Determination of lead(II) by thermal lens spectroscopy (TLS) using 2-(2′-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol (TAC) as chromophore reagent

Accuracy of Measurements of Thermophysical Parameters by Dual-Beam Thermal-Lens Spectrometry

Thermal-lens spectrometry is a sensitive technique for determination of physicochemical properties and thermophysical parameters of various materials including heterogeneous systems and nanoparticles. In this paper, we consider the issues of the correctness (trueness) of measurements of the characteristic time of the thermal-lens effect and, thus, of the thermal diffusivity determined by dual-beam mode-mismatching thermal lensing. As sources of systematic errors, major factors-radiation sources, sample-cell and detector parameters, and general measurement parameters-are considered using several configurations of the thermal-lens setups, and their contributions are quantified or estimated. Furthermore, with aqueous ferroin and Sudan I in ethanol as inert colorants, the effects of the intermolecular distance of the absorbing substance on the correctness of finding the thermophysical parameters are considered. The recommendations for checking the operation of the thermal-lens setup to ensure the maximum accuracy are given. The results obtained help reducing the impact of each investigated factor on the value of systematic error and correctly measure the thermophysical parameters using thermal-lens spectrometry.

Development and validation of a simple and rapid ICP-OES method for quantification of elemental impurities in voriconazole drug substance

Background

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopic (ICP–OES) method for quantification of elemental impurities, i.e., Lead, Palladium, and Zinc, in voriconazole drug substance, and this method was employed for the regular sample analysis of Lead, Palladium, and Zinc in voriconazole drug substance for pharmaceutical use. The method has been validated using RF power of 1150 W, auxiliary gas of 0.5 L/min, and nebulizer flow of 0.4 L/min and plasma view at axial mode for Lead and Palladium and radial mode for Zinc. The wavelength was monitored for Lead, Palladium, and Zinc at 220.3 nm, 340.4 nm, and 213.8 nm respectively.

Results

The method is selective and is capable of detecting desired elemental impurities with regulatory acceptance limits in the presence of other elements. The validation experiments involve the demonstration of system suitability, specificity, LOD and LOQ, linearity, precision, and accuracy experiments. The linearity results obtained ˃ 0.9990 for all three impurities.

Conclusion

The proposed method is simple, sensitive quality control tool for the simultaneous quantitative determination of Lead, Palladium, and Zinc at low levels in voriconazole drug substance.

Graphical abstract

From Protohypericin to Hypericin: Photoconversion Analysis Using a Time-Resolved Thermal Lens Technique

Hypericin (Hyp) is a natural compound with interesting photophysical and pharmacological properties, which has been used in photodynamic therapy and photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms. Its synthesis is based on a series of chemical processes that ends with a light-drug interaction by the photoconversion of protohypericin (pHyp) to Hyp. Although this photosensitizer is used in a variety of medical applications, the photophysical and photochemical mechanisms involved in the final step related to the photo production of Hyp are not completely understood at the molecular level. Protohypericin concentration, solvents, light irradiation under different wavelengths, and a sort of variables could play an important role in predicting the yielding of this photoconversion process. Here, we used the high-sensitive and remote measurement characteristics of the time-resolved thermal lens technique to investigate the relation between the light-induced photoconversion rate of pHyp to Hyp and the initial concentration pHyp. The results show a linear dependence of the photoreaction rate with the concentration of pHyp, indicating that the overall reaction process includes steps comprising the formation of distinct intermediate species. We demonstrate the applicability of the thermal lens technique for the photochemical characterization of photosensitive drugs at low concentration levels.

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification–microextraction and spectrophotometric determination of cobalt, nickel and copper after optimization based on Box-Behnken design and chemometrics methods

A fast, simple, and economical method for extraction, preconcentration and determination of cobalt, nickel and copper as their 1-(2-pyridilazo) 2-naphthol (PAN) complexes based on ultrasound-assisted emulsification–microextraction (USAEME) and multivariate calibration of spectrophotometric data is presented. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized both with univariate and Box–Behnken design. The resolution of ternary mixtures of these metallic ions was accomplished by using partial least-squares regression (PLS), orthogonal signal correction-partial least-squares regression (OSC-PLS), and orthogonal signal correction-genetic algorithmspartial least-squares regression (OSC-GA-PLS). Under the optimum conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 2.0–150.0, 2.0–120.0 and 2.0–150.0 ng mL−1 for Co2+, Ni2+, and Cu2+, respectively, with a limit of detection of 0.14 (Co2+), 0.13 (Ni2+) and 0.14 ng mL−1 (Cu2+) and the relative standard deviation was <2.5%. The method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of these cations in different samples.

Importance of Molecular Structure on the Thermophoresis of Binary Mixtures

Using thermal lens spectroscopy, we study the role of molecular structural isomers of butanol on the thermophoresis (or Soret effect) of binary mixtures of methanol in butanol. In this study, we show that the thermal lens signal due to the Soret effect changes its sign for all the different concentrations of binary mixtures of butanol with methanol except for the one containing tertiary-butanol. The magnitude and sign of the Soret coefficients strongly depend on the molecular structure of the isomers of butanol in the binary mixture with methanol. This isomerization dependence is in stark contrast to the expected mass dependence of the Soret effect.