Substantially higher concentrations of mercury are detected in airborne particulate matter when using a preservation agent during sample preparation steps

Inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of airborne particulate bound mercury was carried out utilizing a high sulfur containing organic compound as a preservation agent to limit the negative bias that affects the determination of low levels of mercury. Between 600% and 1000% more Hg was detected with the use of the additive, lithium tetrathiafulvalene carboxylate (LiCTTF), during the microwave assisted acid digestion sample processing step without influencing the determination of other trace elements. The average Hg concentration was 0.05 ng m^-3 and 0.4 ng m^-3 in the absence and presence of LiCTTF, respectively. Stabilization of the mercury ions with the preservation agent resulted in higher precision for ICP-MS measurements with relative standard deviation (RSD) values ranging from 1.07% to 4.36%. The results obtained in this study emphasize the necessity of using a preservation agent in the atomic spectroscopic determination of mercury to prevent losses and is especially critical in low-level analyses such as those routinely performed in environmental mercury pollution trend assessments.

Syntheses, Structures, and Electrochemical Properties of Platinum(II) Complexes Containing Di-tert-butylbipyridine and Crown Ether Annelated Dithiolate Ligands

A series of new platinum(II) complexes containing both 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (dbbpy) and the extended tetrathiafulvalenedithiolate ligands have been prepared and characterized. These complexes include [Pt(dbbpy)(C8H4S8)] (1; C8H4S82- = 2-{(4,5-ethylenedithio)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate), [Pt(dbbpy)(ptdt)] (2; ptdt = 2-{(4,5-cyclopentodithio)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate), [Pt(dbbpy)(mtdt)] (3; mtdt = 2-{(4,5-methylethylenedithio)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate), [Pt(dbbpy)(btdt)] (4; btdt = benzotetrathiafulvalenedithiolate), [Pt(dbbpy)(C8H6S8)] (5; C8H6S82- = 2-{4,5-bis(methylthio)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate), [Pt(dbbpy)(3O-C6S8)] (6; 3O-C6S82- = 2-{4,5-dithia-(3',6',9'-trioxaundecyl)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate), and [Pt(dbbpy)(4O-C6S8)] (7; 4O-C6S82- = 2-{4,5-dithia-(3',6',9',12'-tetraoxatetradecyl)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiol-4,5-dithiolate). The crystal structures of a new ligand precursor (2-[4,5-dithia-(3',6',9',12'-tetraoxatetradecyl)-1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene]-4,5-bis(2-cyanoethylsulfanyl)-1,3-dithiole, IIIc) and complexes 5-7 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Complexes 1-7 show intense electronic absorption bands in the UV-vis region due to the intramolecular mixed metal/ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer transition, and they display significant solvatochromic behavior. Redox properties of these compounds have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, and complex 7 shows a significant response for Na+ ions with a large positive shift of ca. 45 mV.

A series of complexes of the phosphorus-based TTF ligand o-P2 with the metal ions FeII, CoII, NiII, PdII, PtII, and AgI

Reactions of 3,4-dimethyl-3',4'-bis(diphenylphosphino)tetrathiafulvalene, o-P2, with [BF(4)](-) salts of Fe(ii), Co(ii), Ni(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) yield complexes of general formula [M(o-P2)(2)][BF(4)](2). Similar reactions between o-P2 and AgSbF(6) or AgPF(6) produced the salts [Ag(o-P2)(2)][X] where X = [SbF(6)](-) or [PF(6)](-). The resulting compounds were fully characterized by (1)H and (31)P{(1)H} NMR, infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, FAB-MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The paramagnetic Co(II) compound exhibits an S = 3/2 state with large spin-orbit coupling contribution at higher temperatures and an effective S' = 1/2 state below 20 K. Electrochemical studies of the compounds indicate that the two functionalized TTF ligands are not in electronic communication and that they essentially behave as isolated redox centers.

Electroactive Ligands: The First Metal Complexes of Tetrathiafulvenyl−Acetylacetonate

The reaction of tris(alkylthio)tetrathiafulvalene thiolates with 3-chloro-2,4-pentanedione affords tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) moieties substituted by the acetylacetone function (TTFSacacH), precursors of novel redox-active ligands: the acetylacetonate ions (TTFSacac). These TTFSacacHs have been characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses, and similar trends have been observed, such as a TTF core almost planar and the acetylacetone substituent located in a plane almost perpendicular to the plane formed by the TTF core. Their chelating ability has been demonstrated by the formation of the corresponding M(TTFSacac)2(pyridine)2 complexes in the presence of M(II)(OAc)2.H2O (M = Ni2+, Zn2+). These complexes with TTFSacac moieties, Ni(TTFSacac)2(pyridine)2, 6b, and Zn(TTFSacac)2(pyridine)2, 7b, have been characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses, showing in all structures the metal(II) center chelated by two TTFacac units in the equatorial plane and the octahedral coordination geometry around the metal completed by two axial pyridine ligands. Cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible-near infrared spectroscopic measurements have evidenced a sizable interaction between the two electroactive ligands and the stabilization of a mixed-valence state in the one-electron oxidized complexes.

Preparation and properties of cyclopentadienyl- and pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-titanium(IV) complexes with the C8H4S8 ligand, electrical conductivities of their oxidized species, and X-ray crystal structure of Ti(C5Me5)2(C8H4S8)

Ti(C5H5)2(C8H4S8) (1), Ti(C5Me5)2(C8H4S8) (2), [NMe4][Ti(C5H5)(C8H4S8)2] (3), and [NMe4][Ti(C5Me5)(C8H4S8)2] (4) [C8H4S8(2-) = 2-(4,5-ethylenedithio)-1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole-4,5- dithiolate(2-)] were prepared by reaction of Ti(C5H5)2Cl2, Ti(C5Me5)2Cl2, Ti(C5H5)Cl3, or Ti(C5Me5)Cl3 with Li2C8H4S8 or [NMe4]2[C8H4S8] in THF. They were oxidized by iodine, the ferrocenium cation, or TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane) in CH2Cl2 or in acetone to afford one-electron-oxidized and over-one-electron-oxidized species, [Ti(C5H5)2(C8H4S8)].I3, [Ti(C5H5)2(C8H4S8)][PF6], [Ti(C5Me5)2(C8H4S8)].I3, [Ti(C5Me5)2(C8H4S8)][PF6], [Ti(C5H5)(C8H4S8)2].I0.9, [Ti(C5H5)(C8H4S8)2][TCNQ]0.3, [Ti(C5Me5)(C8H4S8)2].I2.4, and [Ti(C5Me5)(C8H4S8)2][TCNQ]0.3, with the C8H4S8 ligand-centered oxidation. They exhibited electrical conductivities of 1.6 x 10(-1) to 7.6 x 10(-4) S cm-1 measured for compacted pellets at room temperature. The crystal structure of 2 was clarified to consist of isolated dimerized units of the molecules through some sulfur-sulfur nonbonded contacts: monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 9.534(2) A, b = 18.227(2) A, c = 17.775(2) A, beta = 94.39(1) degrees, Z = 4.