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qNMR - The handbook
(2023)
Quantitative NMR (qNMR) has been around for a long time, but also has great potential to solve future problems in any quantitative analysis. As a primary method, it differs fundamentally from chromatographic methods: it is better described as a quantum mechanical balance. Succesful implementation of qNMR requires certain attention to detail. "qNMR - the handbook" is intended to be a guide for analysts to help understand the fundamental principles of NMR and the significant points relating to its implementation for quantitation. Regulatory considerations of qNMR adoption are explained. NMR fundamentals are explained to provide understanding. Together with many useful examples, the book is a compelling addition to the laboratory's reference library, providing all the tools that any practitioner should know to successfully implement qNMR.
The authors are qNMR pioneers and come from a variety of backgrounds including business, government and academia.
Climate and air quality are of fundamental interest worldwide.
Gas metrology provides profound solutions to measurement tasks on climate and air quality, e.g., when greenhouse gases or pollutants are to be quantified.
Metrological capabilities are demonstrated through participation in the framework of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
In Germany, this is covered by three institutes: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and Umweltbundesamt (UBA).
Together, the three laboratories realize the unit mole by means of the national gas standards and offer services to their customers that are backed-up by internationally accepted calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs).
Emission testing of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from materials and products is commonly based on emission test chamber measurements. To ensure the comparability of results from different testing laboratories their measurement performance must be verified. For this purpose, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) organizes an international proficiency test every two years using well-characterised test materials (one sealant, one furniture board and four times a lacquer) with defined VOC emissions. The materials fulfilled the requirements of homogeneity, reproducibility, and stability. Altogether, 41 VOCs were included of which 37 gave test chamber air concentrations between 10 and 98 µg/m³. This is the typical concentration range to be expected and to be quantified when performing chamber tests. Four compounds had higher concentrations between 250 and 1105 µg/m³. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of BAM proficiency tests since 2008 are compared and the improvement of the comparability of the emission chamber testing is shown by the decrease of the mean RSD down to 23% in 2021. In contrast, the first large European interlaboratory comparison in 1999 showed a mean RSD of 51%.
Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) are gaining interest in corrosion and electrocatalysis research due to their electrochemical stability across a broad pH range and the design flexibility they offer. Using the equimolar CrCoNi alloy, we observe significant metal dissolution in a corrosive electrolyte (0.1 M NaCl, pH 2) concurrently with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the transpassive region despite the absence of hysteresis in polarization curves or other obvious corrosion indicators. We present a characterization scheme to delineate the contribution of OER and alloy dissolution, using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) for OER-onset detection, and quantitative chemical analysis with inductively coupled-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ultraviolet visible light (UV-Vis) spectroscopy to elucidate metal dissolution processes. In-situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) revealed that the transpassive metal dissolution on CrCoNi is dominated by intergranular corrosion. These results have significant implications for the stability of MPEAs in corrosion systems, emphasizing the necessity of analytically determining metal ions released from MPEA electrodes into the electrolyte when evaluating Faradaic efficiencies of OER catalysts. The release of transition metal ions not only reduces the Faradaic efficiency of electrolyzers but may also cause poisoning and degradation of membranes in electrochemical reactors.
The emission of ultrafine particles from small desktop Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers has been frequently investigated in the past years. However, the vast majority of FFF emission and exposure studies have not considered the possible occurrence of particles below the typical detection limit of Condensation Particle Counters and could have systematically underestimated the total particle emission as well as the related exposure risks. Therefore, we comparatively measured particle number concentrations and size distributions of sub-4 nm particles with two commercially available diethylene glycol-based instruments – the TSI 3757 Nano Enhancer and the Airmodus A10 Particle Size Magnifier. Both instruments were evaluated for their suitability of measuring FFF-3D printing emissions in the sub-4 nm size range while operated as a particle counter or as a particle size spectrometer. For particle counting, both instruments match best when the Airmodus system was adjusted to a cut-off of 1.5 nm. For size spectroscopy, both instruments show limitations due to either the fast dynamics or rather low levels of particle emissions from FFF-3D printing in this range. The effects are discussed in detail in this article. The findings could be used to implement sub-4 nm particle measurement in future emission or exposure studies, but also for the development of standard test protocols for FFF-3D printing emissions.
Plastic pollution is the biggest environmental concern of our time. Breakdown products like micro- and nanoplastics inevitably enter the food chain and pose unprecedented health risks. In this scenario, bio-based and biodegradable plastic alternatives have been given a momentum aiming to bridge a transition towards a more sustainable future. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are one of the few thermoplastic polymers synthesized 100 % via biotechnological routes which fully biodegrade in common natural environments. Poly(hydroxybutyrate-cohydroxyhexanoate) [P(HB-co-HHx)] is a PHA copolymer with great potential for the commodity polymers industry, as its mechanical properties can be tailored through fine-tuning of its molar HHx content. We have recently developed a strategy that enables for reliable tailoring of the monomer content of P(HB-co-HHx).
Nevertheless, there is often a lack of comprehensive investigation of the material properties of PHAs to evaluate whether they actually mimic the functionalities of conventional plastics. We present a detailed study of P(HB-co-HHx) copolymers with low to moderate hydroxyhexanoate content to understand how the HHx monomer content influences the thermal and mechanical properties and to link those to their abiotic degradation. By increasing the HHx fractions in the range of 2 – 14 mol%, we impart an extension of the processing window and application range as the melting temperature (Tm) and glass temperature (Tg) of the copolymers decrease from Tm 165 ◦C to 126 ◦C, Tg 4 ◦C to − 5.9 ◦C, accompanied by reduced crystallinity from 54 % to 20 %.
Elongation at break was increased from 5.7 % up to 703 % at 14 mol% HHx content, confirming that the range examined was sufficiently large to obtain ductile and brittle copolymers, while tensile strength was maintained throughout the studied range. Finally, accelerated abiotic degradation was shown to be slowed down with an increasing HHx fraction decreasing from 70 % to 55 % in 12 h.
In industrialised countries more than 80% of the time is spent indoors. Products, such as building materials and furniture, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are therefore ubiquitous in indoor air. VOC in combination may, under certain environmental and occupational conditions, result in reported sensory irritation and health complaints. Emission concentrations can become further elevated in new or refurbished buildings where the rate of air exchange with fresh ambient air may be limited due to improved energy saving aspects. A healthy indoor environment can be achieved by controlling the sources and by eliminating or limiting the release of harmful substances into the air. One way is to use (building) materials proved to be low emitting. Meanwhile, a worldwide network of professional commercial and non-commercial laboratories performing emission tests for the evaluation of products for interior use has been established. Therefore, comparability of test results must be ensured. A laboratory’s proficiency can be proven by internal and external validation measures that both include the application of suitable emission reference materials (ERM). For the emission test chamber procedure according to EN 16516, no artificial ERM is commercially available. The EU-funded EMPIR project MetrIAQ aims to fill this gap by developing new and improved ERMs. The goal is to obtain a material with a reproducible and temporally constant compound release (less than 10 % variability over 14 days). Two approaches were tested: the impregnation of porous materials with VOC, and the encapsulation of VOC in polymer microcapsules. Impregnation is performed with help of an autoclave and supercritical CO2. The encapsulation is done by interfacial polymerisation on VOC droplets. For both approaches, synthesis and/or material parameters were varied to obtain an optimal ERM. Findings about the optimisation of ERM generation, as well as performance of the best emission reference materials, will be presented.
Establishing ZIF‐8 as a reference material for hydrogen cryoadsorption: An interlaboratory study
(2024)
AbstractHydrogen storage by cryoadsorption on porous materials has the advantages of low material cost, safety, fast kinetics, and high cyclic stability. The further development of this technology requires reliable data on the H2 uptake of the adsorbents, however, even for activated carbons the values between different laboratories show sometimes large discrepancies. So far no reference material for hydrogen cryoadsorption is available. The metal‐organic framework ZIF‐8 is an ideal material possessing high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability that reduces degradation during handling and activation. Here, we distributed ZIF‐8 pellets synthesized by extrusion to 9 laboratories equipped with 15 different experimental setups including gravimetric and volumetric analyzers. The gravimetric H2 uptake of the pellets was measured at 77 K and up to 100 bar showing a high reproducibility between the different laboratories, with a small relative standard deviation of 3–4 % between pressures of 10–100 bar. The effect of operating variables like the amount of sample or analysis temperature was evaluated, remarking the calibration of devices and other correction procedures as the most significant deviation sources. Overall, the reproducible hydrogen cryoadsorption measurements indicate the robustness of the ZIF‐8 pellets, which we want to propose as a reference material.
Die Nutzung von Sensortechnologien, insbesondere im Bereich der Gasdetektion mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Wasserstoff, spielt eine entscheidende Rolle in verschiedenen Anwendungsbereichen der Wasserstofftechnologie. Sicherheitsüberwachung, Leckdetektion und Prozesskontrolle gehören zu den prominenten Anwendungsgebieten dieser Sensortechnologien. Ein zentrales Ziel ist die Erkennung von freigesetztem Wasserstoff sowie die genaue Bestimmung des Wasserstoff-Luftverhältnisses mithilfe von Gassensoren. Dies ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, um potenzielle Gefahren frühzeitig zu erkennen und angemessene Maßnahmen zu ergreifen.
Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt dieses Beitrags liegt auf der Analytik und der Verwendung zertifizierter Referenzmaterialien in Verbindung mit Metrologie für die Wasserstoffspeicherung. Dies gewährleistet eine präzise und zuverlässige Charakterisierung von Wasserstoff und unterstützt die Entwicklung sicherer Speichertechnologien. Im Rahmen des Euramet-Vorhabens Metrology for Advanced Hydrogen Storage Solutions (MefHySto) wird eine Kurzvorstellung präsentiert.
Der Vortrag stellt zwei zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren zum strukturellen Zustandsüberwachung (Structural Health Monitoring, SHM) für Wasserstofftechnologien vor. Insbesondere die Fehlstellenerkennung mittels geführter Ultraschallwellen spielt eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Lebensdauerüberwachung von Wasserstoffspeichern. Ein weiterer Aspekt ist die Anwendung faseroptischer Sensorik zur Schadensfrüherkennung von Wasserstoffspeichern. Diese zerstörungsfreien Prüfverfahren ermöglichen eine präzise und frühzeitige Identifizierung von Schäden, was die Sicherheit und Effizienz von Wasserstoffspeichersystemen entscheidend verbessert.
The application of compact NMR instruments to continuously flowing samples at higher temperatures or exothermically reacting mixtures is limited by the temperature sensitivity of permanent magnets. Typically, such temperature effects directly influence the achievable magnetic field homogeneity and hence measurement quality. The internal-temperature control loop of the magnet and instruments is typically not designed for compensation of such effects. Passive insulation is restricted by the small dimensions within the magnet borehole.
Here, we present a design approach for active heat shielding with the aim of variable temperature control of NMR samples for benchtop NMR instruments using a compressed airstream which is variable in flow and temperature. Based on the system identification and surface temperature measurements using an optical thermo-graphy setup, a model predictive control was set up to minimize any disturbance effect on the permanent magnet from the probe or sample temperature.
This methodology will facilitate the application of variable-temperature shielding and, therefore, potentially extend the application of compact NMR instruments to flowing samples at higher temperature than the permanent magnet.
Die NMR-Spektroskopie ist eine der zentralen nicht-invasiven Analysenmethoden in der organischen Chemie und aus dem Laboralltag nicht mehr wegzudenken. Die direkte Proportionalität zwischen der Anzahl der Atomkerne im Messvolumen und der Signalfläche im Spektrum ist vergleichbar mit einem „Zählen der Kernspins“. Der Kalibrieraufwand für die Quantifizierung ist minimal und aus dem NMR-Spektrum sind Informationen zu Struktur und Identität zugänglich.
Online-NMR-Spektroskopie wird unter Zuhilfenahme von speziellen Durchflussproben-köpfen und Messzellen bereits seit Jahrzehnten erforscht und eingesetzt. Durch die hohen Anforderungen an die Aufstellung und den Betrieb von klassischen Hochfeld-NMR-Spektrometern konnte sie allerdings nie den Sprung vom Labor in den Prozess schaffen. Dies hat sich durch die Entwicklungen im Bereich mobil einsetzbarer Benchtop-NMR-Spektrometer grundlegend verändert. Geringere Investitions- und Betriebskosten, sowie die Robustheit und einfache Bedienbarkeit dieser Systeme sind entscheidende Faktoren. Damit rückt eine Anwendung als Online-PAT-Methode technisch in greifbare Nähe. Designierte Prozess-NMR-Spektrometer sucht man heutzutage allerdings auf dem Markt meist noch vergebens.
Die Reaktionsverfolgung im Labormaßstab konnte an unterschiedlichen Systemen erfolgreich demonstriert werden. Dabei zeigten sich allerdings Limitierungen in Hinblick auf einen möglichen Prozesseinsatz. Insbesondere die Temperaturempfindlichkeit der Magnetsysteme ist hier zu nennen. Anhand eines Prototyps wurde eine aktive Temperaturisolation mittels temperierter Luftströmungen entwickelt und erprobt.
Eine Feldintegration von Laborsystemen geht sowohl technisch als auch regulatorisch mit zahlreichen Herausforderungen einher. Das raue Umfeld von Produktionsanlagen, sowie die Anforderungen an Explosionsschutz erfordern eine zugelassene Einhausung. Auf Basis von Erfahrungen mit einem ersten Prototyp erfolgte die gemeinsame Entwicklung eines möglichst flexibel einsetzbaren Analysenschranks. Neben der Hardware-Integration sind die automatisierte modellbasierte Auswertung der NMR-Spektren, sowie die Einbindung in die Prozessleittechnik essenziell für einen zuverlässigen Betrieb als PAT-Analysengerät.
Metal-organic framework-based biocomposites (MOF-biocomposites) are promising materials for biosensing, biocatalysis, and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. One of the most studied MOFs for bioapplications is ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework 8) due to its high surface area, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity. The conventional synthesis of ZIF-8-biocomposites called biomimetic mineralization includes mixing selected biomolecules 2-methylimidazole, and soluble Zn2+ source in water.[3] Despite the high efficiency of the method, it does not allow for large-scale production and is restricted to hydrophilic biomolecules. Aimed at developing a scalable and versatile approach, we adapted our recently-reported ZIF-8 reactive extrusion for biocomposite production.
We selected bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an inexpensive model biomacromolecule for the preparation of biocomposites. The synthesis of BSA@ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI (Three-Tec Gmbh) at a mild temperature of 40 °C. Automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH) was used to supply the reagent mixture consisting of 2-methylimidazole, zinc source, and BSA. To initiate the reaction, a catalytic amount of EtOH was added using a peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). Powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the extrudates.
Highly crystalline and pure BSA@ZIF-8 with different BSA loadings was isolated after washing the extrudate with EtOH and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EtOH feeding rate was optimized by following the protein encapsulation efficiency at a BSA mass fraction of 10%. A continuous extruder operation under optimized conditions showed good reproducibility and capability of producing biocomposites on the kilograms scale. These results provide highly valuable information for cheap and large-scale production of ZIF-8-based biocomposites. Due to the lack of restrictions on molecule size and solubility, our proof-of-concept study may significantly expand the selection of biomolecules for immobilization in ZIF-8, making the method applicable to various functional applications
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. The process parameters such as temperature, liquid type, feeding rate, and linker excess were optimized using the setup specifically designed for in situ Raman spectroscopy. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g–1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of metal–organic framework (MOF) syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
Optimizing the Green Synthesis of ZIF-8 by Reactive Extrusion Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy
(2023)
ZIF-8 is a prominent member of the zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) subfamily of MOFs which possesses high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stabilities. Different routes have been explored to achieve the large-scale production of ZIF-8. However, these synthetic procedures are often inconsistent with the principles of sustainable chemical manufacturing. Aimed at developing scalable and greener production of ZIF-8, we adapted our previously reported in-batch „mix and wait“ synthesis[2] to continuous extrusion. To optimize the process, in-situ Raman spectroscopy was applied. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of MOF syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
The synthesis of ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI equipped with an automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH, Switzerland) and peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). The process was monitored in six different zones using a Raman RXN1TM analyzer (Kaiser Optical Systems, France) with a non-contact probe head. PMMA screw-in parts, which are transparent to Raman laser radiation, were specially manufactured to provide the laser focus within the barrel. PXRD, TGA, N2 adsorption measurements, and SEM were used as complementary techniques to characterize the extrudates.
The batch ‘mix and wait’ synthesis of ZIF-8, consisting of bringing solid basic zinc carbonate and 2-methylimidazole in contact in a closed vial, was successfully adapted to reactive extrusion. The crystalline ZIF-8 continuously forms in the extruder under the mixing of solid reagents in the presence of a catalytic amounts of H2O or EtOH. The temperature, type of liquid, feeding rate, and excess of linker were optimized using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Pure and highly crystalline ZIF-8 was isolated at 40 °C by adding a catalytic amount of EtOH and a linker excess of 25%. The resulting material has excellent porosity with the BET surface area slightly exceeding that of the reference Basolite® Z1200 (1816 vs. 1734 m2 g–1). The reaction could yield ~ 3 kg d–1 assuming a continuous operation, with a space-time yield of ca. 67,000 kg m–3 d–1. The present method was compared to the published pathways based on Green Chemistry principles and proved to have the highest potential for large-scale production of ZIF-8.
Metal-organic framework-based biocomposites (MOF-biocomposites) are promising materials for biosensing, biocatalysis, and delivery of biopharmaceuticals. One of the most studied MOFs for bioapplications is ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework 8) due to its high surface area, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cytotoxicity. The conventional synthesis of ZIF-8-biocomposites called biomimetic mineralization includes mixing selected biomolecules 2-methylimidazole, and soluble Zn2+ source in water. Despite the high efficiency of the method, it does not allow for large-scale production and is restricted to hydrophilic biomolecules. Aimed at developing a scalable and versatile approach, we adapted our recently-reported ZIF-8 reactive extrusion for biocomposite production.
We selected bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an inexpensive model biomacromolecule for the preparation of biocomposites. The synthesis of BSA@ZIF-8 was performed using a twin-screw extruder ZE 12 HMI (Three-Tec Gmbh) at a mild temperature of 40 °C. Automatic volumetric feeder ZD 12B (Three-Tec GmbH) was used to supply the reagent mixture consisting of 2-methylimidazole, zinc source, and BSA. To initiate the reaction, a catalytic amount of EtOH was added using a peristaltic pump BT-L (Lead Fluid, China). Powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and N2 adsorption were used to characterize the extrudates.
Highly crystalline and pure BSA@ZIF-8 with different BSA loadings was isolated after washing the extrudate with EtOH and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EtOH feeding rate was optimized by following the protein encapsulation efficiency at a BSA mass fraction of 10%. A continuous extruder operation under optimized conditions showed good reproducibility and capability of producing biocomposites on the kilograms scale. These results provide highly valuable information for cheap and large-scale production of ZIF-8-based biocomposites. Due to the lack of restrictions on molecule size and solubility, our proof-of-concept study may significantly expand the selection of biomolecules for immobilization in ZIF-8, making the method applicable to various functional applications
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g−1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Extruded ZIF-8 is an affordable alternative to commercial Basolite Z1200 as a reference material for H2 cryoadsorption.
EURAMET.QM-K3.2019 was a repeat of the key comparison EURAMET.QM-K3 on the composition of automotive exhaust gases. New in EURAMET.QM-K3.2019 was the addition of the amount fraction oxygen to the programme. The key comparison reference values were obtained independently, using static gravimetry and appropriate corrections from purity analysis and are linked to those of CCQM-K3.2019. The key comparison results show equivalence between the measurement standards maintained by the participating national metrology institutes. The demonstrated equivalence can be used to underpin services related to automotive exhaust gases as well as generically through the flexible scheme ("track A").
Measurements are an important fundament of natural science in general and of chemical analysis in particular. Metrology is the science (and art) of performing measurements. The basic concepts and terms of metrology and their practical implementation are introduced. The very special peculiarities of chemical measurements that are absent in physical measurements are discussed.
Um die internationale Spitzenposition deutscher Unternehmen der Prozessindustrie auch in Zukunft sicher zu stellen, müssen die Unternehmen ihre Prozesse und Geschäftsabläufe digitalisieren und gemeinsam mit der Forschung innovative neue Methoden, Apparate, Anlagen, Sensoren und Automatisierungstechnik sowie Datenkonzepte entwickeln. All dies erfordert den Aufbau neuer Fähigkeiten, Investition in Talente, interdisziplinäre Kommunikation zwischen verschiedenen Personen und Abteilungen und eine Bereitschaft zur Veränderung.
Mobile proximal gamma-ray spectrometry (GS) is an emerging approach to estimate soil texture directly in the field. It relies on gamma radiation emitted during the natural decay of potassium-40 (K-40) and other isotopes. The K-40 counts are correlated with total K content, mineralogical soil composition and therefore with soil texture. Yet, it is not clear if K fertilisation impacts the ratio of K-40 to total K which would necessitate to take the fertilisation history into account for soil sensing applications. To elucidate this question, a well-documented long-term experiment was selected. The soils of the Rengen grassland experiment (55 plots) were investigated for total K (XRF-K) and for K-40 via mobile proximal GS. No significant differences in XRF-K and K-40 were found between the treatments with and without K fertilisation, although formely published results point to negative and positive K balances, respectively. Fertiliser analysis revealed a ratio of K-40 to total K that was almost identical to the natural abundance of 0.0117%. It was concluded that it is not necessary to take K fertilisation history into account when predicting soil texture from mobile proximal GS on agricultural land for, e.g., precision farming purposes.
The application of compact NMR instruments to hot flowing samples or exothermically reacting mixtures is limited by the temperature sensitivity of permanent magnets. Typically, such temperature effects directly influence the achievable magnetic field homogeneity and hence measurement quality. The internal-temperature control loop of the magnet and instruments is not designed for such temperature compensation. Passive insulation is restricted by the small dimensions within the magnet borehole.
Here, we present a design approach for active heat shielding with the aim of variable temperature control of NMR samples for benchtop NMR instruments using a compressed airstream which is variable in flow and temperature. Based on the system identification and surface temperature measurements through thermography, a model predictive control was set up to minimise any disturbance effect on the permanent magnet from the probe or sample temperature.
This methodology will facilitate the application of variable-temperature shielding and, therefore, extend the application of compact NMR instruments to flowing sample temperatures that differ from the magnet temperature.
Global demand for pigments is expected to increase to around 13.4 million tons per year by 2030, representing approximately $22 billion – 5% of which will be azo pigments as the main organic pigments. Azo pigments, i.e., especially the azo bridge required for them, are almost exclusively produced in technology by the so-called azo coupling reaction in large-scale approaches on the scale of 50–100 cubic meters. Among other things, one of the reasons why large-scale production itself is still essentially discontinuous is the lack of analytical methods for a continuous azo pigment synthesis.
In an azo coupling process, an aromatic amine is diazotized to form the diazonium compound (diazo compound), which then reacts with a coupling component, i.e., "couples". A slight excess of the coupler is desired for the end of the reaction, which stoichiometrically consumes the remaining (harmful) diazo compound, i.e., below 500 ppm. This is carried out with a manual spotting reaction of a fast-binding coupler.
To carry out continuous azo coupling, care must be taken to ensure that the actual coupling reaction proceeds as rapidly as possible, i.e., preferentially, compared with possible side reactions. Reliable measuring methods are thus a decisive criterion for the useful performance of a continuous azo pigment synthesis. An analytical online procedure is difficult due to several limitations at once: solid dispersions extremely limit the range of reproducible analytical procedures. In addition, the appearance of a signal (e.g., excess of a starting material) in the ppm range must be reliably detected against the matrix background.
The back-titration method and benchtop NMR spectroscopy were used to overcome these problems. We present a feasibility study for a suitable process analysis with benchtop NMR spectroscopy on disperse systems for equimolar dosing of the "diazotization" or "coupling" sub-step in azo coupling, which was carried out in cooperation with a chemical company. This could replace tedious manual spotting
Compact NMR Spectroscopy in the field: A Versatile PAT Tool for Production of Specialty Chemicals
(2023)
Companies of chemical industry find themselves more often in a rapidly changing environment, e.g., due to variability of raw material quality or energy costs and efficiency. Process optimization and new process concepts become more and more important. For example, flexible and modular chemical plants can produce various high-quality products using multi-purpose equipment with short downtimes between campaigns and reduce time to market for new products. Intensified continuous production plants allow for difficult to produce compounds like exothermic reactions with high heat dissipation.
Highly automated “chemical” process control along with real-time quality control are prerequisites to such concepts and thus should be based on “chemical” information. A commercially available benchtop NMR spectrometer was integrated to the full requirements of an automated chemical production environment such as explosion safety, field communication, and robust evaluation of sensor data. Field studies in modular and conventional production plant setups show promising results gaining process knowledge for further optimization. NMR appeared as preeminent online analytical method and allow using a modular data analysis approach, which can even serve as reliable reference method for further calibration-dependent PAT applications (e.g., NIR or Raman spectroscopy).
Based on experiences from earlier field studies an improved NMR analyzer enclosure setup was developed and built, including the option of a secondary method (e.g., optical spectroscopy). Integrated control systems allow for a flexible implementation based on the available automation infrastructure at the chemical plant or pilot plant setup. In the future, fully integrated and intelligently interconnecting “smart” PAT systems and processes have the potential speed up the setup of production equipment for chemicals and pharmaceuticals and therefore help to reduce the time-to-market.
Physical adsorption at cryogenic temperature (cryoadsorption) is a reversible mechanism that can reduce the pressure of conventional compressed gas storage systems. Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials are remarkable candidates due to the combination of high specific surface area and density which, in some cases, provide a high volumetric storage capacity. However, such extensive use of MOFs for this application requires the selection of affordable structures, easy to produce and made from feasible metallic and organic components. Herein, we introduce a MOF database detailing the crystallographic and porous properties of 3600 existing MOFs made from industrially relevant metals and their organic composition. The comparison of the available minimum costs of linkers allowed the creation of a database to select affordable structures with high potential for volumetric hydrogen storage by cryoadsorption, considering their composition based on individual or mixed building blocks. A user interface, available online, facilitates the selection of MOFs based on the properties or names of structures and linkers.
Fused filament fabrication (FFF) on desktop 3D printers is a material extrusion-based technique often used by educational institutions, small enterprises and private households. Polymeric filaments are melted and extruded through a heated nozzle to form a 3D object in layers. The extrusion temperature is therefore a key parameter for a successful print job, but also one of the main driving factors for the emission of harmful air pollutants, namely ultrafine particles and volatile organic gases, which are formed by thermal stress on the polymeric feedstock. The awareness of potential health risks has increased the number of emission studies in the past years. However, the multiplicity of study designs makes an objective comparison of emission data challenging because printer hardware factors such as the actual extruder temperature (TE) and also feedstockspecific emissions are not considered. We assume that across the market of commercial low- and mid-price FFF printers substantial deviations between actual and set extruder temperatures exist, which have a strong effect on the emissions and hence may bias the findings of exposure studies. In our last publication, we presented a standardized feedstock-specific emission test method and showed that for each investigated feedstock an increase in actual extruder temperature was accompanied by an increase in particle emissions (Tang and Seeger, 2022). Therefore, any systematic discrepancy between set and actual extruder temperature matters. In this study, we used a thermocouple and an infrared camera to measure the actual extruder temperatures at different heights. We found significant under- and overestimation of the actual extruder temperatures by the respective set temperatures in three commercial printers. This caused a broad variation of the measured total numbers of emitted particles (TP), even when the same feedstock was operated. For the determination of TP, we followed the DE-UZ 219 test guideline. In a second round we repeated the tests with all printers adjusted to exactly the same extruder temperatures, i.e., to TE=230°C for ABS and TE=210°C for PLA. All measurements were conducted in a 1 m³ emission test chamber. Particle emissions in the size range between 4 nm and 20 μm were detected. Printing on three different printer models without temperature adjustment resulted for each of the investigated feedstocks in a variation in TP of around two orders of magnitude. After temperature adjustment, this was substantially reduced to approx. one order of magnitude and hence minimizes the bias of printer hardware on the emissions. Our findings suggest that adjustment of the extruder temperature should be mandatory in emission testing standards. It also poses a more accurate benchmark and provides more reliable emission data for evaluation of indoor air quality or for health risk assessments. In addition, a proper temperature setting is in the interest of the user. Some commercial FFF printers may have a higher actual extruder temperature than displayed and unintended overheating may not only impair the print quality but may cause unnecessarily increased exposure to particle emissions.
On the use of Carbograph 5TD as an adsorbent for sampling VVOCs: validation of an analytical method
(2023)
A standardised method for the analysis of very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs) in indoor air is still missing. This study evaluates the use of Carbograph 5TD as an adsorbent for 60 compounds (47 VVOCs + 13 VOCs) by comparing their recoveries with different spiking modes. The influence of the spiking of the tubes in dry nitrogen, humidified air or along the whole flushing duration mimicking real sampling was investigated. 49 substances (36 VVOCs from C1 to C6) had recoveries over 70% on the adsorbent in humidified air and were validated. The linearity of the calibration curves was verified for every spiking mode and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined. The LOQs were lower than the existing indoor air guideline values. The robustness of the method was considered by studying the influence of the sampling volume, the sampling flow rate, the humidity level and the storage of the tubes. In general, the most volatile or polar substances were the less robust ones. The combined measurement uncertainty was calculated and lies below 35% for a vast majority of the substances. An example of an emission chamber test using polyurethane foam is shown: Carbograph 5TD performs much better than Tenax® TA for VVOCs and emissions from n-butane were quantified with combined measurement uncertainty.
In precision agriculture, the estimation of soil parameters via sensors and the creation of nutrient maps are a prerequisite for farmers to take targeted measures such as spatially resolved fertilization. In this work, 68 soil samples uniformly distributed over a field near Bonn are investigated using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). These investigations include the determination of the total contents of macro- and micronutrients as well as further soil parameters such as soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM) content, and soil texture. The applied LIBS instruments are a handheld and a platform spectrometer, which potentially allows for the single-point measurement and scanning of whole fields, respectively. Their results are compared with a high-resolution lab spectrometer.
The prediction of soil parameters was based on multivariate methods. Different feature selection methods and regression methods like PLS, PCR, SVM, Lasso, and Gaussian processes were tested and compared. While good predictions were obtained for Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Cu, and silt content, excellent predictions were obtained for K, Fe, and clay content. The comparison of the three different spectrometers showed that although the lab spectrometer gives the best results, measurements with both field spectrometers also yield good results. This allows for a method transfer to the in-field measurements
Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from consumer products contribute to human inhalation exposure and may cause adverse health effects. Existing methods to determine long-term VOC emissions from e.g. building products need to be verified for their suitability to reliably detect initial VOC emissions from consumer products within the first hours and days of use, which would facilitate realistic inhalation exposure assessments. To investigate this issue, VOCs emitted from a test sample were determined in a large-scale emission test chamber and in two micro-chambers of different volumes, and the results were compared.
Round robin tests of odour and VOC emissions from building products – What have we learned so far?
(2023)
Emission testing of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and odour from materials and products is commonly based on emission test chamber measurements. These measurements are often the basis of mandatory or voluntary labelling procedures. To ensure the comparability of results from different testing laboratories their performance must be verified. For this purpose, round robin tests (RRTs) are conducted. Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und - prüfung (BAM) offers such a RRT every two years using well characterised test materials with defined VOC emissions. In addition to the VOC quantification, the evaluation of odour is also implemented in the round robin tests. At the beginning, only perceived intensity (PI) was tested but over the years also the acceptance evaluation was considered. In principle, the results of PI and acceptance evaluation are comparable. The advantage of PI is the lower number of panel members necessary for one evaluation.
This study uses conventional 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope and interelement ratios of Ca, Sr, K, Mn, Mg and Ti as fingerprints for provenancing ordinary Portland cements (OPC). Herein, the first database of Sr and Nd isotope ratios investigated in OPCs, stemming from 29 cement plants located worldwide, was created. The results show that the Sr isotope ratios of OPCs are higher than those of seawater from the observed geological period. The spread of 143Nd/144Nd in OPCs is not as large as the spread for 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios. However, the combination of both Sr and Nd isotope ratios provides the potential for distinguishing between cements of different production sites. Most of the OPCs investigated have measurable differences in their 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios, which can be employed as a valuable analytical fingerprinting tool. In the case of equivocal results, divisive hierarchical clustering was employed to help overcome this issue. The construction of geochemical profiles allowed the computing of suitably defined distances between cements and clustering them according to their chemical similarity. By applying this methodology, successful fingerprinting was achieved in 27 out of the 29 ordinary Portland cements that were analysed.
The application of compact NMR instruments to hot flowing samples or exothermically reacting mixtures is limited by the temperature sensitivity of permanent magnets. Typically, such temperature effects directly influence the achievable magnetic field homogeneity and hence measurement quality. The internal-temperature control loop of the magnet and instruments is not designed for such temperature compensation. Passive insulation is restricted by the small dimensions within the magnet borehole. Here, we present a design approach for active heat shielding with the aim of variable temperature control of NMR samples for benchtop NMR instruments using a compressed airstream which is variable in flow and temperature. Based on the system identification and surface temperature measurements through thermography, a model predictive control was set up to minimise any disturbance effect on the permanent magnet from the probe or sample temperature. This methodology will facilitate the application of variable-temperature shielding and, therefore, extend the application of compact NMR instruments to flowing sample temperatures that differ from the magnet temperature.
Modular chemical production is a tangible implementation of the digital transformation of the specialty chemicals process industry. In particular, it enables acceleration of process development and thus faster time to market by flexibly interconnecting and orchestrating standardized physical modules and bringing them to life. For this purpose, specific (chemical) sensors of process analytics are needed, preferably without lengthy calibration or spectroscopic model development.
An excellent example of a "direct" analytical method is online nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy meets the requirements of a direct analytical method because of the direct correlation between the signal area in the spectrum ("counting" the nuclear spins) and the analyte amount of substance concentrations. It is also extremely linear over the concentration range.
With the availability of compact benchtop NMR instruments, it is now possible to bring NMR spectroscopy directly into the field, in close proximity to specialized laboratory facilities, pilot plants, and even industrial-scale production facilities. The first systems are in TRL 8 (Qualified System with Proof of Functionality in the Field).
The presentation will discuss the many building blocks of online nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, from flow cells to automated data analysis.
The use of benchtop-NMR instruments is constantly increasing during the recent years. Advantages of being affordable, portable and easy-to-operate without the need for trained staff make them especially interesting for industrial applications in quality control. However, applications of NMR spectroscopy as an online PAT tool are still very rare but offer a huge potential for process optimization and control. A key task to exploit this potential is hardware field integration of the lab-instruments in a rough environment of a chemical plant. Additionally, developments in automation and data evaluation are mandatory to ensure a robust unattended operation with low maintenance requirements. Here, we show an approach of a fully automated analyzer enclosure considering explosion safety, field communication, as well as environmental conditions in the field.
Temperature sensitivity is still a limitation of benchtop-NMR instruments in flow applications. Recent developments of manufacturers allow for limited operation at static temperature levels, however, a dynamic system for continuous operation is still not available. Using a prototype system offering a larger bore, active temperature shielding studies with thermostated air were performed evaluating the performance.
Automated data evaluation of NMR spectra using a modular indirect hard modeling (IHM) approach showed good results and flexibility. A second data analysis approach based on artificial neural networks (ANN) was evaluated.Therefore, amount of data was augmented to be sufficient for training. The results show comparable performance, while improving the calculation time tremendously, offering new ways to simultaneously evaluating large numbers of different models.
Anhand von Beispielen wird in diesem Vortrag ein möglicher ganzheitlicherer Ansatz für die Digitalisierung und den Einsatz maschinengestützter Prozesse bei der Herstellung von Spezialchemikalien und Arzneimitteln durch die Einführung integrierter und vernetzter Systeme und Prozesse skizziert. Ein aktueller Ansatz und ein Beispiel in diesem Vortrag sind flexible und modulare chemische Produktionseinheiten, die Mehrzweckanlagen nutzen, um verschiedene hochwertige Produkte mit kurzen Stillstandszeiten zwischen den Kampagnen herzustellen und die Markteinführungszeit für neue Produkte zu verkürzen.
Als zweites Beispiel wird kurz die Testplattform Wasserstofftankstelle vorgestellt, die als moderne Anlage der Prozessindustrie betrachtet werden kann, vergleichbar mit einer Anlage aus der chemischen oder pharmazeutischen Industrie. An ihr lassen sich alle derzeit entlang der Digitalen Transformation diskutierten Konzepte implementieren, um sie zu standardisieren und zu validieren. Dazu gehören Konzepte zur Konnektivität von Sensoren und Aktoren aus der Feldebene in höhere Ebenen der Automatisierung oder zur Einbringung zusätzlicher Sensoren oder Sensornetzwerke, die zunehmend flexibler gestaltet werden soll, die sichere und nachvollziehbare Parametrierung von Automatisierungskomponenten – vielleicht aus einem digitalen Abbild (Verwaltungsschale bzw. „Digitaler Zwilling“) heraus, Konzepte zur vorausschauenden Wartung („Predictive Maintenance“), Konzepte zu digitalen Entscheidungsprozessen, Zertifikaten und Signaturen oder der zunehmende Einsatz von komplexen Auswertungsalgorithmen und Applikationen in der Feldebene („Embedded Computing“) oder der „Kante“ zu Cloudbasierten Systemen der Informationstechnik („Edge-Computing“).
Die beiden Beispiele sollen aktuelle Entwicklungsachsen des industriellen Messwesens im Rahmen der industriellen Automation aufzeigen, in denen Messwerte, deren Messunsicherheiten und Kontextinformationen eine wichtige Rolle einnehmen.
The interaction of microcroplastics (MP) with dissolved organic matter, especially humic substances, is of great importance in understanding the behavior of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. Surface modification by humic substances plays an essential role in transport and interaction of MP with abiotic and biotic components. Previous studies on the interaction between MP and humic substances were largely based on a model compound, humic acid (Sigma-Aldrich). In our work, we therefore investigated the interaction of natural organic matter (NOM) sampled from a German surface water with low-density polyethylene particles (LDPE). Highpressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and UV/vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the incubation solutions after modifications due to the presence of LDPE, and Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the incubated microplastics. While the studies of the solutions generally showed only very small effects, Raman spectroscopic studies allowed clear evidence of the binding of humic fractions to MP. The comparison of the incubation of NOM and a lignite fulvic acid which also was tested further showed that specific signatures of the humic substances used could be detected by Raman spectroscopy. This provides an elegant opportunity to conduct broader studies on this issue in the future.
In Deutschland werden jährlich rund 20 Millionen Tonnen künstliche Mineralwolle für die Dämmung von Dächern und Fassaden sowie für Brandschutzprodukte verwendet. Um künstliche Mineralwolle aus Rückbaumaßnahmen in den Produktionsprozess zurückführen zu können, ist eine Trennung in Glas- und Steinwolle erforderlich, um eine Vermischung der beiden Produkte, die unterschiedliche Schmelztemperaturen aufweisen, zu vermeiden. Anstatt die Mineralwolle in spezielle Labors zu schicken, was zeitaufwendig und teuer ist, wurde das Potenzial eines tragbaren Nahinfrarot-Spektrometers (NIR) für den Einsatz vor Ort getestet. 140 verschiedene Mineralwolleproben wurden untersucht, um eine NIR-basierte Methode für die Vor-Ort-Unterscheidung zwischen Glas- und Steinwolle zu etablieren. Die Validierung der Methode mit Testproben und die Anwendung auf Materialien, die aus BigBags für Deponien entnommen wurden, haben gezeigt, dass die Methode präzise und robust ist. Als Referenzmethode wurde die Röntgenfluoreszenzspektroskopie (RFA) mit einer Kalibrierung auf der Grundlage der VDI 3492 verwendet.
Optimizing the Green Synthesis of ZIF-8 by Reactive Extrusion Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy
(2023)
We report the scale-up of a batch solid synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for reactive extrusion. The crystalline product forms in the extruder directly under the mixture of solid 2-methylimidazole and basic zinc carbonate in the presence of a catalytic amount of liquid. The process parameters such as temperature, liquid type, feeding rate, and linker excess were optimized using the setup specifically designed for in situ Raman spectroscopy. Highly crystalline ZIF-8 with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1816 m2 g–1 was quantitatively prepared at mild temperature using a catalytic amount of ethanol and a small excess of the linker. Finally, we developed a simple and comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental friendliness and scalability of metal–organic framework (MOF) syntheses in view of their large-scale production.
ISO 14687 defines threshold limits for expectable impurities in hydrogen that is assigned for use in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. This work describes the establishment of the traceability of some selected impurities by preparation and analysis of reference gases with the lowest possible uncertainty in composition. Primary reference gases were produced by the gravimetric method according to ISO 6142-1 and the analysis was carried out by operating measurement protocols according to ISO 12963 on two customized trace GC analysers.
Introduction
NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important analytical methods in organic chemistry. While most analyses are carried out qualitatively with the aim of substance identification and structure elucidation, quantitative NMR spectroscopy (qNMR) is increasingly gaining importance in research and industry. qNMR provides the most universally applicable form of direct purity determination without need for reference materials of impurities or the calculation of response factors but only exhibiting suitable NMR properties.
Methods
One of the most attractive features of quantitative NMR spectroscopy is that the NMR peak areas can be used directly for concentration quantification without further calibration. Another advantage of NMR spectroscopy is that the method has a high linearity between absolute signal area and sample concentration, which makes it an absolute analytical comparison method that is independent of the matrix. This enables automated robust data evaluation strategies that can be used for online applications of qNMR spectroscopy.
Jancke et al. proposed NMR spectroscopy as a relative primary analytical method because it can be fully described by mathematical equations from which a complete uncertainty budget can be derived, allowing it to be used at the highest metrological level. Weber et al. discussed in detail important aspects of the procedure that enable the realisation of low measurement uncertainties in qNMR measurements. Since certification of CRM requires expanded mea¬sure¬ment uncertainties of less than 0.5 % (relative), the work of Weber et al. demonstrated for the first time that qNMR can fulfil this criterion.
Results
To date, further comparative studies have been carried out in metrology and industry, demonstrating the performance of quantitative NMR spectroscopy and further reducing measurement uncertainties. The development of validation concepts and the commercial availability of suitable certified reference materials facilitate the application, especially in the usually highly regulated industrial environment. Users can thus accelerate the development of analytical methods. The talk will cover a wide range of topics from current metrological activities to new challenges for qNMR spectroscopy and also deals with aspects such as validation and accreditation.
Innovative aspects
• qNMR provides the most universally applicable form of direct purity determination
• Expanded measurement uncertainties lower than 0.15 % (relative) possible
• Benchtop NMR instruments increasingly used for qNMR spectroscopy
Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a material extrusion-based technique often used in desktop 3D printers. Polymeric filaments are melted and are extruded through a heated nozzle to form a 3D object in layers. The extruder temperature is therefore a key parameter for a successful print job but also one of the main emission driving factors as harmful pollutants (e.g., ultrafine particles) are formed by thermal polymer degradation. The awareness of potential health risks has increased the number of emission studies in the past years. However, studies usually refer their calculated emission data to the printer set extruder temperature for comparison purposes. In this study, we used a thermocouple and an infrared camera to measure the actual extruder temperature and found significant temperature deviations to the displayed set temperature among printer models. Our result shows that printing the same filament feedstocks with three different printer models and with identical printer set temperature resulted in a variation in particle emission of around two orders of magnitude. A temperature adjustment has reduced the variation to approx. one order of magnitude. Thus, it is necessary to refer the measured emission data to the actual extruder temperature as it poses a more accurate comparison parameter for evaluation of the indoor air quality in user scenarios or for health risk assessments.
During its 25 years of existence, the Inorganic Analysis Working Group of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance: Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM IAWG) has achieved much in establishing comparability of measurement results. Impressive work has been done on comparison exercises related to real-world problems in fields such as ecology, food, or health. In more recent attempts, measurements and comparisons were focused on calibration solutions which are the basis of most inorganic chemical measurements. This contribution deals with the question of how to achieve full and transparent SI traceability for the values carried by such solutions. Within this framework, the use of classical primary methods (CPMs) is compared to the use of a primary difference method (PDM). PDM is a method with a dual character, namely a metrological method with a primary character, based on the bundling of many measurement methods for individual impurities, which lead to materials with certified content of the main component. As in classical methods, where small corrections for interferences are accepted, in PDM, many small corrections are bundled. In contrast to classical methods, the PDM is universally applicable to all elements in principle. Both approaches can be used to certify the purity (expressed as mass fraction of the main element) of a high-purity material. This is where the metrological need of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) for analytical methods meet the challenges of analytical methods. In terms of methods, glow discharge mass spectrometry (GMDS) with sufficient uncertainties for sufficiently small impurity contents is particularly noteworthy for the certification of primary transfer standards (PTS), and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), which particularly benefits from PTS (back-spikes) with small uncertainties, is particularly noteworthy for the application. The corresponding relative uncertainty which can be achieved using the PDM is very low (< 10−4). Acting as PTS, they represent the link between the material aspect of the primary calibration solutions and the immaterial world of the International System of Units (SI). The underlying concepts are discussed, the current status of implementation is summarised, and a roadmap of the necessary future activities in inorganic analytical chemistry is sketched. It has to be noted that smaller measurement uncertainties of the purity of high-purity materials not only have a positive effect on chemical measurements, but also trigger new developments and findings in other disciplines such as thermometry or materials science.
In den letzten Jahren erfreut sich die Benchtop-NMR-Spektroskopie steigender Beliebtheit. Zusätzlich zu Anwendungen im Labor werden die kompakten Geräte auch zunehmend in industriellen Bereichen eingesetzt. Neben geringeren Investitions- und Betriebskosten sind insbesondere die Robustheit und einfache Bedienbarkeit dieser Systeme entscheidende Faktoren. Ein prozessnaher Einsatz kann sowohl nach Probenahme im Rahmen der Betriebsanalytik erfolgen als auch als Online-Analytik mit direkter Ankopplung an Prozesse. Insbesondere bei der direkten Kopplung mittels Durchflusszellen spielt der Probentransfer eine entscheidende Rolle. Dies zeigt sich auch am Beispiel eines Extraktionsprozesses im Labormaßstab. Das in einem Bioprozess aus tierischen Altfetten hergestellte Copolymer PHB(Co-HHX) wurde in einem Batch-Prozess mit organischen Lösungsmitteln aus gefrier-getrockneten Zellen extrahiert. Unter Variation der Parameter wurde der Prozess direkt in der mehrphasigen Suspension mittels Benchtop-NMR-Spektroskopie verfolgt.
Eine große Limitierung für den Einsatz als Online-Methode ist die Temperaturempfindlichkeit der Magnetsysteme. Während die Umgebungstemperatur gut kontrollierbar ist, stellt sich die Thematik der Probentemperatur komplexer dar. Bei größeren Abweichungen von der Magnettemperatur kommt es bereits nach kurzer Zeit zu Drift-Effekten, die die Lock-Systeme nur begrenzt kompensieren können. Ein Ansatz ist die Nutzung temperierter Luftströme, ähnlich bekannter VT-Einheiten ergänzt um eine aktive Isolierung zum Magneten. An einem Modellaufbau wurden dazu verschiedene Konstruktionen zunächst mittels Thermographie charakterisiert und anschließend die Anwendbarkeit in einem Prototyp-Gerät überprüft.
In der rauen industriellen Umgebung von Produktionsanlagen sind weitere Maßnahmen zum Betrieb eines Laborgerätes nötig (z.B. Temperierung, Witterungsschutz). Zusätzlich bestehen häufig strikte Anforderungen an den Explosionsschutz. Zu diesem Zweck wurde gemeinsam mit der Evonik Rheinfelden eine Einhausung entwickelt, die es ermöglicht neben der NMR-Spektroskopie auch eine weitere analytische Methode möglichst flexibel direkt an großtechnische Anlagen anzubinden.
The European project MefHySto addresses the need of large-scale energy storage, which is required for a shift to renewable energy supply. The project is funded by the European Metrology Programme on Innovation and Research (EMPIR) and consists of 14 consortium partners from all over Europe (www.mefhysto.eu). It is demonstrated, how MefHySto is contributing to the EMN for Energy Gases aiming at prioritisation of the measurement gaps and challenges interacting with the EMN stakeholders.
In industrialised countries more than 80% of the time is spent indoors. Products, such as building materials and furniture, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are therefore ubiquitous in indoor air. Different VOC combinations may, under certain environmental and occupational conditions, result in reported sensory irritation and health complaints. A healthy indoor environment can be achieved by controlling the sources and by eliminating or limiting the release of harmful substances into the air. One way is to use materials proven to be low emitting. Meanwhile, a worldwide network of professional commercial and non-commercial laboratories performing emission tests for the evaluation of products for interior use has been established. Therefore, comparability and metrological traceability of test results must be ensured. A laboratory’s proficiency can be proven by internal and external validation measures that both include the application of suitable reference materials. The emission test chamber procedure according to EN 16516 comprises several steps from sample preparation to sampling of test chamber air and chromatographic analysis. Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) must therefore be ensured. Currently, there is a lack of suitable reference products containing components relevant for the health-related evaluation of building products.
The EU-funded EMPIR project 20NRM04 MetrIAQ (Metrology for the determination of emissions of dangerous substances from building materials into indoor air) aims to develop 1) gaseous primary reference materials (gPRM), which are used for the certification of gaseous (certified) reference materials (gCRM) and 2) emission reference materials (ERM).
Most commercial gas standards of indoor-relevant compounds are not certified due to the lack of primary reference materials to which the project aims to contribute. The gPRM under development is a gas-phase standard containing trace levels of VOCs in nitrogen or air from the check standard according to EN 16516 (n-hexane, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, butyl acetate, cyclohexanone, o-xylene, phenol, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) with a target uncertainty of 5 %. The gPRM can be sampled into sorbent tubes to obtain transfer standards in the form of gCRM.
The well characterised ERM represents a sample of a test specimen, e.g. building material, that is loaded into the emission test chamber for a period of several days and is used to evaluate the whole emission test chamber procedure. It shall have a reproducible and temporally constant compound release of less than 10 % variability over 14 days. Different approaches for retarded VOC release, such as the encapsulation of pure compounds and the impregnation of porous materials, are being tested to reach this aim. Furthermore, the design of the ERM is accompanied by the development of a numerical model for the prediction of the emissions for each of the target VOCs. The current progress of the work on both materials will be presented.
Quantitative 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR) of Aromatic Amino Acids for Protein Quantification
(2023)
Hydrolysis of protein samples into amino acids facilitates the use of NMR spectroscopy for protein and peptide quantification. Different conditions have been tested for quantifying aromatic amino acids and proteins. The pH-dependent signal shifts in the aromatic region of amino acid samples were examined. A pH of 12 was found to minimize signal overlap of the four aromatic amino acids. Several aromatic compounds, such as terephthalic acid, sulfoisophthalic acid, and benzene tricarboxylic acid, were applied as internal standards. The quantification of amino acids from an amino acid standard was performed. Using the first two suggested internal standards, recovery was ~97% for histidine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine at a concentration of approximately 1 mM in solution. Acidic hydrolysis of a certified reference material (CRM) of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and subsequent quantification of Phe and Tyr yielded recoveries of 98% ± 2% and 88% ± 4%, respectively, at a protein concentration of 16 g/L or 250 µM.
For the gradual introduction of hydrogen in the energy market, the study of the properties of mixtures of hydrogen with typical components of natural gas (NG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is of great importance. This work aims to provide accurate experimental (p, rho, T) data for three hydrogen-propane mixtures with nominal compositions (amount of substance, mol/mol) of (0.95 H2 + 0.05 C3H8), (0.90 H2 + 0.10 C3H8), and (0.83 H2 + 0.17 C3H8), at temperatures of 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, and 375 K, and pressures up to 20 MPa. A single-sinker densimeter was used to determine the density of the mixtures. Experimental density data were compared to the densities calculated from two reference equations of state: the GERG-2008 and the AGA8-DC92. Relative deviations from the GERG-2008 EoS are systematically larger than those from the AGA8-DC92. They are within the ±0.5% band for the mixture with 5% of propane, but deviations are higher than 0.5% for the mixtures with 10% and 17% of propane, especially at low temperatures and high pressures. Finally, the sets of new experimental data have been processed by the application of two different statistical equations of state: the virial equation of state, through the second and third virial coefficients, B(T, x) and C(T, x), and the PC-SAFT equation of state.
This study shows remarkably different features between the oxidation of secondary and primary C₃-C₅ alcohols. The oxidation of primary alcohols is controlled by the oxidative removal of blocking adsorbates, such as CO, formed after the dissociative adsorption of alcohol molecules. Conversely, secondary alcohols do not undergo dissociative adsorption and therefore their oxidation is purely controlled by the energetics of the elementary reaction steps. In this respect, a different role of ruthenium is revealed for the electrooxidation of primary and secondary alcohols on bimetallic platinum-ruthenium catalysts. Ruthenium enhances the oxidation of primary alcohols via the established bifunctional mechanism, in which the adsorption of (hydr)oxide species that are necessary to remove the blocking adsorbates is favored. In contrast, the oxidation of secondary alcohols is enhanced by the Ru-assisted stabilization of an O-bound intermediate that is involved in the potential-limiting step. This alternative pathway enables the oxidation of secondary alcohols close to the equilibrium potential.
Cryoadsorption on the inner surface of porous materials is a promising solution for safe, fast, and reversible hydrogen storage. Within the class of highly porous metal−organic frameworks, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) show high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability. In this study, we selected ZIF-8 synthesized mechanochemically by twin-screw extrusion as powder and pellets. The hydrogen storage capacity at 77 K and up to 100 bar has been analyzed in two laboratories applying three different measurement setups showing a high reproducibility. Pelletizing ZIF-8 increases the packing density close to the corresponding value for a single crystal without loss of porosity, resulting in an improved volumetric hydrogen storage capacity close to the upper limit for a single crystal. The high volumetric uptake combined with a low and constant heat of adsorption provides ca. 31 g of usable hydrogen per liter of pellet assuming a temperature−pressure swing adsorption process between 77 K − 100 bar and 117 K − 5 bar. Cycling experiments do not indicate any degradation in storage capacity. The excellent stability during preparation, handling, and operation of ZIF-8 pellets demonstrates its potential as a robust adsorbent material for technical application in pilot- and full-scale adsorption vessel prototypes.
Ratiometric green–red fluorescent nanosensors for fluorometrically monitoring pH in the acidic range were designed from 80 nm-sized polystyrene (PS) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs), red emissive reference dyes, and a green emissive naphthalimide pH probe, analytically and spectroscopically characterized, and compared regarding their sensing performance in aqueous dispersion and in cellular uptake studies. Preparation of these optical probes, which are excitable by 405 nm laser or LED light sources, involved the encapsulation of the pH-inert red-fuorescent dye Nile Red (NR) in the core of self-made carboxylated PSNPs by a simple swelling procedure and the fabrication of rhodamine B (RhB)-stained SiO2-NPs from a silane derivative of pH-insensitive RhB. Subsequently, the custom-made naphthalimide pH probe, that utilizes a protonation-controlled photoinduced electron transfer process, was covalently attached to the carboxylic acid groups at the surface of both types of NPs. Fluorescence microscopy studies with the molecular and nanoscale optical probes and A549 lung cancer cells confirmed the cellular uptake of all probes and their penetration into acidic cell compartments, i.e., the lysosomes, indicated by the switching ON of the green naphthalimide fluorescence. This underlines their suitability for intracellular pH sensing, with the SiO2-based nanosensor revealing the best performance regarding uptake speed and stability.