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- 1.8 Umweltanalytik (4)
Biotransformation processes of fluopyram (FLP), a new succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide, were investigated by electrochemistry (EC) coupled online to liquid chromatography (LC) and electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Oxidative phase I metabolite production was achieved using an electrochemical flow-through cell equipped with a boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode. Structural elucidation and prediction of oxidative metabolism pathways were assured by retention time, isotopic patterns, fragmentation, and accurate mass measurements using EC/LC/MS, LC-MS/MS, and/or high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The results obtained by EC were compared with conventional in vitro studies by incubating FLP with rat and human liver microsomes (RLM, HLM). Known phase I metabolites of FLP (benzamide, benzoic acid, 7-hydroxyl, 8-hydroxyl, 7,8-dihydroxyl FLP, lactam FLP, pyridyl acetic acid, and Z/E-olefin FLP) were successfully simulated by EC/LC/MS. New metabolites including an imide, hydroxyl lactam, and 7-hydroxyl pyridyl acetic acid oxidative metabolites were predicted for the first time in our study using EC/LC/MS and liver microsomes. We found oxidation by dechlorination to be one of the major metabolism mechanisms of FLP. Thus, our results revealed that EC/LC/MS-based metabolic elucidation was more advantageous on time and cost of analysis and enabled matrix-free detection with valuable information about the mechanisms and intermediates of metabolism processes.
From simple homopolymers to functionalized, 3-dimensional structured copolymers, the complexity of polymeric materials has become more and more sophisticated. With new applications for instance in the semiconductor or pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for the characterization have risen with the complexity of the used polymers. For each additional distribution, an additional dimension in analysis is needed. Small, often isomeric heterogeneities in topology or microstructure can usually not be simply separated chromatographically or distinguished by any common detector, but affect the properties of materials significantly. For a drug delivery system for example, the degree of branching and branching distribution is crucial for the formation of micelles. Instead of a complicated, time consuming and/or expensive 2d-chromatography or ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) method, that also has its limitations, in this work a simple approach using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) is proposed. The online coupling allows the analysis of reconstructed ion chromatograms (RIC) of each degree of polymerization. While a complete separation often cannot be achieved, the derived retention times and peak widths lead to information on the existence and dispersity of heterogeneities. Although some microstructural heterogeneities like short chain branching can for large polymers be characterized with methods such as light scattering, for oligomers where the heterogeneities just start to form and their influence is at the maximum, they are inaccessible with these methods. It is also shown, that with a proper calibration even quantitative information can be obtained. This method is suitable to detect small differences in e. g. branching, 3d-structure, monomer sequence or tacticity and could potentially be used in routine analysis to quickly determine deviations.
The efficiency, relatively low cost and eco-friendly nature of hydrogen peroxide-assisted photocatalysis treatment procedures are significant advantages over conventional techniques for wastewater remediation. Herein, we evaluate the behaviour of g-cyclodextrin (g-CD) immobilised on either bare or chitosan (CS)–functionalised Fe3O4 nanoparticles, for photodegrading Bisphenol A (BPA) in ultrapure water and in real wastewater samples. The BPA removal efficiencies with Fe3O4/g-CD and Fe3O4/CS/g-CD were compared with those of Fe3O4/b-CD, and were monitored under UVA irradiation at near-neutral pH. The addition of H2O2 at low concentrations (15 mmol L-1) significantly increased BPA photodegradation in the presence of each nanocomposite. The highest catalytic activity was shown by both Fe3O4/g-CD and Fe3O4/CS/g-CD nanocomposites (,60 and 27%BPA removal in ultrapure water and real wastewater effluent, respectively). Our findings reveal the superior performance of g-CD-functionalised Fe3O4 relative to that of Fe3O4/b-CD. The use of CD-based nanocomposites as photocatalytic materials could be an attractive option in the pre- or post-treatment stage of wastewaters by advanced oxidation processes before or after biological treatment.
For ten years µ-XRF (micro-focus X-ray fluorescence) analysis has been performed with SEM/EDS (scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray detector) so that non-destructive analysis of elements at trace level concentrations below 100 µg g-1 becomes possible. This can be considered as a valuable completion of the classical electron probe microanalysis by EDS, an analytical method 'suffering' from rather poor limits of detection in the range of one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of µ-XRF. Based on a representative actual application, namely analysis of RoHS relevant elements at trace concentration levels, the performance of the rather new analytical method with respect to its limits of detection is systematically evaluated. CRMs (certified reference materials) specially prepared to support the quantitative XRF analysis of RoHS relevant elements were employed. On the other side, based on calculations of µ-XRF spectra according to a recently developed physical model the optimization of the analytical performance is also successfully undertaken.
Pathway of a damaging mechanism - Analyzing chloride attack by synchrotron based X-ray diffraction
(2015)
Typically, the changes of the phase compositions due to the chemical attack are studied in-situ only by chemical analysis or microscopy. In this study, the chloride transport and binding in the cement matrix in different cementitious materials was analyzed by synchrotron based X-ray diffraction (SyXRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Sample materials consisting of cement paste were embedded in high concentrated sodium chloride solution over different time spans. Afterwards, the phase and chemical compositions were determined. The high spatial resolution and the information about the chloride distribution offer a detailed view of chloride binding in the cement matrix and allow the conclusions about the degradation mechanisms. The results are discussed related to the influence of different supplementary cementitious materials on the damaging mechanism.
A non-invasive method to monitor the humoral immune response in mice after immunization is described. From fecal pellets of an individual mouse, a sufficient amount of active immunoglobulins or their fragments can be extracted to perform a regular examination of the status of the immune response by immunoassay. Hapten-specific antibodies from the feces of mice from three immunization trials showed very similar characteristics to those obtained from serum at a given date. Therefore, it can be suspected that some serum IgG enters the intestinal lumen and ends up in the feces, where they appear to be considerably stable. Hapten-specific IgAs were not found in the feces. Being able to analyze antibody titers in feces could be an interesting animal welfare refinement to standard practice that does not entail repeated blood sampling.
Identifying the fate of agrochemicals is important to understand their potential risk for living organisms. We report here new photodegradation products (PPs) of the fungicide fluopyram. The PPs were produced by irradiating a fluopyram standard in 0.1% acetonitrile aqueous media by a 150-W medium pressure Hg-lamp that emits wavelengths between 200–280 nm. The structural elucidation of PPs was achieved by combining the retention time, isotopic pattern, targeted fragmentation, and accurate mass measurements using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high resolution-MS (HRMS). In addition to previously known PPs, seven new PPs of fluopyram were identified in this work: mainly dihydroxyl and hydroxylimide fluopyram as well as mono, di, and trihydroxyl lactam. Additionally, two PPs were found to be formed by rearrangement after the loss of H2C=CH2. Hence, the results of the work contribute to extending the current knowledge regarding the photoinduced fate of agrochemicals, and fluopyram in particular.
A broad range of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and their dissolved ions possess a possible toxicological risk for human health and the environment. Reliable and robust measurements of dissolution effects may be influenced by the sample matrix, which challenges the analytical method of choice. In this study, CuO NPs were investigated in several dissolution experiments. Two analytical techniques (dynamic light scattering (DLS) and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)) were used to characterize NPs (size distribution curves) time-dependently in different complex matrices (e.g., artificial lung lining fluids and cell culture media). The advantages and challenges of each analytical approach are evaluated and discussed. Additionally, a direct-injection single particle (DI sp)ICP-MS technique for assessing the size distribution curve of the dissolved particles was developed and evaluated. The DI technique provides a sensitive response even at low concentrations without any dilution of the complex sample matrix. These experiments were further enhanced with an automated data evaluation procedure to objectively distinguish between ionic and NP events.
With this approach, a fast and reproducible determination of inorganic NPs and ionic backgrounds can be achieved. This study can serve as guidance when choosing the optimal analytical method for NP characterization and for the determination of the origin of an adverse effect in NP toxicity.
The authenticity of objects and artifacts is often
the focus of forensic analytic chemistry. In document fraud
cases, the most important objective is to determine the
origin of a particular ink. Here, we introduce a new
approach which utilizes the combination of two analytical
methods, namely Raman spectroscopy and laser-induced
breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The methods provide
complementary information on both molecular and elemental
composition of samples. The potential of this hyphenation
of spectroscopic methods is demonstrated for ten blue
and black ink samples on white paper. LIBS and Raman
spectra from different inks were fused into a single data
matrix, and the number of different groups of inks was
determined through multivariate analysis, i.e., principal
component analysis, soft independent modelling of class
analogy, partial least-squares discriminant analysis, and
support vector machine. In all cases, the results obtained
with the combined LIBS and Raman spectra were found to
be superior to those obtained with the individual Raman or
LIBS data sets.
We optimized multiplexed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on breast cancer tissue. Up to 20 tumor markers are routinely evaluated for one patient, and thus, a common analysis results in a series of time consuming staining procedures. As an alternative, we used lanthanides for labeling of primary antibodies, which are applied in IHC. Laser ablation (LA) ICPMS was elaborated as a detection tool for multiplexed IHC of tissue sections. In this study, we optimized sample preparation steps and LA ICPMS parameters to achieve a sufficient signal-to-background ratio. The results prove the high selectivity of applied antibodies, which was sustained after labeling. Up to three tumor markers (Her 2, CK 7, and MUC 1) were detected simultaneously in a single multiplex analysis of a 5 µm thin breast cancer tissue at a laser spot size of 200 µm. Furthermore, the LA ICPMS results indicate a significantly higher expression level of MUC 1 compared to Her 2 and CK 7, which was not obvious from the conventionally stained tissue sections.
In this study, an analytical procedure for multi-element screening of 40 elements in milk and feed samples was developed. Three different digestion and two different calibration methods were tested for the best suitability. The analytical procedure for the quantification of minor and trace elements is based on sector field ICP-MS (SF-ICP-MS). The method validation revealed good agreement between the determined elemental mass fractions and the certified values of two milk and three feed reference materials. Milk samples of dairy cows at different feeding regimes were collected from two different farms. The results of our study showed significant differences of nine elemental mass fractions (Li, P, Mn, Co, Cu, Rb, Sr, Br, I) between milk from the two locations. Further, a correlation between the elemental mass fractions of milk and the ingested feed and water was observed.
A systematic crystal morphology study on the pharmaceutical model compound caffeine has been conducted on different surfaces: silicon, silver, soda lime glass, and silver subsurface ion-exchanged soda-lime silicate (SIMO) glasses. The morphology of the solid caffeine deposits has been investigated using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Needle-shaped caffeine crystals have been observed by drop-casting and also by applying the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) technique using supercritical carbon dioxide. The aspect ratio of the crystalline needles typically vary between 10 and 100, but have been observed as large as 500. The XRD data of the RESS products indicate unambiguously the presence of the thermodynamically most stable polymorph of caffeine known as the β-form. Under defined conditions we observe a unique, surface-mediated morphology for caffeine crystals with nearly perfect hexagonal shape. The relative fraction of the hexagons was seen to strongly increase especially when SIMO glasses were used. These hexagons have a distinct upper size limit depending on the solvent and substrate being used. The size distribution analysis of the hexagons yielded an average perimeter of typically 10 µm. The mechanism of the formation process of this new hexagonal motif is explained in terms of the spinodal dewetting of the thin film of caffeine solution on the surface.
The improved Monte-Carlo (MC) method for standard-less analysis in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is presented. Concentrations in MC LIBS are found by fitting model-generated synthetic spectra to experimental spectra. The current version of MC LIBS is based on the graphic processing unit (GPU) computation and reduces the analysis time down to several seconds per spectrum/sample. The previous version of MC LIBS which was based on the central processing unit (CPU) computation requested unacceptably long analysis times of 10's minutes per spectrum/sample. The reduction of the computational time is achieved through the massively parallel computing on the GPU which embeds thousands of co-processors. It is shown that the number of iterations on the GPU exceeds that on the CPU by a factor > 1000 for the 5-dimentional parameter space and yet requires > 10-fold shorter computational time. The improved GPU-MC LIBS outperforms the CPU-MS LIBS in terms of accuracy, precision, and analysis time. The performance is tested on LIBS-spectra obtained from pelletized powders of metal oxides consisting of CaO, Fe2O3, MgO, and TiO2 that simulated by-products of steel industry, steel slags. It is demonstrated that GPU-based MC LIBS is capable of rapid multi-element analysis with relative error between 1 and 10's percent that is sufficient for industrial applications (e.g. steel slag analysis). The results of the improved GPU-based MC LIBS are positively compared to that of the CPU-based MC LIBS as well as to the results of the standard calibration-free (CF) LIBS based on the Boltzmann plot method.
Monitoring carbamazepine in surface and wastewaters by an immunoassay based on a monoclonal antibody
(2009)
The pharmaceutical compound carbamazepine (CBZ) is an emerging pollutant in the aquatic environment and may potentially be used as a wastewater marker. In this work, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of carbamazepine in surface and sewage waters has been developed. The heterogeneous immunoassay is based on a commercially available monoclonal antibody and a novel enzyme conjugate (tracer) that links the hapten via a hydrophilic peptide (triglycine) spacer to horseradish peroxidase. The assay achieves a limit of detection of 24 ng/L and a quantitation range of 0.05-50 µg/L. The analytical performance and figure of merits were compared to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction. For nine Berlin surface water samples and one wastewater sample, a close correlation of results was observed. A constant overestimation relative to the CBZ concentration of approximately 30% by ELISA is probably caused by the presence of 10,11-epoxy-CBZ and 2-hydroxy-CBZ in the samples. The ELISA displayed cross-reactivities for these compounds of 83% and 14%, respectively. In a first screening of 27 surface water samples, CBZ was detected in every sample with concentrations between 0.05 and 3.2 µg/L. Since no sample cleanup is required, the assay allowed for the determination of carbamazepine with high sensitivity at low costs and with much higher throughput than with conventional methods.
Caffeine is a useful indicator to quickly assess liver function. High-throughput tests are needed for single-point caffeine measurements, with low cross-reactivity toward its major metabolite, paraxanthine. A newly developed ELISA was compared with an LC-MS/MS reference method, using 60 saliva samples from 10 individuals, before and after caffeine intake. Bland-Altman plot, Student t-test and F-test were used to compare the two methods. Proteins were precipitated using organic solvent and the caffeine recoveries compared with those obtained using sample microfiltration. The antibody, with a low cross-reactivity toward paraxanthine (0.08%), allows quantification of caffeine in saliva samples from 2.5 µg/L to 125 µg/L with high precision and the ELISA shows comparable results to those obtained by LC-MS/MS. A one-step protein precipitation using an organic solvent provides comparable results to a more costly and time-consuming microfiltration pre-treatment of samples. The new ELISA is a fit-for-purpose method to accurately and precisely determine caffeine in saliva samples.
The processes associated with pollen germination were studied in vitro for two tree species, Salix caprea and Fraxinus excelsior under different nutrient conditions. The results provide evidence of changes in chemical composition of the pollen grains during germination. From the comparison of spectra of the pollen grain body and the growing pollen tube, it can be concluded that there are major chemical differences between these two morphological units. Comparison of germinated and ungerminated pollen grains reveals alterations in the metabolism. Composition of the germinating pollen grain and its morphological units depends on the plant species, but also on the nutrient conditions. The results suggest species-specific utilization of metabolite storage, and potential alterations of the pollen outer coat. Furthermore, discharge of molecules into the nutrient medium may depend on the nutrient conditions in the germination experiments. This has implications for further experiments on dynamic processes in pollen and related plant materials.
In many laser based ionization techniques with a subsequent drift time separation, the laser pulse generating the ions is considered as the start time t0. Therefore, an accurate temporal definition of this event is crucial for the resolution of the experiments. In this contribution, the laser induced plume dynamics of liquids evaporating into atmospheric pressure are visualized for two distinctively different laser pulse widths, Δt = 6 nanoseconds and Δτ = 280 microseconds. For ns-pulses the expansion of the generated vapour against atmospheric pressure is found to lead to turbulences inside the gas phase. This results in spatial and temporal broadening of the nascent clouds. A more equilibrated expansion, without artificial smearing of the temporal resolution can, in contrast, be observed to follow μs-pulse excitation. This leads to the counterintuitive finding that longer laser pulses results in an increased temporal vapour formation definition. To examine if this fume expansion also eventually results in a better definition of ion formation, the nascent vapour plumes were expanded into a linear drift tube ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). This time resolved detection of ion formation corroborates the temporal broadening caused by collisional impeding of the supersonic expansion at atmospheric pressure and the overall better defined ion formation by evaporation with long laser pulses. A direct comparison of the observed results strongly suggests the coexistence of two individual ion formation mechanisms that can be specifically addressed by the use of appropriate laser sources.
The application of metrology in chemical analysis is today hampered by psychological and practical barriers. The argumentation is based on the differences in physical and chemical metrology, which arises mainly from the objects of the measurements. The term measurement is discussed in the realm of analytical chemistry with a special focus on the inherent relation between chemical identification and determination as well as the consequent use of the concept of traceability and uncertainty.
Mechanochemical synthesis of [Zn3(C2O4)3(4,4'-bipy)4] and its reorganization at high temperatures
(2014)
The metal organic layered structure catena-(bis(µ2-4,4'-bipyridine)-tris(µ2-oxalato)-bis(4,4'-bipyridine)-tri-zinc(ii)) ([Zn3(C2O4)3(4,4'-bipy)4]) was synthesized mechanochemically applying three different routes. The synthesis succeeded by i) simultaneously neat grinding the three starting materials zinc acetate dihydrate, oxalic acid dihydrate and 4,4'bipyridine, ii) grinding two compounds and adding the third afterwards, independent of the sequence. The products were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, gas adsorption measurements, and scanning electron microscopy. Temperature-dependent synchrotron XRD measurements revealed that the monoclinic structure of [Zn3(C2O4)3(4,4'-bipy)4] rearranges reversibly to a higher ordered orthorhombic structure [Zn(C2O4)(4,4'-bipy)] at high temperatures.
RATIONALE
Polymer sample spots for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) prepared by the dried-droplet method often reveal ring formation accompanied by possible segregation of matrix and sample molecules as well as of the polymer homologs itself. Since the majority of sample spots are prepared by this simple and fast method, a matrix or sample preparation method that excludes such segregation has to be found.
METHODS
Three different ionic liquid matrices based on conventionally used aromatic compounds for MALDI-TOF MS were prepared. The formation of ionic liquids was proven by 1H NMR spectroscopy. MALDI-Imaging mass spectrometry was applied to monitor the homogeneity.
RESULTS
Our results show a superior sample spot homogeneity using ionic liquid matrices. Spots could be sampled several times without visible differences in the mass spectra. A frequently observed loss of matrix in the mass spectrometer vacuum was not observed. The necessary laser irradiance was reduced, which resulted in less polymer fragmentation.
CONCLUSIONS
Ionic liquid matrices can be used to overcome segregation, a typical drawback of conventional MALDI dried-droplet preparations. Homogeneous sample spots are easy to prepare, stable in the MS vacuum and, thereby, improve the reproducibility of MALDI.
RATIONALE
A fast and reliable online identification of pollen is not yet available. The identification of pollen is based mainly on the evaluation of morphological data obtained by microscopic methods.
METHODS
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was applied to the analysis of extracts and milled pollen samples. The obtained MALDI data were explored for characteristic peak patterns which could be subjected to a multivariate statistical analysis.
RESULTS
Two sample preparation methods are presented, which require only minimal or no chemical extraction of the pollen. MALDI pollen spectra could be recorded showing various peak patterns. A multivariate statistics approach allowed the classification of pollen into clusters indicating similarities and differences between various species.
CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate the potential and the reliability of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification and, in combination with multivariate statistics, also for the classification of pollen.
The segregation in dried droplet MALDI sample spots was analyzed with regard to the matrix-to-sample ratio using optical microscopy, MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI MSI) and IR imaging spectroscopy. In this context, different polymer/matrix/solvent systems usually applied in the analysis of synthetic polymers were investigated. The use of typical matrix concentrations (10 mg mL-1) in almost every case resulted in ring patterns, whereas higher concentrated matrix solutions always led to homogeneous sample spot layers. The data revealed that segregation is predominantly caused by matrix transport in the drying droplet, whereas polymer segregation seems to be only secondary.
An ionization scheme for fast online mass spectrometric interrogation of levitated droplets is presented. That renewed method comprises the output of an a Er:YAG laser at λ = 2.94 µm which is in resonance with the OH stretch vibration band of solvents like water and alcohols. A temporal pulse width larger than the time needed for pressure redistribution and also above the temperature redistribution time constant was found to lead to soft evaporation/ionization. Despite these mild desorption conditions, no additional postionization is found to be needed. Accordingly, the ionization is found to be very soft resulting in entirely intact analyte ions and concentration dependent cluster ions. Resulting mass spectra of small amino acids and large antibiotics are presented showing the versatility of the introduced technique. Above a critical mass of m ≈ 1 kDa, the formed ions carry multiple charges as it is typical for thermospray or electrospray ionization. The detection technique enables fast contactless analysis of the chemical composition of levitated microreactors and, thus, paves the way for future contactless reaction monitoring.
Detection and monitoring of volatile elements released during the preparation of ultra high purity zinc by vacuum distillation (VD) is reported using online quadrupole gas source mass spectrometry (QMS). The theoretically calculated vapour pressures (pv) for the volatile impurity elements using Dushman constants and the practically observed mass spectra were found to be consistent (S. Dushman and J. M. Lafferty, Scienific Foundations of Vacuum Technique, 2nd ed., Wiley, New York, 1962). This is the first time that the potential ability of an online mass spectrometer was used for monitoring and understanding the process mechanism during the purification of metals (Zn) using VD. We here also illustrate our findings with the results from high resolution glow discharge mass spectrometer (HR-GDMS) analysis before and after the purification of Zn.
In this work, we report on the application of hyphenated gas source mass spectrometry to study and understand the mechanism of the reduction-distillation of ZnO using Al powder as reductant in its activated and inactivated form. The experiments revealed that the purity of the Zn metal produced were superior using activated Al with respect to inactivated Al, i.e., m5N8 (99.9998% metallic based) versus m5N3. The achieved purity levels of Zn and the absence of high volatile Cd, Mg, and Sb impurities in the gas phase and the material collected were explained with respect to the impurity elements free-energy values, vapor pressure data, and an observed scavenging effect of the Ta crucible, which was supported by the on-line observed mass spectrometric profiles of the residual gas.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-timeof-flight (MALDI-TOF) imaging of polystyrenes with various molecular masses was applied to study spatial molecular mass distribution of polymers in sample spots prepared by the 'dried droplet' method. When different solvents and target surfaces were examined, a segregation of single homologous polymers was observed depending upon the evaporation rate of the solvent. For the observed Patterns left by the evaporating droplet, a hypothesis is offered taking into account different hydrodynamic interactions and diffusion.
The results illustrate that spot preparation using the conventionally 'dried droplet' method is prone to artifacts and should be avoided for reliable and reproducible MALDI mass spectrometry experiments with regards to the Determination of molecular masses and mass distributions.
The purpose of this work is to improve the performance of a linear correlation method used for material identification in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. The improved correlation procedure is proposed based on the selection and use of only essential spectral information and ignoring empty spectral fragments. The method is tested on glass samples of forensic interest. The 100% identification capability of the new method is demonstrated in contrast to the traditional approach where the identification rate falls below 100% for many samples.
Estrone (E1), a metabolite of the estrogenic hormones 17β-estradiol (β-E2) and 17α-estradiol (α-E2), is itself a potent estrogen which can have a significant impact on the hormonal balance. Due to ist high potential for adverse effects on human health and aquatic life even at pg/L to ng/L levels, its appearance in water should be monitored. E1 has also been considered a marker substance for the presence of other estrogens. This study presents a newly developed direct competitive enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantification of E1 in environmental water samples using new monoclonal antibodies.
The quantification range of the ELISA is 0.15 μg/L to 8.7 μg/L E1, and the limit of detection is around 60 ng/L for not pre-concentrated water samples. A pre-concentration step after careful selection of suitable phases for SPE was developed, too. The influence of organic solvents and natural organic matter on the ELISA was assessed. The high selectivity of the monoclonal antibody was demonstrated by determining the cross-reactivity against 20 structurally related compounds.
For the assessment of matrix effects, a concept (“LC–ELISA”) is thoroughly exploited, i.e., separating complex samples by HPLC into 0.3 min fractions and determination of the apparent E1 concentration. Furthermore, fractions with interferences for nontarget/suspected-target analysis can be assigned. A dilution approach was applied to distinguish between specific interferences (cross-reactants) and non-specific interferences (matrix effects). In the determination of 18 environmental samples, a good agreement of the E1 concentration in the respective fractions was obtained with mean recoveries of 103 % to 132 % comparing ELISA to LC–MS/MS.
The Radon transform is tested as a method for reconstruction of the emissivity distribution of asymmetric laser induced plasmas. Two types of experiments were carried out. First, the plasma asymmetry is introduced via focusing the laser by a cylindrical lens to create plasma plumes elongated along the symmetry axis of the lens. Second, an asymmetric power distribution across the laser beam is created by reflecting the latter from a damaged mirror. Various effects on the quality of the plasma emissivity reconstructed by the Radon tomography method are investigated. The understanding of these effects appears to be essential to design a proper experimental setup to study LIBS plasmas by the Radon tomography method. It is demonstrated that the Radon tomography can successfully be used for experimental studies of asymmetric LIBS plasmas.
In this work, the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for discrimination and analysis of geological materials was examined. The research was focused on classification of mineral ores using their LIBS spectra prior to quantitative determination of copper. Quantitative analysis is not a trivial task in LIBS measurement because intensities of emission lines in laser-induced plasmas (LIP) are strongly affected by the sample matrix (matrix effect). To circumvent this effect, typically matrix-matched standards are used to obtain matrix-dependent calibration curves. If the sample set consists of a mixture of different matrices, even in this approach, the corresponding matrix has to be known prior to the downstream data analysis. For this categorization, the multielemental character of LIBS spectra can be of help. In this contribution, a principal component analysis (PCA) was employed on the measured data set to discriminate individual rocks as individual matrices against each other according to their overall elemental composition. Twenty-seven igneous rock samples were analyzed in the form of fine dust, classified and subsequently quantitatively analyzed. Two different LIBS setups in two laboratories were used to prove the reproducibility of classification and quantification. A superposition of partial calibration plots constructed from the individual clustered data displayed a large improvement in precision and accuracy compared to the calibration plot constructed from all ore samples. The classification of mineral samples with complex matrices can thus be recommended prior to LIBS system calibration and quantitative analysis.
A spatial heterodyne spectrometer (SHS) is tested for the first time in combination with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The spectrometer is a modified version of the Michelson interferometer in which mirrors are replaced by diffraction gratings. The SHS contains no moving parts and the gratings are fixed at equal distances from the beam splitter. The main advantage is high throughput, about 200 times higher than that of dispersive spectrometers used in LIBS. This makes LIBS-SHS a promising technique for low-light standoff applications. The output signal of the SHS is an interferogram that is Fourier-transformed to retrieve the original plasma spectrum. In this proof-of-principle study, we investigate the potential of LIBS-SHS for material classification and quantitative analysis. Brass standards with broadly varying concentrations of Cu and Zn were tested. Classification via principal component analysis (PCA) shows distinct groupings of materials according to their origin. The quantification via partial least squares regression (PLS) shows good precision (relative standard deviation , 10%) and accuracy (within 6 5% of nominal concentrations). It is possible that LIBS-SHS can be developed into a portable, inexpensive, rugged instrument for field applications.
Acoustically levitated droplets have been suggested as compartmentalized, yet wall-less microreactors for high-throughput reaction optimization purposes. The absence of walls is envisioned to simplify up-scaling of the optimized reaction conditions found in the microliter volumes. A consequent pursuance of high-throughput chemistry calls for a fast, robust and sensitive analysis suited for online interrogation. For reaction optimization, targeted Analysis with relatively low sensitivity suffices, while a fast, robust and automated sampling is paramount. To follow this approach, in this contribution, a direct coupling of levitated droplets to a homebuilt ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) is presented. The sampling, Transfer to the gas phase, as well as the ionization are all performed by a single exposure of the sampling volume to the resonant output of a mid-IR laser. Once formed, the nascent spatially and temporally evolving analyte ion cloud needs to be guided out of the acoustically confined trap into the inlet of the ion mobility spectrometer. Since the IMS is operated at ambient pressure, no fluid dynamic along a pressure Gradient can be employed. Instead, the transfer is achieved by the electrostatic potential gradient inside a dual ring electrode ion optics, guiding the analyte ion cloud into the first stage of the IMS linear drift tube accelerator. The design of the appropriate atmospheric pressure ion optics is based on the original vacuum ion optics design of Wiley and McLaren. The obtained experimental results nicely coincide with ion trajectory calculations based on a collisional model.
A new laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS method for single cell and cell nucleus imaging was developed. Therein, iodine was employed as an elemental dye for fibroblast cells and for thin tissue sections. At an incubation time of 60 s, iodine is located mainly within the cell nuclei. This effect was illustrated in fibroblast cells, and iodine signal within the cell nucleus was as high as 5 × 104 cps at 4 µm laser spot size. The surrounding cytoplasm was iodinated as well, but to a lesser extent. The spatial resolution attained was sufficient to detect even smaller cell nuclei within a liver biopsy tissue. Furthermore, iodine was successfully employed for biomolecule labeling and we demonstrated that iodine signal increased with increasing thickness of a palatine tonsil tissue. Thus, the use of iodine as an internal standard to correct for tissue inhomogeneities in LA-ICP-MS was investigated for the simultaneous detection of two tumor markers (Her 2 and CK 7) in breast cancer tissue. Additionally, lanthanide background resulting from glass ablation can be corrected for by Eu standardization.
The identification of transformation products (TPs) of pesticides in food is a crucial task difficult to tackle, due to the lack of standards. In this work, we present a novel methodology to synthesize five main TP standards of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and to investigate their occurrence in selected fruits and spices. TPs were electrochemically (EC) synthesized using a boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) and identified by EC coupled online to mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. CPF and its TPs were analyzed in the food samples by LC-MS/MS on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) after dispersive solid-phase extraction. A good recovery of 83–103% for CPF and 65–85% for TPs was obtained. Matrix effects, which cause signal suppression, ranged between 81 to 95% for all targeted analytes. The limit of detection and quantification for CPF were 1.6–1.9 and 4.9–5.7 μg/kg, respectively. Among investigated samples, CPF was determined in fresh lemon (104 μg/kg), fenugreek seed (40 μg/kg), and black pepper (31 μg/kg). CPF content in all samples was lower than the EU maximum residue level (MRL). The most frequently detected TPs were diethylthiophosphate and diethylphosphate. Other TPs, CPF oxon and trichloropyridinol, were also detected. Hence, EC is a versatile tool to synthesize TP standards which enables the determination of contaminants and residues in foodstuffs even if no commercial standards are available.
The influence of a humid or dry atmosphere on acoustically levitated ionic liquid droplets was studied by volumetric analysis and vibrational spectroscopy. Imidazolium-based ionic liquids with two types of anions, fluorinated (BF4 and PF6) and alkylsulfate anions, were investigated. The amount of absorbed water was correlated with structural differences of the ionic liquids and analyzed in terms of equilibrium mole fraction as well as absorption rate. The type of anion had the most significant influence on the amount of adsorbed water from the atmosphere. Furthermore, spectral changes in the in situ Raman spectra due to absorbed water were studied for all investigated ionic liquids. For 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate, an exemplary detailed analysis of the intermolecular interactions between cations, anions and water was carried out based on the spectroscopic data. The observed band shifts were explained with a hydrogen bond between the anion and water.
Well-absorbed iron-based nanoparticulated materials are a promise for the oral management of iron deficient anemia. In this work, a battery of in vitro and in situ experiments are combined for the evaluation of the uptake, distribution and toxicity of new synthesized ultrasmall (4 nm core) Fe2O3 nanoparticles coated with tartaric/adipic acid with potential to be used as oral Fe supplements. First, the in vitro simulated gastric acid solubility studies by TEM and HPLC-ICP-MS reveal a partial reduction of the core size of about 40% after 90 min at pH3. Such scenario confirms the arrival of the nanoparticulate material in the small intestine. In the next step, the in vivo absorption through the small intestine by intestinal perfusion experiments is conducted using the sought nanoparticles in Wistar rats. The quantification of Fe in the NPs Suspension before and after perfusion shows Fe absorption levels above 79%, never reported for other Fe treatments. Such high absorption levels do not seem to compromise cell viability, evaluated in enterocytes-like models (Caco-2 and HT-29) using cytotoxicity, ROS production, genotoxicity and lipid peroxidation tests. Moreover, regional differences in terms of Fe concentration are obtained among different parts of the small intestine as duodenum>jejunum>ileum. Complementary transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the presence of the intact particles around the intestinal microvilli without significant tissue damage. These studies show the high potential of these NP preparations for their use as oral management of anemia.
This study reports on the development of a single-particle (sp) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique suitable for the multi-mode determination of nanoparticle (NP) metal mass fraction and number concentration. The described technique, which is based on a dual inlet System consisting of a pneumatic nebulizer (PN) and a microdroplet generator (MDG), allows for the sequential introduction of ionic metal calibrant solutions and nanoparticle suspensions via all combinations of the two inlets; thus allowing for a combination of three independent modes of analysis. A novel interface, assembled using standard analytical components (a demountable quartz ICP-MS torch, flexible nonconducting silicon tubing and various connectors), was used to interface the dual inlet system to an ICP-MS. The interface provided improved functionality, compared to a previous design. It is now possible to conveniently exchange and introduce standard solutions and samples via all inlet combinations, analyze them, and also wash the sample inlet systems while the whole setup is still connected to an operating ICP-MS. This setup provided seamless and robust operation in a total of three analysis modes, i.e. three ways to independently determine the metal mass fraction and NP number concentration. All three analyses modes could be carried out within a single analytical run lasting approximately 20 min.
The unique feature of the described approach is that each analysis mode is based on a different.
Rationale
The ionization of polystyrenes in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is typically achieved by the use of silver salts. Since silver salts can cause severe problems, such as cluster formation, fragmentation of polymer chains and end group cleavage, their substitution by alkali salts is highly desirable.
Methods
The influence of various cations (Ag+, Cs+ and Rb+) on the MALDI process of polystyrene (PS) mixtures and high mass polystyrenes was examined. The sample preparation was kept as straightforward as possible. Consequently, no recrystallization or other cleaning procedures were applied.
Results
The investigation of a polystyrene mixture showed that higher molecular polystyrenes could be more easily ionized using caesium, rather than rubidium or silver salts. In combination with the use of DCTB as matrix a high-mass polymer analysis could be achieved, which was demonstrated by the detection of a 1.1 MDa PS.
Conclusions
A fast, simple and robust MALDI sample preparation method for the analysis of ultra-high molecular weight polystyrenes based on the use of DCTB and caesium salts has been presented. The suitability of the presented method has been validated by using different mass spectrometers and detectors.
Carbamazepine (CBZ), caffeine and cetirizine were monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in surface and wastewaters from Berlin, Germany. This fast and cost-efficient method enabled to assess the spatial and temporal variation of these anthropogenic markers in a high-throughput screening. CBZ and cetirizine were detected by the same antibody, which selectively discriminates between both compounds depending on the pH value used in the incubation step. To our best knowledge, this is the first dual-analyte immunoassay working with a single antibody.
The frequent sampling with 487 samples being processed allowed for the repeated detection of unusually high concentrations of CBZ and caffeine. ELISA results correlate well with the ones obtained by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Caffeine concentrations found in surface waters were elevated by combined sewer overflows after stormwater events. During the hay fever season, the concentrations of the antihistamine drug cetirizine increased in both surface and wastewaters.
Caffeine was almost completely removed during wastewater treatment, while CBZ and cetirizine were found to be more persistent. The maximum concentrations of caffeine, CBZ and cetirizine found in influent wastewater by LCMS/MS were 470, 5.0 and 0.49 µg L-1, while in effluent wastewater the concentrations were 0.22, 4.5 and 0.51 µg L-1, respectively. For surface waters, concentrations up to 3.3, 4.5 and 0.72 µg L-1 were found, respectively.
Three types of hybrid modified magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles, functionalized with either chitosan, chitosan/iron (II) oxalate or chitosan/iron (III) citrate, were synthesized by chemical precipitation method.
The obtained nanomaterials were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, scanning and Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. The prepared composites were further tested as magnetic catalysts for the removal of bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous media. The kinetic Degradation experiments were performed at laboratory scale, while the best operational parameters for all three materials were established: 1.00 g L⁻¹ of catalyst, 10 mmol L⁻¹ H₂O₂, under simulated solar light irradiation.
After 15 min of UVA irradiation under the experimental conditions mentioned above, it was possible to decompose up to 99% of the micropollutant over all catalysts. Fe₃O₄/chitosan/iron oxalate catalyst showed the highest and fastest catalytic activity in BPA removal. Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of non-biodegradable micropollutants on such iron-based hybrid nanoparticles can be a suitable pre-treatment method for wastewater decontamination, as an environment-friendly simplified Approach for water clean-up.
The analysis of biomolecules requires highly sensitive and selective detection methods capable of tolerating a complex, biological matrix. First applications of biomolecule detection by ICP-MS relied on the use of heteroelements as a label for quantification. However, the combination of immunoassays and ICP-MS facilitates multiparametric analyses through elemental tagging, and provides a powerful alternative to common bioanalytical methods. This approach extends the detection of biomarkers in clinical diagnosis, and has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the investigated biological system. The results might lead to the detection of diseases at an early stage, or guide treatment plans. Immunoassays are well accepted and established for diagnostic purposes, albeit ICP-MS is scarcely applied for the detection of immune-based assays. However, the screening of biomarkers demands high throughput and multiplex/multiparametric techniques, considering the variety of analytes to be queried. Finally, quantitative information on the expression level of biomarkers is highly desirable to identify abnormalities in a given organism. Thus, it is the aim of this review to introduce the fundamentals, and to discuss the enormous strength of ICP-MS for the detection of different immunoassays on the basis of selected applications, with a special focus on LA-ICP-MS.
An alternative method for lithium isotope amount ratio analysis based on a combination of high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometry and spectral data analysis by machine learning (ML) is proposed herein. It is based on the well-known 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 the state-of-the-art high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. 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, previously determined by a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The calibration ML model was validated with two certified reference materials (LSVEC and IRMM-016). The procedure was applied toward the isotope amount ratio determination of a set of stock chemicals (Li2CO3, LiNO3, LiCl, and LiOH) and a BAM candidate reference material NMC111 (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2), a Li-battery cathode material. The results of 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, as demonstrated for samples ranging from approximately −3 to +15‰. To assess its suitability to technical applications, the NMC111 cathode candidate reference material was analyzed using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry with and without matrix purification. The results obtained were metrologically compatible with each other.
High repetition rate laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using acousto-optically gated detection
(2014)
This contribution introduces a new type of setup for fast sample analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The novel design combines a high repetition rate laser (up to 50 kHz) as excitation source and an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) as a fast switch for temporally gating the detection of the emitted light. The plasma radiation is led through the active medium of the AOM where it is diffracted on the transient ultrasonic Bragg grid. The diffracted radiation is detected by a compact Czerny-Turner spectrometer equipped with a CCD line detector. Utilizing the new combination of high repetition rate lasers and AOM gated detection, rapid measurements with total integration times of only 10 ms resulted in a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.13 wt.% for magnesium in aluminum alloys. This short integration time corresponds to 100 analyses/s. Temporal gating of LIP radiation results in improved LODs and consecutively higher sensitivity of the LIBS setup. Therefore, an AOM could be beneficially utilized to temporally detect plasmas induced by high repetition rate lasers. The AOM in combination with miniaturized Czerny-Turner spectrometers equipped with CCD line detectors and small footprint diode pumped solid state lasers results in temporally gateable compact LIBS setups.
One major drawback of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is still the relatively poor pulse-to-pulse reproducibility of the signal intensity. This problem, caused by insufficient homogeneity in the matrix/analyte co-crystallization, is usually circumvented by averaging the detected ion intensity over several shots. However, during the consecutive laser pulses, the applied matrix gets depleted and only a number of subsequent experiments can be done on the same sample spot. In order to achieve the desired long-term stability in combination with a sufficient pulse-to-pulse reproducibility, recently liquid MALDI matrices have been introduced. This contribution demonstrates the promising combination of liquid matrices with high repetition rate lasers for atmospheric pressure MALDI (AP-MALDI). To demonstrate the robustness of the new approach, two different kinds of liquid matrices were used in combination with both a typical flashlamp pumped 15 Hz laser and a diode pumped solid state laser operated at 5 kHz. The latter showed a stable ion signal over more than 3,500,000 consecutive laser pulses.
Green Fenton-like magnetic nanocatalysts: Synthesis, characterization and catalytic application
(2015)
Five iron oxalate core–shell magnetite nanoparticles catalysts are evaluated as magnetic heterogeneous materials. Simple and efficient procedures for the preparation of magnetic iron oxalate coated nanoparticles are presented. The catalysts are fully characterized using various investigation techniques. Additionally, the formation of photo-sensitized oxygen by spin-trapping using electron spin resonance is investigated. The catalytic activity of two model substrates (carbamazepine and bisphenol A) is also evaluated. The effect of operational parameters (catalyst and H2O2 concentration, UVA light) on the degradation performance of the oxidation process is investigated. The obtained reaction rates depend on the nature of the compound and increase with iron oxide shell thickness of the catalyst. Moreover, these materials show a significant activity during two consecutive tests. The optimum experimental parameters are found to be 1.0 g L-1 of catalysts, 10 mM H2O2, under UVA irradiation. More than 99% of both substrates are removed after 30 min of reaction time under the experimental conditions given above. The results obtained show that the catalysts are suitable candidates for the removal of pollutants in wastewaters by means of the Fenton heterogeneous reaction.
Green Fenton-like magnetic nanocatalysts: Synthesis, characterization and catalytic application
(2015)
Five iron oxalate core–shell magnetite nanoparticles catalysts are evaluated as magnetic heterogeneous materials. Simple and efficient procedures for the preparation of magnetic iron oxalate coated nanoparticles are presented. The catalysts are fully characterized using various investigation techniques. Additionally, the formation of photo-sensitized oxygen by spin-trapping using electron spin resonance is investigated. The catalytic activity of two model substrates (carbamazepine and bisphenol A) is also evaluated. The effect of operational parameters (catalyst and H2O2 concentration, UVA light) on the degradation performance of the oxidation process is investigated. The obtained reaction rates depend on the nature of the compound and increase with iron oxide shell thickness of the catalyst. Moreover, these materials show a significant activity during two consecutive tests. The optimum experimental parameters are found to be 1.0 g L−1 of catalysts, 10 mM H2O2, under UVA irradiation. More than 99% of both substrates are removed after 30 min of reaction time under the experimental conditions given above. The results obtained show that the catalysts are suitable candidates for the removal of pollutants in wastewaters by means of the Fenton heterogeneous reaction.