between measured and known values and for a t-test a confidence level of 95% was achieved. The limits of detection and characteristic mass were found to be 48 and 22 pg, respectively. The calibration curve was linear in the range 0.1–2.5 ng with a correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9986.
An energy-based method to determine material constants in nonlinear rheology with applications
(2016)
Many polymer-type materials show a rate-dependent and nonlinear rheological behavior. Such a response may be modeled by using a series of spring-dashpot systems. However, in order to cover different time scales the number of systems may become unreasonably large. A more appropriate treatment based on continuum mechanics will be presented herein. This approach uses representation theorems for deriving material equations and allows for a systematic increase in modeling complexity. Moreover, we propose an approach based on energy to determine thematerial parameters.This method results in a simple linear regression problemeven for highly nonlinearmaterial equations. Therefore, the inverse problem leads to a unique solution. The significance of the proposed method is that the stored and dissipated energies necessary for the procedure are measurable quantities. We apply the proposed method to a 'semi-solid' material and measure its material parameters by using a simple-shear rheometer.
A controlled, reproducible, gram-scale method is reported for the covalent functionalization of graphene Sheets by a one-pot nitrene [2+1] cycloaddition reaction under mild conditions. The reaction between commercially available 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine and sodium azide with thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) results in defined dichlorotriazine-functionalized sheets. The different reactivities of the chlorine substituents on the functionalized graphene allow stepwise post-modification by manipulating the temperature.
This new method provides unique access to defined bifunctional 2D nanomaterials, as exemplified by chiral surfaces and multifunctional hybrid architectures.
We developed a rapid and robust HPLC-MS/MS (QqQ) method for the quantification of hepcidin-25, a promising new biomarker in iron metabolism, in human samples. The novelty of the method is the use of special HPLC vials to avoid adsorptive losses due to the basic character of the peptide that causes interaction with the silanol groups of the vial’s glass surface. Up to 90% decrease in the MS/MS signal was observed, when commercial HPLC vials were used, while vials treated with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyldimethoxysilane or 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, leading to no losses in the range of physiological hepcidin-25 mean serum levels (10-20 µg/L).
Hepcidin-25 has attracted much attention ever since its discovery in 2001. It is widely recognized that this liver produced peptide hormone plays a major role in the regulation of iron levels in mammals and can reveal important clinical information about several pathological states in patients suffering from iron-related disorders.
With the aim to tackle the current difficulties in hepcidin quantification and improve the status of this promising biomarker in the clinical field, we developed a rapid and robust analytical strategy for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in human samples based on HPLC-MS/MS (QqQ) to be implemented in routine laboratories. The novelty of the method is the use of special HPLC vials to avoid adsorptive losses due to the basic character of the peptide that causes interaction with the silanol groups of the vial’s glass surface. Up to 90% decrease in the MS/MS signal was observed, when commercial HPLC vials were used, while vials treated with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyl-dimethoxysilane or 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, leading to no significant losses in the dynamic range of physiological hepcidin-25 mean serum levels (10-20 µg/L).
Careful analytical validation was performed for determining the reproducibility, repeatability, limit of quantification (0.5 µg/L) and linearity (0.5-40 µg/L) of the method. Serum samples from 9 healthy volunteers were analyzed with a median hepcidin-25 level of 3.3 µg/L, comparable to results reported in the literature.
Hepcidin-25 has attracted much attention ever since its discovery in 2001. It is widely recognized that this peptide hormone plays a major role in the regulation of iron levels in mammals and can reveal important clinical information about several iron-related disorders. However, the development of a reliable assay to quantify hepcidin proved to be problematic and serum hepcidin-25 concentrations determined by various assays differ substantially. Challenges arise in the MS analysis of hepcidin due to the “sticky” character of the peptide and the lack of suitable standards.
With the aim to tackle the current difficulties in hepcidin quantification and improve the status of this promising biomarker in the clinical field, we developed a rapid and robust analytical strategy for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in human samples based on HPLC-MS/MS (QqQ) as a reference method candidate to be implemented in routine laboratories. The novelty of the method is the use of amino- and fluoro-silanized autosampler vials to reduce hepcidin interaction to laboratory glassware surfaces. Furthermore, we have investigated two sample preparation strategies and two chromatographic separation conditions where the use of acidic mobile phases was compared with a novel approach involving solvents at high pH containing 0.1% of ammonia. Both methods were carefully validated and applied to clinical samples in an intra-laboratory comparison of two LC-MS/MS methods using the same hepcidin-25 calibrators with very good correlation of the results.
HPLC-MS/MS quantification of hepcidin-25, a new promising iron biomarker, in human serum samples
(2017)
Hepcidin-25 has attracted much attention ever since its discovery in 2001. It is widely recognized that this liver produced peptide hormone plays a major role in the regulation of iron levels in mammals. Hepcidin levels could reveal important clinical information about several pathological states in patients suffering from iron-related disorders such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) or hereditary haemochromatosis (HH). Despite significant efforts though, the development of a reliable assay to quantify hepcidin proved to be problematic for the last 15 years.
With the aim to tackle the current difficulties in hepcidin quantification and improve the status of this promising biomarker in the clinical field, we developed a rapid and robust analytical strategy for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in human samples based on HPLC-MS/MS (QqQ) to be implemented in routine laboratories. The novelty of the method is the use of special HPLC vials to avoid adsorptive losses due to the basic character of the peptide that causes interaction with the silanol groups of the vial’s glass surface. Up to 90% decrease in the MS/MS signal was observed, when commercial HPLC vials were used, while vials treated with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyl-dimethoxysilane or 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, leading to no significant losses in the dynamic range of physiological hepcidin-25 mean serum levels (10-20 µg/L).
Careful analytical validation was performed for determining the reproducibility, repeatability, limit of quantification (0.5 µg/L) and linearity (0.5-40 µg/L) of the method. Serum samples from 9 healthy volunteers were analyzed with a median hepcidin-25 level of 3.3 µg/L, comparable to results reported in the literature.
Isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) is emerging in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine as an alternative to immunoassays and is acknowledged as the MS “gold standard” for small biomolecule quantification. Hepcidin-25, a key iron-regulatory peptide hormone discovered in 2000, has revolutionized the understanding of iron disorders and its quantitative determination in biological samples should advance the management of iron-related pathology (diagnosis, prognosis and treatment). This study applied LC-MS/MS, using the triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer, in a rapid and robust analytical strategy for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in human serum, to be implemented in routine laboratories. For this purpose, two sample preparation strategies and two complementary chromatographic separation conditions were investigated, where the use of acidic mobile phases (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid) was compared with a novel approach involving solvents at high pH (containing 0.1% ammonia). The application of these LC-MS/MS methods to human samples in an intra-laboratory comparison, using the same hepcidin-25 calibrators, yielded a very good correlation of the results. The LC-MS/MS employing trifluoroacetic acid-based mobile phases was selected as a highly sensitive (limit of quantification LOQ of 0.5 μg/L) and precise (coefficient of variation CV<15%) method and was recommended as a reference method candidate for hepcidin-25 quantification in real samples (in the dynamic range of 0.5-40 μg/L). One of the novel aspects of the methodology was the use of amino- and fluoro-silanized autosampler vials to reduce the interaction of the 25-residue peptide to laboratory glassware surfaces. Moreover, this LC-MS/MS method was used for an international round robin study, applying a secondary reference material as a calibrator. By determining the degree of equivalence between the results of the ten participating methodologies, the performance of the method developed in this study was found to be in the optimal range as defined by the International Consortium for Harmonization of Clinical Laboratory Results (ICHCLR). In this work, the formation of hepcidin-25 complexes with copper(II) was investigated. The first reversed-phase chromatographic separation of hepcidin-25/Cu2+ and hepcidin-25 (copper “free”) was achieved by applying mobile phases containing 0.1% of ammonia (pH 11). LC-MS/MS and high-resolution mass spectrometry (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS) were applied for the mass spectrometric characterization of the formed hepcidin-25-Cu(II) species at pH values of 11 and 7.4 respectively. A new species corresponding to hepcidin-25 complexed with two copper ions was identified at high pH.
Mass spectrometry-based methods play a crucial role in the quantification of the main iron metabolism regulator hepcidin by singling out the bioactive 25-residue peptide from the other naturally occurring N-truncated isoforms (hepcidin-20, -22, -24), which seem to be inactive in iron homeostasis. However, several difficulties arise in the MS analysis of hepcidin due to the sticky character of the peptide and the lack of suitable standards. Here, we propose the use of amino- and fluoro-silanized autosampler vials to reduce hepcidin interaction to laboratory glassware surfaces after testing several types of vials for the preparation of stock solutions and serum samples for isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS). Furthermore, we have investigated two sample preparation strategies and two chromatographic separation conditions with the aim of developing an LC-MS/MS method for the sensitive and reliable quantification of hepcidin-25 in serum samples. A chromatographic separation based on usual acidic mobile phases was compared with a novel approach involving the separation of hepcidin-25 with solvents at high pH containing 0.1% of ammonia. Both methods were applied to clinical samples in an intra-laboratory comparison of two LC-MS/MS methods using the same hepcidin-25 calibrators with good correlation of the results. Finally, we recommend an LC-MS/MS-based quantification method with a dynamic range of 0.5–40 μg/L for the assessment of hepcidin-25 in human serum that uses TFA-based mobile phases and silanized glass vials.
Predictable Peptide Conjugation Ratios by Activation of Proteins with Succinimidyl Iodoacetate (SIA)
(2017)
The small heterobifunctional linker succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) was examined for the preparation of peptide–protein bioconjugates with predicable conjugation ratios. For many conjugation protocols, the protein is either treated with a reductant to cleave disulfide bonds or is reacted with thiolation chemicals, such as Traut’s reagent. Both approaches are difficult to control, need individual optimization and often lead to unsatisfactory results. In another popular approach, a heterobifunctional linker with a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and a maleimide functionality is applied to the protein. After the activation of some lysine ε-amino groups with the NHS ester functionality, a cysteine-containing peptide is attached to the activated carrier protein via maleimide. Particularly, the maleimide reaction leads to some unwanted byproducts or even cleavage of the linker. Many protocols end up with conjugates with unpredictable and irreproducible conjugation ratios. In addition, the maleimide-thiol addition product should be assumed immunogenic in vivo. To avoid these and other disadvantages of the maleimide approach, we examined the known linker succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) in more detail and developed two protocols, which lead to peptide–protein conjugates with predefined average conjugation ratios. This holds potential to eliminate tedious and expensive optimization steps for the synthesis of a bioconjugate of optimal composition.
Hepcidin-25 was identified as the main iron regulator in the human body, and it by binds to the sole iron-exporter ferroportin. Studies showed that the N-terminus of hepcidin is responsible for this interaction, the same N-terminus that encompasses a small copper(II)-binding site known as the ATCUN (amino-terminal Cu(II)- and Ni(II)-binding) motif. Interestingly, this copper-binding property is largely ignored in most papers dealing with hepcidin-25. In this context, detailed investigations of the complex formed between hepcidin-25 and copper could reveal insight into its biological role. The present work focuses on metal-bound hepcidin-25 that can be considered the biologically active form. The first part is devoted to the reversed-phase chromatographic separation of copper-bound and copper-free hepcidin-25 achieved by applying basic mobile phases containing 0.1% ammonia. Further, mass spectrometry (tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry HRMS)) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were employed to characterize the copper-peptide. Lastly, a three-dimensional (3D)model of hepcidin-25with bound copper(II) is presented. The identification of metal complexes and potential isoforms and isomers, from which the latter usually are left undetected by mass spectrometry, led to the conclusion that complementary analytical methods are needed to characterize a peptide calibrant or reference material comprehensively. Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) and chiral amino acid analysis (AAA) should be considered among others.
Quasi-static dispersion of dusts for the determination of lower explosion limits of hybrid mixtures
(2022)
Knowledge of explosion limiting concentration of explosible materials is necessary forthe design of explosion protection measures. Currently employed methods of testing MEC of a dust cloud or LEL of a hybrid mixture are based on arbitrary assumptionsand possess technical limitations that often lead to values of MEC/LEL, which are unrealistically low or poorly reproducible. This contribution presents an improved method for experimental determination of MEC of a combustible dust cloud or LEL of a flammable gas or hybrid mixture. The new setup operates under laminar conditions and allows a uniform suspension of dust particles in an open top acrylic glass tube. Dust concentration is measured with the help of infrared sensors installed a few centimeters above and below the ignition source. In order to evaluate the dependence of MEC on flow front velocity, MEC of lycopodium was determined at four flow velocities. The results show that the flow field intensity does not significantly influence the MEC of lycopodium for the flow ranges tested in this work. Moreover, LEL of hybrid mixtures of lycopodium and methane was also tested at flow velocities of 4.7 cm/s, 5.8 cm/s, 7 cm/s and 11 cm/s and compared with the values obtained from other sources. The results suggest that the requirement of high energy pyrotechnical igniter may be relinquished, provided that a truly homogeneous suspension of dust particles could be achieved. Moreover, the effect of relative amount of dust and gas, on the course of ignition and flame propagation in hybrid mixtures at their LEL, was studied by the help of high speed videos. For hybrid mixtures of carbonaceous dusts (like lycopodium) at their LEL, ignition occurs in the gas phase, however, flame propagation is only possible through a two-way interaction of dust and gas during the course of combustion.
Starch is one of the most common and easily obtained natural polymers, making it attractive as a potential bio-based alternative to synthetic polymers. This study shows that a simple quaternary ammonium salt combined with urea or glycols forms effective modifiers that produce flexible plastics with good mechanical properties that are comparable to some polyolefin plastics. The processing conditions are shown to significantly affect the structure of the polymer which has a concomitant effect upon the mechanical and physical properties of the resulting plastic. Using a glycerol based modifier results in a totally sustainable and biodegradable material which can be injection moulded.
We report on the mechanical properties of Cu–Nb alloys produced by combinatorial magnetron sputtering.
Depending on the composition, the microstructure is either fully amorphous (~30–65 at.% Cu), a dispersion of Cu crystallites in an amorphous matrix (~70 at.%), or a dominant crystalline phase with separated nanoscale amorphous zones (~80 at.% Cu). Nanomechanical probing of the different microstructures reveals that the hardness of the fully amorphous alloy is much higher than a rule of mixture would predict. We further demonstrate a remarkable tunability of the resistance to plastic flow, ranging from ca. 9 GPa in the amorphous regime to ca. 2 GPa in the fully crystalline regime. We rationalize these findings based on fundamental structural considerations, thereby highlighting the vast structure-property design space that this otherwise immiscible binary alloy provides.
Black microcolonial fungi (MCF) are persistent inhabitants of rock surfaces in hostile desert environments. In these niches, MCF have evolved mineral-weathering and symbiotic capabilities as well as mechanisms to cope with multiple stresses such as solar irradiation, temperature extremes and low water activity. Due to their stress tolerance these ascomycetes are prominent in modern terrestrial ecosystems – like man-made material surfaces from roof to solar panels. MCF interactive capabilities support their facultative symbiotic relationships with cyanobacteria and ensure their rock-weathering geochemical activity.
Using the rock-inhabiting fungus K. petricola A95 (Chaetothyriales), we developed transformation protocols and deleted genes responsible for production of the protective pigments melanins and carotenoids. To confirm that the mutant phenotypes were not due to hidden mutations, melanin synthesis was restored by complementing the mutants with the respective wild type genes. Strains of K. petricola carrying gene variants for fluorescent proteins EGFP and DsRed are available. We successfully labelled the cytoplasm, nuclei, peroxisomes and mitochondria. Targeted and ectopic integrations result in stable transformants suitable for further phenotypical characterization. As K. petricola is a non-pathogenic fungus with all characteristic features of MCF, including meristematic growth, melanized cell-walls, extracellular polymeric substances and extensive pigment production, our results will shed light on protective role of pigments during cell wall maturation and oxidative stress defence in rock-inhabiting MCF. Genes involved in environmental sensing or substrate and phototroph interactions are currently targeted. With the help of a mutant collection and fluorescently labelled K. petricola we will be able to investigate interactions of MCF with environmental stressors, mineral substrates, soil matrices and phototrophic symbionts.
Plants and microorganisms, besides the climate, drive nitrogen (N) cycling in ecosystems. Our objective was to investigate N losses and N acquisition strategies along a unique ecosystem-sequence (ecosequence) ranging from arid shrubland through Mediterranean woodland to temperate rainforest. These ecosystems differ in mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperate, and vegetation cover, but developed on similar granitoid soil parent material, were addressed using a combination of molecular biology and soil biogeochemical tools. Soil N and carbon (C) contents, δ15N signatures, activities of N acquiring extracellular enzymes as well as the abundance of soil bacteria and fungi, and diazotrophs in bulk topsoil and rhizosphere were determined. Relative fungal abundance in the rhizosphere was higher under woodland and forest than under shrubland. This indicates toward plants' higher C investment into fungi in the Mediterranean and temperate rainforest sites than in the arid site. Fungi are likely to decompose lignified forest litter for efficient recycling of litter-derived N and further nutrients. Rhizosphere—a hotspot for the N fixation—was enriched in diazotrophs (factor 8 to 16 in comparison to bulk topsoil) emphasizing the general importance of root/microbe association in N cycle. These results show that the temperate rainforest is an N acquiring ecosystem, whereas N in the arid shrubland is strongly recycled. Simultaneously, the strongest 15N enrichment with decreasing N content with depth was detected in the Mediterranean woodland, indicating that N mineralization and loss is highest (and likely the fastest) in the woodland across the continental transect. Higher relative aminopeptidase activities in the woodland than in the forest enabled a fast N mineralization. Relative aminopeptidase activities were highest in the arid shrubland. The highest absolute chitinase activities were observed in the forest. This likely demonstrates that (a) plants and microorganisms in the arid shrubland invest largely into mobilization and reutilization of organically bound N by exoenzymes, and (b) that the ecosystem N nutrition shifts from a peptide-based N in the arid shrubland to a peptide- and chitin-based N nutrition in the temperate rainforest, where the high N demand is complemented by intensive N fixation in the rhizosphere.
Herein, two polyurethane oligomers were successfully synthesized using a prepolymer mixing process. The prepolymers were synthesized based on the step-growth addition polymerization of polypropylene glycol, Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate. Isopropanol was functioned as the isocyanate blocking agent. Thereafter, different terpolymer emulsions were prepared by the emulsion graft copolymerization with the vinyl acetate monomer in presence of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate as a vinyl monomer. The chemical structures of the synthesized oligomeric monomers were probed by FTIR spectroscopy and found to vary with the content of acrylic monomer used in the oligomer synthesis phase (i.e.hydroxyethyl acrylate or hydroxyethyl methacrylate). The topography, thermal stability, and particle size of terpolymers were investigated by SEM, TGA, and zeta potential, respectively. The TGA results demonstrated marked enhancement in thermal stability of the synthesized terpolymers up to ca. 600°C, which was concurrent with enhanced surface homogeneity and film properties as evidenced by the SEM images. These terpolymers showed also property enhancement as binders for textile pigment printing in terms of rubbing resistance, color strength and fastness to washing when compared to the commercial binders.
These judgments would provide a new competent synthesis route by introducing polyurethane acetate vinyl acrylate as the binder for use in pigment printing of cotton fabrics.
Explosion regions of propane, isopropanol, acetone, and methyl acetate/inert gas/air mixtures
(2016)
The explosion regions for propane, isopropanol, acetone, and methyl acetate with air in the presence of nitrogen, argon, helium, and carbon dioxide were determined experimentally according to EN 14756/EN1839, method T. Except for propane, all the measurements were executed at 323 K and 1 bar. Propane experiments were carried out at 293 K and 1 bar. The results show that for the same type of inert gas, propane, isopropanol, and acetone have great closeness concerning the concentration of the inert gas at the apex of the explosion envelope in a ternary diagram with air as oxidizer. This leads to consistency in the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) and minimum required amount of inert gas (MAI) values. Concerning methyl acetate, the apex was always reached at higher percentages of inert gases compared with the other fuels. This can be attributed to the presence of two oxygen atoms inside the chemical structure. Calculation of the explosion regions was carried out based on calculated adiabatic flame temperature (CAFT) method. The flame temperatures for the experimentally determined fuel/air/N2 mixtures were calculated. Then, these temperatures were used to predict the explosion limits of similar mixtures with other inert gases than nitrogen. The modeling results show reasonable agreement with the experimental results.
The explosion regions of 1-propanol, 2-propanol, acetone and 1-butanol in air were measured in the presence of CO2, He, N2 and Ar in accordance with EN1839 method T at high temperatures and at atmospheric pressure. The experimental results show that 1-propanol, 2-propanol and acetone have very similar lower explosion limits (LELs). 1-Butanol shows a slightly wider explosion area near the LEL line. In addition, the explosion regions of all combustible/inert gas/air mixtures were calculated with the method of constant adiabatic flame temperature profiles (CAFTP), using the flame temperature profile along the explosion region boundary curve of each combustible/N2/air mixture as a reference to determine the explosion regions of combustible/inert gas/air mixtures with inert gases other than N2 at different initial temperatures. To calculate the explosion regions for systems containing He, the calculation method was modified to include the very different physical transport properties of He. Moreover, the procedure for calculating the apexes in the ternary explosion diagrams was modified. The calculation results show good agreement with the experimental results.
In this study, experimental determination and modelling investigations for the explosion regions of 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/N2O and 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/air mixtures were carried out and compared. The experimental measurements were carried out at 338 K and atmospheric pressure according to EN1839 method T using the inert gases N2, CO2, He and Ar. The results showed that the ratio of the lower explosion limit in N2O (LELN2O) to the lower explosion limit in air (LELair) is 0.52 and the ratio of the maximum oxygen content in air (MOCair) to the limiting oxidizer fraction in nitrous oxide (LOFN2O) is 0.36 ± 0.02 independent of the inert gas. When comparing the inert gas amount at the apex based on the pure oxidizing component, which is O2 in case of air, N2O-containing mixtures need less inert gas to reach the limiting oxidizer quantity whereas the efficiency of inert gases is in the same order. The coefficients of nitrogen equivalency however were found to differ to some extent. The explosion regions of 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/oxidizer mixtures were modelled using the calculated adiabatic flame temperature profile (CAFTP) method as well as corrected adiabatic flame temperatures. The results indicate good agreement with experimental data for CO2, N2 and Ar- containing mixtures. The noticeable deviations that occur when He is the inert gas are due to the lacking transport data of that mixture.
Immunoassays based on the detection of the antibody -Antigen interaction belong to the most important analytical techniques.
Electrochemical methods in immunoassays are increasingly used as they offer some advantages as being fast, simple, portable and cheap detection methods.
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that occurs naturally as an Alkaloid of the Coca plants. It is frequently detected on bank notes and in wastewater.
Immunoassays based on the detection of the antibody-antigen interaction belong to the most important analytical techniques.
Electrochemical methods in immunoassays are increasingly used as they offer some Advantages as being fast, simple, portable and cheap detection methods.
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that occurs naturally as an Alkaloid of the Coca plants. It is frequently detected on bank notes and in wastewater.
Microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for the trace analysis of cocaine in water and body fluids
(2018)
Quick but accurate testing and on‐the‐spot monitoring of cocaine in oral fluids and urine continues to be an important toxicological issue. In terms of drug testing, a number of devices have been introduced into the market in recent decades, notably for workplace inspection or roadside testing. However, these systems do not always fulfill the requirements in terms of reliability, especially when low cut‐off levels are required. With respect to surface water, the presence of anthropogenic small organic molecules such as prescription and over‐the‐counter pharmaceuticals as well as illicit drugs like cannabinoids, heroin, or cocaine, has become a challenge for scientists to develop new analytical tools for screening and on‐site analysis because many of them serve as markers for anthropogenic input and consumer behavior. Here, a modular approach for the detection of cocaine is presented, integrating an electrochemical enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed on antibody‐grafted magnetic beads in a hybrid microfluidic sensor utilizing flexible tubing, static chip and screen‐printed electrode (SPE) elements for incubation, recognition, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. A linear response of the sensor vs. the logarithm of cocaine concentration was obtained with a limit of detection of 0.15 ng/L. Within an overall assay time of 25 minutes, concentrations down to 1 ng/L could be reliably determined in water, oral fluids, and urine, the system possessing a dynamic working range up to 1 mg/L.
Microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for the trace analysis of cocaine in water and body fluids
(2018)
Quick but accurate testing and on‐the‐spot monitoring of cocaine in oral fluids and urine continues to be an important toxicological issue. In terms of drug testing, a number of devices have been introduced into the market in recent decades, notably for workplace inspection or roadside testing. However, these systems do not always fulfill the requirements in terms of reliability, especially when low cut‐off levels are required. With respect to surface water, the presence of anthropogenic small organic molecules such as prescription and over‐the‐counter pharmaceuticals as well as illicit drugs like cannabinoids, heroin, or cocaine, has become a challenge for scientists to develop new analytical tools for screening and on‐site analysis because many of them serve as markers for anthropogenic input and consumer behavior. Here, a modular approach for the detection of cocaine is presented, integrating an electrochemical enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed on antibody‐grafted magnetic beads in a hybrid microfluidic sensor utilizing flexible tubing, static chip and screen‐printed electrode (SPE) elements for incubation, recognition, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. A linear response of the sensor vs. the logarithm of cocaine concentration was obtained with a limit of detection of 0.15 ng/L. Within an overall assay time of 25 minutes, concentrations down to 1 ng/L could be reliably determined in water, oral fluids, and urine, the system possessing a dynamic working range up to 1 mg/L.
This study focused on quantitative detection of cocaine on Euro banknotes in Germany. A sensitive direct competitive immunoassay was developed and optimized with a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.6 ng/L. Exhaustive cocaine extraction by solvent was tested using different methanol concentrations and buffered solutions. Crossreactivity studies were performed to determine the degree of interference of cocaine metabolites with the immunoassay. Sixty-five Euro banknotes obtained from different districts in Berlin were evaluated. A 100% contamination frequency with cocaine was detected. A comparison between the amount of cocaine extracted by cotton swabbing of one square centimeter of the banknote showed a good correlation for lower contamination levels. This assay showed high sensitivity of detecting pg of cocaine per 1 cm2 of one banknote by swabbing 1 cm2: 0, 14, and 21 pg/cm2. Moreover, three notes of different denominations revealed high cocaine concentration; 1.1 mg/note, and twice 55 μg/note.
Over the years, industrial and human activities and agricultural practices have caused a serious threat to human health and the environment. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that these activities are responsible for the presence of pollutants in the soil, air and water.
Water is one of the most strategic issues today, as it is associated with the living world. Therefore, water pollution is becoming a universal scourge that leads to environmental degradation, decrease of water quality and threatens public health.
Water pollution is mainly due to the discharge of certain harmful chemical compounds that are not very or not at all biodegradable (phenolic compounds, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, dyes, pesticides, etc.) by various industries: chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, food processing, etc. The impact of these industrial effluents on fauna and flora is very harmful. A sensitization of the socio-economic actors and the public, accompanied by a severe regulation in relation to the discharges, would contribute to fight against this drift, but also, by the development of effective methods allowing to remove these pollutants, not only in an analytical purpose but also of depollution.
Thus and within the framework of the preservation of an environment with regard to any anthropogenic activity, our research topic relates to the use of original biosourced polymeric phases for the extraction of the organic compounds and the heavy metals in aqueous mediums.
Therefore, we have proceeded to the synthesis and characterization of a large variety of monomers, polymers and cross-linked materials. These products, partially derived from biomass, contain various functional groups with the ability to interact with chemical components without discriminating effect.
The developed polymer phases have been successfully used for the adsorption of some organic pollutants and heavy metals in synthetic aqueous solutions.
One of the major challenges in chemical synthesis is to trigger and control a specific reaction route leading to a specific final product, while side products are avoided. Methodologies based on resonant processes at the molecular level, for example, photochemistry, offer the possibility of inducing selective reactions. Electrons at energies below the molecular ionization potential (<10 eV) are known to dissociate molecules via resonant processes with higher cross sections and specificity than photons. Here we show that even subexcitation electrons with energies as low as 1 eV produce ethylene and acetylene from dimethyl sulfide in competing reactions. However, the production of ethylene can specifically be targeted by controlling the energy of electrons (∼3 to 4 eV). Finally, pure ethylene is selectively desorbed by heating the substrate from 90 to 105 K. Beyond the synthesis of these versatile hydrocarbons for various industrial applications from a biogenic sulfur compound, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of electron-induced selective chemistry applicable on the nanoscale.
Iron aluminides depict a sustainable and light-weight material class which could be employed in many applications requiring high strength at intermediate to high temperatures. According to first results, the alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B surpasses conventional materials in wet corrosion resistance and creep resistance up to 650 °C. For these reasons, the AiF research project “WAFEAL – Materials applications for iron aluminides” was initiated to transfer these findings into a standardised materials dataset and to derive best practices for processing. In the first place, a set of different microstructures adjusted by varying casting methods, wall thicknesses and heat treatments was investigated and correlated with hardness on macro and micro scale. Correlations were drawn between solidification rates and resulting grain sizes and hardness. The effect of vacancy hardening was only verified for wall thickness as low as 2.5 mm. Moreover, a common decrease of macrohardness after a heat treatment at 1000 °C for 100 h was observed irrespective of casting process or wall thickness. This effect was linked with an unexpected decrease of the complex boride phase fraction which acts as a hardening phase.
Due to the increasing scarcity of critical raw materials current high-temperature materials are sought to be replaced by alloys based on more abundant metals. One possibility within the class of intermetallics are iron aluminides, which combine sustainability and cost-efficiency with the prospect of mass savings. Iron aluminides show competitive specific strength up to 700 °C and excellent creep and wet corrosion resistance by small additions of Mo, Ti and B. Nevertheless, a Mo content of above 2 at.% which is needed for optimum corrosion resistance results in enhanced brittleness, especially at room temperature. This is why alloys with these Mo fractions were only mechanically tested under compressive loading so far. Still, testing of static and creep properties under tensile loading is required for reliable component design. Besides high standards for crack-free processing, data acquisition for tensile loads is especially complicated by environmental embrittling effects for iron aluminides. To cope with these challenges, the AiF research project “WAFEAL – Materials applications for iron aluminides” was initiated. The main goal is to collect standardised data on ambient and high-temperature tensile properties and creep properties. Samples with a nominal composition of Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B [at.%] were manufactured via centrifugal casting in ceramic shell moulds followed by machining. Heat treatment for homogenisation and final polishing were carried out where appropriate. A summary of the achieved tensile and creep properties such as yield and tensile strength, maximum elongation, secondary creep rate and stress exponents will be given. Results will be also discussed regarding the influence of temperature, stress level and microstructure on the damage mechanisms. Furthermore, the effect of different alloy concentrations on the mechanical response at different temperatures will be outlined within a small experimental series.
With an increasing demand in more efficient fuel consumption to reduce CO2 emissions, weight reductions in high-temperature materials at affordable costs gain increasing attention. One potential candidate is the intermetallic material class of iron aluminides, combining the advantages in mass savings, high temperature performance and recyclability of resources. The alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B was selected to study the microstructural features evolving from two casting processes, five wall thicknesses and three final conditions. Conclusions are drawn upon the correlations of processing variables, grain sizes and hardness.
Iron aluminides, already reported in the late 19th century, did not cease to attract the interest of scientists and engineers ever since. Besides good oxidation resistance, low density and resource availability, potentials for hightemperature strengths that compete with high-alloy steels were unlocked by low alloy contents. Still, research on alloy design continues, as alloying usually comes at the price of brittleness in low-temperature regimes. A potential candidate is the quinary Fe–Al–Mo–Ti–B system which is strengthened by solid solution and eutectic borides. It was shown to have good strength and outstanding creep resistance under compressive loading up to elevated temperatures. Although the individual effect of alloy additions is well understood in iron aluminides, little is known about the combined effects of alloying concentrations on microstructure, phase stability and mechanical properties. Therefore a systematic study of two Ti-doped near-Fe3Al alloys with varying contents of Mo (2–4 at.%) and B (0.5–1 at.%) was conducted. In total eight different alloys were fabricated by investment casting into ceramic shell molds. Alloys were characterized and compared by grain size, phase transitions, microstructure evolution as well as elemental compositions and volume fractions of phases. For mechanical characterization, macrohardness and microhardness tests as well as tensile tests at ambient and high tempera tures were conducted. Independent of alloy additions, alloys with 24–25 at.% Al exhibit superior proof strength due to a higher matrix hardness. Decreasing B content generally decreases strength by lower secondary phase fractions which contribute via particle hardening. Reducing Mo content decreases both the solute concentration in the matrix and secondary phase fractions. Surprisingly, strength is similar or even superior to alloys with higher Mo content. Strength relations are discussed with a focus on solid-solution hardening theory and other competing strengthening mechanisms.
The increasing importance of resource availability and closed-loop material cycles are driving materials research to reduce alloying content in conventional materials or even substitute them with more sustainable alternatives. Intermetallic iron aluminide alloys (FeAl) present a potential alternative. Many alloy concepts for improved high-temperature properties or ductility have already been successfully implemented in casting technologies on a laboratory scale. However, successful testing of FeAl alloys on an industrial scale was still pending at the beginning of the project.
Therefore, the aim of the project was to develop simulation-based casting concepts for industrial casting processes using the base alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B and to narrow down process limits by means of hot cracking tests. Findings were transferred into practice-oriented guidelines for casting of iron aluminides, which is accessible to future applicants in SMEs. The focus was placed on centrifugal casting combined with investment casting or die casting. In addition to numerous design and casting process parameters, heat treatments and alloying additions (Al, Mo, B) were varied to determine the influence of alloying elements on castability, microstructure and mechanical properties. Data from microstructure analyses (microscopic imaging, determination of grain sizes as well as phase compositions and volume fractions, fractography), mechanical tests (hardness measurements, compression tests, ambient and high-temperature tensile tests, creep tests) as well as measurements of thermophysical properties could be generated on the base alloy. Correlations of materials data with process variables allowed conclusions to be drawn on strengthening mechanisms and ductility of the alloy and how they can be controlled in terms of processing and component design. Successful casting of highly complex components with thin wall thicknesses and optimised alloy compositions points out prospects for new fields of application.
The increasing importance of resource availability and closed-loop material cycles are driving materials research to reduce alloying content in conventional materials or even substitute them with more sustainable alternatives. Intermetallic iron aluminide alloys (FeAl) present a potential alternative. Many alloy concepts for improved high-temperature properties or ductility have already been successfully implemented in casting technologies on a laboratory scale. However, successful testing of FeAl alloys on an industrial scale was still pending at the beginning of the project.
Therefore, the aim of the project was to develop simulation based casting concepts for industrial casting processes using the base alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B and to narrow down process limits by means of hot cracking tests. Findings were transferred into practice-oriented guidelines for casting of iron aluminides, which is accessible to future applicants in SMEs. The focus was placed on centrifugal casting combined with investment casting or die casting. In addition to numerous design and casting process parameters, heat treatments and alloying additions (Al, Mo, B) were varied to determine the influence of alloying elements on castability, microstructure and mechanical properties. Data from microstructure analyses (microscopic imaging, determination of grain sizes as well as phase compositions and volume fractions, fractography), mechanical tests (hardness measurements, compression tests, ambient and high-temperature tensile tests, creep tests) as well as measurements of thermophysical properties could be generated on the base alloy. Correlations of materials data with process variables allowed conclusions to be drawn on strengthening mechanisms and ductility of the alloy and how they can be controlled in terms of processing and component design. Successful casting of highly complex components with thin wall thicknesses and optimised alloy compositions points out prospects for new fields of application.
Ultrafast laser processing can be used to realize various morphological surface transformations, ranging from direct contour shaping to large-area-surface functionalization via the generation of “self-ordered” micro- and nanostructures as well as their hierarchical hybrids. Irradiation with high-intensity laser pulses excites materials into extreme conditions, which then return to equilibrium through these unique surface transformations. In combination with suitable top-down or bottom-up manufacturing strategies, such laser-tailored surface morphologies open up new avenues toward the control of optical, chemical, and mechanical surface properties, featuring various technical applications especially in the fields of photovoltaics, tribology, and medicine. This article reviews recent efforts in the fundamental understanding of the formation of laser-induced surface micro- and nanostructures and discusses some of their emerging capabilities.
In 2018, the production of Municipal SolidWaste (MSW) in EU-28 reached 250.6 Mt, with the adoption of different management strategies, involving recycling (48 wt %), incineration and thermal valorization (29 wt %) and landfilling (23 wt %). This work was based on the analysis of the baseline situation of MSW management in EU-28 in 2018, considering its progress in 2008–2018, and discussed the possible improvement perspectives based on a framework involving incineration and recycling as the only possible alternatives, specifically evaluating the capability of already-existing incineration plants to fulfill the EU needs in the proposed framework. The results of the assessment showed two main crucial issues that could play a pivotal role in the achievement of Circular Economy action plan targets: the need to increase the recycling quotas for specific MSW fractions through the separate collection, and therefore the improvement of definite treatment process chains; the optimization of the recovery of secondary raw materials from incineration bottom ash, involving the Recycling of ferrous and nonferrous metals and the mineral fraction. Both issues need to find an extensive application across all member states to decrease the actual differences in the adoption of sustainable MSW management options.
The main obstacle to bottom ash (BA) being used as a recycling aggregate is the content of salts and potential toxic elements (PTEs), concentrated in a layer that coats BA particles. This work presents a dry treatment for the removal of salts and PTEs from BA particles. Two pilotscale abrasion units (with/without the removal of the fine particles) were fed with different BA samples. The performance of the abrasion tests was assessed through the analyses of particle size and moisture, and that of the column leaching tests at solid-to-liquid ratios between 0.3 and 4.
The results were: the particle-size distribution of the treated materials was homogeneous (25 wt % had dimensions <6.3 mm) and their moisture halved, as well as the electrical conductivity of the leachates. A significant decrease was observed in the leachates of the treated BA for sulphates (44%), chlorides (26%), and PTEs (53% Cr, 60% Cu and 8% Mo). The statistical analysis revealed good correlations between chloride and sulphate concentrations in the leachates with Ba, Cu, Mo, and Sr, illustrating the consistent behavior of the major and minor components of the layer surrounding BA particles. In conclusion, the tested process could be considered as promising for the improvement of BA valorization.
The main obstacle to bottom ash (BA) being used as a recycling aggregate is the content of salts and potential toxic elements (PTEs), concentrated in a layer that coats BA particles. This work presents a dry treatment for the removal of salts and PTEs from BA particles. Two pilotscale abrasion units (with/without the removal of the fine particles) were fed with different BA samples. The performance of the abrasion tests was assessed through the analyses of particle size and moisture, and that of the column leaching tests at solid-to-liquid ratios between 0.3 and 4. The results were: the particle-size distribution of the treated materials was homogeneous (25 wt % had dimensions <6.3 mm) and their moisture halved, as well as the electrical conductivity of the leachates. A significant decrease was observed in the leachates of the treated BA for sulphates (44%),
chlorides (26%), and PTEs (53% Cr, 60% Cu and 8% Mo). The statistical analysis revealed good correlations between chloride and sulphate concentrations in the leachates with Ba, Cu, Mo, and Sr, illustrating the consistent behavior of the major and minor components of the layer surrounding BA particles. In conclusion, the tested process could be considered as promising for the improvement of BA valorization.
The present work shows results on elemental distribution analyses in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for solar cells performed by use of wavelength-dispersive and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) in a scanning electron microscope, EDX in a transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron, angle-dependent soft X-ray emission, secondary ion-mass (SIMS), time-of-flight SIMS, sputtered neutral mass, glow-discharge optical emission and glow-discharge mass, Auger electron, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, by use of scanning Auger electron microscopy, Raman depth profiling, and Raman mapping, as well as by use of elastic recoil detection analysis, grazing-incidence X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction, and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis. The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films used for the present comparison were produced during the same identical deposition run and exhibit thicknesses of about 2 µm. The analysis techniques were compared with respect to their spatial and depth resolutions, measuring speeds, availabilities, and detection limits.
The tetragonal crystal- structure type of chalcopyrites (chemical formula AIBIIICVI2) is a superstructure of sphalerite type. The c/a ratio differs generally from the ideal value 2, i.e., the crystal structure is pseudocubically distorted. For CuInSe2 and CuGaSe2 thin films, simulations demonstrate that it is theoretically possible to reveal the tetragonality in electron backscatter-diffraction (EBSD) patterns for CuGaSe2, whereas it may not be possible for CuInSe2. EBSD experiments on CuGaSe2 thin films using the ”Advanced Fit” band-detection method show that it is possible to extract accurate misorientation-angle distributions from the CuGaSe2 thin film. Pole figures revealing the texture of the CuGaSe2 thin film are shown, which agree well with X-ray texture measurements from the same layer.
The Infrastar training school provides lectures and hands-on training to Master and PhD students, early-stage researchers and (young) professionals on all aspects of asset management of civil infrastructures with respect to fatigue of materials. It is organized yearly since 2019 and up to 20 profiles are selected to attend the 3.5-day training.
A team of 7 teachers provides insight in multi-disciplinary and intersectoral basic concepts in three core fields, ranging from the design to the dismantling of the structures (bridges and wind turbines):
1. Monitoring and auscultation,
2. Structural and action models,
3. Reliability, risk and decision analyses.
Each year, a recognized expert is invited to deliver a keynote lecture to raise interest in a specific aspect of one of the fields covered. The presentation is recorded and published on the training school website.
"INFRASTAR aims to develop knowledge, expertise and skills for optimal and reliable management of structures. The generic methodology is applied to bridges and wind turbines in relation to fatigue offering the opportunity to deal with complementary notions (such as old and new asset management, unique and similar structures, wind and traffic actions) while addressing 3 major challenges: 1/ advanced modelling of concrete fatigue behaviour, 2/new non destructive testing methods for early aged damage detection and 3/probabilistic approach of structure reliability under fatigue. Benefit of cross-experience and inter-disciplinary synergies creates new knowledge. INFRASTAR proposes innovative solutions for civil infrastructure asset management so that young scientists acquire a high employment profile in close dialogue between industry and academic partners. Modern engineering methods, including probabilistic approaches, risk and reliability assessment tools, will take into account the effective structural behaviour of existing bridges and wind turbines by exploiting monitored data. Existing methods and current state-of -the art is based on excessive conservatism which produces high costs and hinders sustainability. INFRASTAR improves knowledge for optimising the design of new structures, for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of future lifetime of the existing structures. That is a challenge for a sustainable development because it reduces building material and energy consumption as well as CO2 production. Within the global framework of optimal infrastructure asset management, INFRASTAR will result in a multi-disciplinary body of knowledge covering generic problems from the design stage process of the new civil infrastructures up to recycling after dismantlement. This approach and the proposed methods and tools are new and allow a step forward for innovative and effective process."
Fatigue is one of the most prevalent issues, which directly influences the service life expectancy of concrete structures. Fatigue has been investigated for years for steel structures. However, recent findings suggest that concrete structures may also be significantly subjected to the fatigue phenomena that could lead to premature failure of certainfatigue prone structural elements. To date, fatigue of reinforced concrete has been given little focus. and Kknowledge on the influence factors and durability/capacity effects on this material should be improved. Current technological means to measure fatigue in civil structures like bridges and wind turbines (both onshore and offshore) are outdated, imprecise and inappropriate.
Meanwhile, this topic has got much more attention as dynamic loading on concrete structures plays an increasing role, e.g. in bridges with increasing traffic and heavier trucks, in wind energy production due to inherent vibrations e.g. in offshore wind turbine support structures affected by wind and waves.
The European Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project INFRASTAR (Innovation and Networking for Fatigue and Reliability Analysis of Structures - Training for Assessment of Risk) provides research training for 12 PhD students. The project aims to improve knowledge for optimizing the design of new structures as well as for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of the remaining fatigue lifetime of existing structures.
First, the INFRASTAR research framework is detailed. Then it will be exemplified through the presentation of the major results of the four PhD students involved in the work package dealing with auscultation and monitoring. This includes the development and improvement of Fiber Optics (FO) and Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) for crack sizing and imagery, new sensor technologies and integration, information management, monitoring strategy for fatigue damage investigation and lifetime prediction.
Fatigue is one of the most prevalent issues, which directly influences the service life expectancy of concrete structures. Fatigue has been investigated for years for steel structures. However, recent findings suggest that concrete structures may also be significantly subjected to fatigue phenomena that could lead to premature failure of certain structural elements. To date, fatigue of reinforced concrete has been given little focus. Knowledge on the influence factors and durability/capacity effects on this material should be improved. Current technological means to measure fatigue in civil structures like bridges and wind turbines (both onshore and offshore) are outdated, imprecise and inappropriate.
Meanwhile, this topic has got much more attention as time-variant loading on concrete structures plays an increasing role, e.g. in bridges with increasing traffic and heavier trucks, and for wind turbines for renewable energy production, e.g. for offshore wind turbine support structures affected by wind and waves.
The European Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project INFRASTAR (Innovation and Networking for Fatigue and Reliability Analysis of Structures - Training for Assessment of Risk) provides research training for 12 PhD students. The project aims to improve knowledge for optimizing the design of new structures as well as for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of the remaining fatigue lifetime of existing concrete structures.
First, the INFRASTAR research framework is detailed. Then it will be exemplified through the presentation of the major results of the four PhD students involved in the work package dealing with auscultation and monitoring. This includes the development and improvement of Fiber Optics (FO) and Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) for crack sizing and imagery, new sensor technologies and integration, information management, monitoring strategy for fatigue damage investigation and lifetime prediction.
The Infrastar training school provides lectures and hands-on training to Master and PhD students, early-stage researchers and (young) professionals on all aspects of asset management of civil infrastructures with respect to fatigue of materials. It is organized yearly since 2019 and up to 20 profiles are selected to attend the 3.5-day training.
A team of 7 teachers provides insight in multi-disciplinary and intersectoral basic concepts in three core fields, ranging from the design to the dismantling of the structures (bridges and wind turbines):
1. Monitoring and auscultation,
2. Structural and action models,
3. Reliability, risk and decision analyses.
Each year, a recognized expert is invited to deliver a keynote lecture to raise interest in a specific aspect of one of the fields covered. The presentation is recorded and published on the training school website.
Monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles as reference material candidate for particle size measurements
(2020)
In order to utilize and rationally design materials at the nanoscale the reliable characterization of their physico-chemical properties is highly important, especially with respect to the assessment of their environmental or biological impact. Furthermore, the European Commission’s REACH Regulations require the registration of nanomaterials traded in quantities of at least 1 ton. Powders or dispersions where 50% (number distribution) of the constituent particles have sizes ≤ 100 nm in at least one dimension are defined as nanomaterials. This creates a need for industrial manufacturers and research or analytical service facilities to reliably characterize potential nanomaterials. Currently, BAM is developing reference nanoparticles, which shall expand the scarce list of worldwide available nano reference materials certified for particle size distribution and will also target other key parameters like shape, structure, porosity or functional properties. In this respect, materials like iron oxide or titanium dioxide are considered as candidates to complement the already available silica, Au, Ag, and polystyrene reference nanoparticles.
The thermal decomposition of iron oleate precursors in high boiling organic solvents can provide large quantities of iron oxide nanoparticles that can be varied in size and shape.[1, 2] The presence of oleic acid or other hydrophobic ligands as capping agents ensures stable dispersion in nonpolar solvents. Such monodisperse, spherical particles were synthesized at BAM and pre-characterized by electron microscopy (TEM, SEM including the transmission mode STEM-in-SEM) and dynamic light scattering comparing cumulants analysis and frequency power spectrum.
1. REACH regulations and nanosafety concerns create a strong need for nano reference materials with diverse properties.
2. Iron oxide nanoparticles are under development as new candidate reference material at BAM.
3. Narrow particle size distribution confirmed by light scattering and electron microscopy.
Iron Oxide Nanocubes as a New Certified Reference Material for Nanoparticle Size Measurements
(2023)
The rational design and increasing industrial use of nanomaterials require a reliable characterization of their physicochemical key properties like size, size distribution, shape, and surface chemistry. This calls for nanoscale reference materials (nanoRMs) for the validation and standardization of commonly used characterization methods closely matching real-world nonspherical nano-objects. This encouraged us to develop a nonspherical nanoRM of very small size consisting of 8 nm iron oxide nanocubes (BAM-N012) to complement spherical gold, silica, and polymer nanoRMs. In the following, the development and production of this nanoRM are highlighted including the characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as complementary methods for size and shape parameters, homogeneity and stability studies, and calculation of a complete uncertainty budget of the size features. The determination of the nanocubes’ edge length by TEM and SAXS allows a method comparison. In addition, SAXS measurements can also provide the mean particle number density and the mass concentration. The certified size parameters, area equivalent circular diameter and square edge length, determined by TEM with a relative expanded uncertainty below 9%, are metrologically traceable to a natural constant for length, the very precisely known (111) lattice spacing of silicon. Cubic BAM-N012 qualifies as a certified nanoRM for estimating the precision and trueness, validation, and quality assurance of particle size and shape measurements with electron microscopy and SAXS as well as other sizing methods suitable for nanomaterials. The production of this new iron oxide nanocube RM presents an important achievement for the nanomaterial community, nanomaterial manufacturers, and regulators.
Tracking waterborne microplastic (MP) in urban areas is a challenging task because of the various sources and transport pathways involved. Since MP occurs in low concentrations in most wastewater and stormwater streams, large sample volumes need to be captured, prepared, and carefully analyzed. The recent research in urban areas focused mainly on MP emissions at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as obvious entry points into receiving waters. However, important transport pathways under wet-weather conditions are yet not been investigated thoroughly. In addition, the lack of comprehensive and comparable sampling strategies complicated the attempts for a deeper understanding of occurrence and sources. The goal of this paper is to (i) introduce and describe sampling strategies for MP at different locations in a municipal catchment area under dry and wet-weather conditions, (ii) quantify MP emissions from the entire catchment and two other smaller ones within the bigger catchment, and (iii) compare the emissions under dry and wet-weather conditions. WWTP has a high removal rate of MP (>96%), with an estimated emission rate of 189 kg/a or 0.94 g/[population equivalents (PEQ · a)], and polyethylene (PE) as the most abundant MP. The specific dry-weather emissions at a subcatchment were ≈30 g/(PEQ · a) higher than in the influent of WWTP with 23 g/(PEQ · a). Specific wet-weather emissions from large sub-catchment with higher traffic and population densities were 1952 g/(ha · a) higher than the emissions from smaller catchment (796 g/[ha · a]) with less population and traffic. The results suggest that wet-weather transport pathways are likely responsible for 2–4 times more MP emissions into receiving waters compared to dry-weather ones due to tire abrasion entered from streets through gullies. However, more investigations of wet-weather MP need to be carried out considering additional catchment attributes and storm event characteristics.
Phosphotyrosine residues are essential functional switches in health and disease. Thus, phosphotyrosine biomimetics are crucial for the development of chemical tools and drug molecules. We report here the discovery and investigation of pentafluorophosphato amino acids as novel phosphotyrosine biomimetics. A mild acidic pentafluorination protocol was developed and two PF5-amino acids were prepared and employed in peptide synthesis. Their structures, reactivities, and fluorine-specific interactions were studied by NMR and IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and in bioactivity assays. The mono-anionic PF5 motif displayed an amphiphilic character binding to hydrophobic surfaces, to water molecules, and to protein-binding sites, exploiting charge and H−F-bonding interactions. The novel motifs bind 25- to 30-fold stronger to the phosphotyrosine binding site of the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B than the best current biomimetics, as rationalized by computational methods, including molecular dynamics simulations.
Modeling of silicon surface topographies induced by single nanosecond laser pulse induced melt-flows
(2019)
Irradiation with a single nanosecond laser pulse in the melting regime can result in a characteristic change in the surface morphology of crystalline silicon. This has been verified experimentally in a variety of situations, where dimple-shaped surface topographies are produced. In this work, the dimple height, depth, and width are modeled following and extending in a more rigorous manner the approach of Wood and Giles [Phys. Rev. B 23, 2923–2942 (1981)] and that of Schwarz-Selinger and coworkers [Phys. Rev. B 64, 155323 (2001)], upon varying the laser irradiation parameters such as peak energy density, pulse duration, and wavelength. This is achieved with numerical simulations of one-dimensional heat flow as input to the analytical fluid-flow equations.
Irradiation with a single spatially Gaussian-shaped nanosecond laser pulse in the melting regime can result in a characteristic annular change in the surface morphology of crystalline silicon. This has been verified experimentally in a variety of situations, where dimple-shaped surface topographies are produced. In a recent work we have investigated the induced changes in the surface topography upon exposure to wavelengths in the visible and near infrared spectral region. Irradiation in the UV requires a more detailed analysis due to the enhanced absorption of the material. In the present analysis, we determine under which conditions our previous model can be used and the corresponding results are presented.
Recycled fertilizers produced using processes for the recovery of phosphate from residual materials such as wastewater, sewage sludge and sewage sludge ashes show very good bioavailability, but it is still a product largely unknown to the market. The aim of CLOOP is therefore to document the properties and effects of such fertilizers through chemical, mineralogical and ecological analyses as well as analytical method development and pot and field plant growth trials.
Outotec focused on 3 points in CLOOP: Experimental campaigns, process simulations as well as economic analyses with focus on the AshDec process, respectively the design of a large-scale AshDec plant for phosphorus recovery. The laboratory scale trials as well as the semi-industrial scale campaign provided valuable insights into the operating parameters of the process and the plant. As a result, for example, the temperature range could be significantly lowered, and the additive addition reduced by approx. 20 %. They have further shown that the AshDec process is not susceptible to operating fluctuations and that the product can be consistently produced at high quality. With the selection of suitable operating parameters, heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, (Zn)) can be removed. Within the campaign, about 1.5 t of fertilizer for the plant trials in CLOOP could be produced. An AshDec plant process was digitally created in simulation software, allowing valuable process parameters to be simulated at various operating parameters. On this basis, a full-scale plant was designed. The data obtained in the project were used for a detailed economic analysis including a sensitivity analysis. It was possible to show under which conditions this plant can be operated economically.
At BAM, the AshDec fertilizer was synthesized with different additives and then applied to plant experiments at Uni Bonn. The goal hereby was to check differences in plant uptake. Because of the promising results of AshDec synthesized with sodium-carbonate and because this AshDec version does not require special off gas treatment for sulfur recovery (compared to AshDec synthesized with sodium-sulfate), all project partners agreed on continuing working with this AshDec variation. It was then used as a raw P-source for formulating it into NPK-fertilizers, by granulation with ammonium-sulfate and straw ash as potassium source. These recycling fertilizers were applied to plant- and field experiments by project partners in Brazil (University of Sao Paulo) and Australia (University of Queensland). Furthermore, in leaching experiments, the solubility of phosphorus in AshDec was compared to triple super phosphate. The experiments were carried out on soils with a varying phosphorus buffering index. Results show, that the phosphorus form in AshDec is way less soluble in water. This indicates that AshDec has the potential for a so-called next generation fertilizer – a fertilizer which’s nutrients remain in the soil and supply the plant according to its needs. At the moment, this behavior gets examined more in depth in lysimeter experiments in cooperation with University of Technology Berlin.
The focus of KWB is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of different NextGen fertilizers to evaluate the entire process chain from recovery to fertilizer application. The NextGen fertilizer is credited by the amount of plant available nutrients in the product, which replace nutrients from conventional fertilizer. The LCA covers N-struvite precipitation from municipal wastewater, K-struvite precipitation from industrial wastewater and the AshDec-product from sewage sludge. The LCA task is almost complete. It could be shown that struvite precipitation has comprehensive environmental benefits, mainly since positive side effects occur in sewage sludge treatment (e.g. reduced sludge volume). In principle, the energetic and ecological profile of the AshDec process compared to direct use of sewage sludge ash cannot be assessed as being generally beneficial or negative. Regarding the global warming potential, the Ashdec process shows that the expenses (e.g. energy, chemicals) cannot be covered by the P fertilizer credit. In contrast, the impact categories “terrestrial acidification potential”, and “freshwater eutrophication potential” show positive results as the credits for conventional fertilizer are higher than the burdens for the process.
At University Bonn, the standardized pot experiments were conducted with several AshDec variations, using ryegrass, soybean, and spinach on a slightly acidic sandy soil and an organic-free standard substrate. P-uptake and biomass production of different AshDec variations were generally like those of triple super phosphate and struvite, and clearly outperformed untreated sewage sludge ash and rock phosphate. Field trials in Australia and Brazil with sugarcane on acidic soils are still ongoing and results are expected by the end of 2021.
Sewage sludge ashes (SSA) contain up to 13% P and are thus promising raw materials for fertilizer production. However, SSAs also contain heavy metals and the main P-bearing mineral phases whitlockite and aluminium phosphate are poorly bioavailable. We developed and patented a process that produces fertilizers from SSA addressing the above mentioned challenges. SSA is thermo-chemically treated at ~950°C under reducing conditions (reductive: dry sewage sludge) in a rotary kiln together with an alkali compound such as sodium or potassium sulfate, hydroxide or carbonate. Some undesired trace elements such as As, Hg, Pb and Cd are evaporated and separated via off gas treatment system. The poorly soluble phosphates are transformed into calcium alkali phosphates (CaNaPO4 or CaKPO4) that are not water soluble but completely soluble in neutral ammonium citrate solution (NAC). Pot experiments showed that the fertilizer performance of the treated SSA containing calcium alkali phosphates as the single P-bearing mineral phase was comparable to the performance of triple superphosphate. The PNAC-solubility of fertilizer products correlated very well with the resulting contents of calcium alkali phosphates and the P-uptake of plants in pot experiments. The effect of the ratio alkali/P on the PNAC-solubility was investigated by crucible experiments and trial series with a medium scale rotary kiln using different SSAs and alkali phosphates. The effects of operational parameters such as the temperature and the retention time were investigated as well as concurring side reactions of the alkali compounds e.g. with SiO2 present in SSA. The alkali/P ratio must be roughly adjusted at 2 to achieve 100% PNAC-solubility for a common type of SSA. A demonstration trial with an output of 2 t recycling fertilizer was carried out in an industrial rotary kiln (product output 30 kg/h). The PNAC-solubility of the product varied between 60% and 80% during the 4 days campaign showing that the transformation of the mineral P-phases to calcium alkali phosphates was not complete. This was observed although the amount of Na2SO4 additive was dosed according to the results of the pre-investigations. Structure analysis by XRD showed that besides the target compound CaNaSO4 also some Ca3(PO4)2 remained in the SSA as well as some unreacted Na2SO4 additive. Obviously, the conditions in the industrial rotary kiln were not optimal for the process showing that some process aspects have to be reconsidered for the scale-up.
The SUSAN-project aimed at developing a sustainable and safe strategy for nutrient recovery from sewage sludges using thermal treatment. Mono-incineration of the sludges completely destructs the organic pollutants in a first step. The incineration residues are ashes with a high phosphorus content that still contain heavy metal compounds above the limits for agricultural use. Furthermore, phosphorus in the ashes exhibits low bioavailability - a disadvantage in farming. Therefore, in a second thermochemical step heavy metals are removed and phosphorus transferred into mineral phases available for plants. The principle of the SUSAN-project is the separation of the small heavy metals fraction from the ashes to receive a phosphorus rich product suited as raw material for fertilisers that also contains SiO2, CaO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO and K2O.
The thermochemical process is based on evaporation of volatile heavy metal chlorides at 850 - 1000 °C. The sewage sludge ashes are mixed with chlorine donors such as MgCl2 or KCl, grained and treated in a thermal aggregate e.g. a rotary furnace. At the same time a transfer of non soluble P-compounds into Mineral phases available for plants takes place.
Besides technological development of the thermochemical process, the products fertilisation performance, the product design, the market for the products and the sustainability of the whole process chain are emphasised in the SUSAN-project.
Conventional fertilisers have their disadvantages as nutrient release is not synchronised with the demand of plants. Several approaches of "next generation fertilisers" are aiming at controlled nutrient release. Recycling fertilisers are often not soluble in water but fully plant available. They are suitable raw materials for the production of new types of controlled release fertilisers.