Analytical Methods Blog

Analytical Methods Issue 11 is out now!

Paola Quattroni, Development Editor — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:19:10 +0000

The latest Issue of Analytical Methods is now available online.

Our outside front cover features the interesting work of Kazuto Sazawa and his team from the University of Toyama, Japan. In their paper, the rearchers evaluate the effect of forest fires on soil color using the CIE Lab system, the international standard system for color measurements in food, textiles and plastics. According to this study, the proposed method is useful to evaluate the effect of heat on Indonesian peat soil, forest soil, highmoor peat and peatmoss, and is especially indicated for the evaluation of soil that contains a high ratio of organic matter such as peat soil.

The evaluation of forest fire severity and effect on soil organic matter based on the L*, a*, b* color reading system
Kazuto Sazawa, Takatoshi Wakimoto, Noriko Hata, Shigeru Taguchi, Shunitz Tanaka, Masamoto Tafu and Hideki Kuramitz
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2660-2665
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY26251K

Also free for your is this paper from the Analyst Advisory Board Member Jill Venton on a new method to detect low concentrations of dopamine, serotonin and adenosine in tissues.

Capillary electrophoresis with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry detection to determine dopamin, serotonin and adenosine

Quantitation of dopamine, serotonin and adenosine content in a tissue punch from a brain slice using capillary electrophoresis with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry detection
Huaifang Fang, Megan L. Pajski, Ashley E. Ross and B. Jill Venton
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2704-2711
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40222C

In addition, take a look at the two HOT articles below. These papers will be free to read until June 10^th.

Identification of bacteria in drinking water with Raman spectroscopy
Jack van de Vossenberg, Heli Tervahauta, Kees Maquelin, Carola H. W. Blokker-Koopmans, Marijan Uytewaal-Aarts, Dick van der Kooij, Annemarie P. van Wezel and Bram van der Gaag
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2679-2687
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40289D

Protein–polyphenol interaction on silica beads for astringency tests based on eye, photography or reflectance detection modes
J. Rafaela L. Guerreiro, Duncan S. Sutherland, Victor De Freitas and M. Goreti F. Sales
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2694-2703
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY26478E

Hot Articles in Analytical Methods

Paola Quattroni, Development Editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:39:30 +0000

Take a look at our selected HOT articles free to read until June 3rd.

A new DNA detection methodology based on Rayleigh scattering, the optimised analysis of cellulose depolymerisation and the evaluation of a standard method to measure diesel particulate matter (DPM) exposures in underground mines are among the studies presented in these papers.

To access the full articles, just click on the links below:

Analysis of cellulose using high performance liquid chromatography with polar IL as an eluent.

A resonance Rayleigh scattering detection of DNA hybridization based on interaction between DNA and surfactants
Ying Ma, Changqun Cai, Lin Luo, Jiaqi Xie and Xiaoming Chen
Anal. Methods, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40291F

Dissolution determination of five components in Huoxiang Zhengqi tablets using partitioned dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with HPLC-UV
Huaizhong Guo, Xiaomin Pang, Weiquan Zhang, Wenyue Jiang and Xiaocong Pang
Anal. Methods, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40153G

A person-wearable instrument to determine DPM exposures in underground metal/nonmetal mines

Direct HPILC analysis of cellulose depolymerisation in ionic liquids
Kosuke Kuroda, Yukinobu Fukay and Hiroyuki Ohno
Anal. Methods, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40182K

Real-time diesel particulate monitor for underground mines
James Noll, Samuel Janisko and Steven E. Mischler
Anal. Methods, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40083B

Gordon F. Kirkbright Bursary Award, 2014

Kate Bandoo, Publishing Assistant — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:56:10 +0000

The Gordon F. Kirkbright bursary award is a prestigious annual award that enables a promising student/non-tenured young scientist of any nation to attend a recognised scientific meeting or visit a place of learning.
The fund for this bursary was established in 1985 as a memorial to Professor Gordon Kirkbright in recognition of his contributions to analytical spectroscopy and to science in general. Although the fund is administered by the Association of British Spectroscopists (ABS) Trust, the award is not restricted to spectroscopists.

Applications are invited for the 2014 Gordon Kirkbright Bursary.

For further information contact John Chalmers at, email: vibspecconsult@aol.com

The closing date for entries is 31 December 2013.

Chemical Assay of a Wine Connoisseur: Quantitative Assessment of Wine Astringency

Pui Sai Lau, Web Writer — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:04:19 +0000

Assay to measure wine "Astringency"

“Astringency”, a sensation of dryness that certain food and beverages give the mouth, may be a term reserved to food critics. However, understanding the chemical basis of the sensation, namely the interaction of salivary proteins and dietary polyphenols, broadens the appreciation of the term to include the scientific community, as well.

Goreti Sales and colleagues from the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal, have developed an assay to measure the level of protein-polyphenol interaction, and hence quantify “astringency”. In brief, model salivary protein was immobilized on a solid support and dipped into polyphenol solution. Protein binding to polyphenol was indicated by a simple colorimetric redox reaction that is detectable by the naked eye.

Learn more about this latest discovery by accessing the link below. This paper will be free to read until May 28^th .

Analytical Methods Issue 10 now online!

Paola Quattroni, Development Editor — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:14:15 +0000

Wei et al., Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2440-2443

The latest issue of Analytical Methods is now available online. We have three beautiful covers featuring the most recent advances in the field of applied analytical chemistry.

Our outside front cover showcases the work of Xing-Jiu Huang and colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The researchers introduce a new method to identify and quantify chlorobenzene micropollutants that are present in the natural environment. These pollutants have poor electrochemical activity and have been difficult to identify with electrochemical sensors. In this work, a novel ionic liquid–carbon nanotube composite sensor based on electrochemical impendance technique is proposed as an efficient sensor for micropollutants with poor electrochemical activity.

Ionic liquid–carbon nanotube composites as scaffolds in the determination of tetrachlorobenzene: electrochemical impedance technique
Yan Wei, Zhong-Gang Liu, Xing Chen, Jin-Huai Liu and Xing-Jiu Huang
Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2440-2443
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY00022B

Wolf and Reagen, Alnal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2444-2454

The wonderful inside front cover of this issue features the paper of Susan Wolf and William Reagen from the Environmental Laboratory 3M Centre, St. Paul, USA. In the study, the authors report a novel analytical method for analysis of perfluorinated compounds in water. In particular, they optimise and validate a technique based on pre-sampling isotope dilution-direct injection-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (DI-LC/MS/MS).

Method and validation for the analysis of perfluorinated compounds in water by pre-sampling isotope dilution-direct injection-LC/MS/MS
Susan T. Wolf and William K. Reagen
Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2444-2454
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY26347A

Zhang et al., Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2455-2460

Finally, the outside back cover of Issue 10 shows the research study of Zongxiu Nie and co-workers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In their work, the researchers present the rapid and direct detection of polyhydroxylated alkaloids in mulberry using leaf spray mass spectrometry and propose the leaf spray method for the rapid screening of lead compounds from natural plants during drug development.

Rapid detection of polyhydroxylated alkaloids in mulberry using leaf spray mass spectrometry
Ning Zhang, Yafeng Li, Yueming Zhou, Jian Hou, Qing He, Xiang-Guo Hu, Yue-Mei Jia, Chu-Yi Yu and Zongxiu Nie
Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 2455-2460
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY00018D

Analytical Methods Issue 9 now online!

Paola Quattroni, Development Editor — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:06:20 +0000

Welcome to the latest issue of Analytical Methods!

We have a great new cover and a couple of HOT papers free for you to enjoy for the next four weeks. The outside front cover of this issue showcases the work of Monica Yang from Merck & Co., Inc. USA and colleagues at Eksigent, USA.

In their paper, the researchers present a liquid chromatography instrument for fast HPLC analysis, which provides good separation efficiency and system reproducibility. This system can be used efficiently for pharmaceutical analysis. Indeed, more than a dozen pharmaceutical components and related process impurities were resolved in 10 minutes on the micro LC instrument.

Evaluation of micro ultra high pressure liquid chromatography for pharmaceutical analysis
Monica (Mei) Yang, Xiaoyi Gong, Wes Schafer, Don Arnoldc and Christopher J. Welch
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2178-2181
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY26435A

Take a look at our HOT papers below, they will be free for you to read until May 21^st.

Analytical techniques for single-liposome characterization
Chaoxiang Chen, Shaobin Zhu, Tianxun Huang, Shuo Wanga and Xiaomei Yan
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2150-2157
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40219C

Electrochemical sensing and biosensing based on square wave voltammetry
Aicheng Chen and Badal Shah
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2158-2173
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40155C

DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters with guanine-enhanced fluorescence as a novel indicator for enzymatic detection of cholesterol
Min Duan, Yunlin Peng, Liangliang Zhang, Xiangyu Wang, Jia Ge, Jianhui Jiang and Ruqin Yu
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2182-2187
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40118A

Recent Advances in Single-Liposome Characterization

Polly-Anna Ashford — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:51:53 +0000

Lipid bilayer structure of the liposome

The small size and lipid bilayer structure of liposomes make them an excellent carrier for use in drug delivery and gene therapy. Determining the chemical and physical properties of a liposome is key to evaluating its potential for different applications.

A range of techniques have been used to measure factors such as size, surface charge and encapsulation efficiency of these spherical structures. In this minireview, Xiaomei Yan and colleagues at Xiamen University, China, explore recent advances in techniques for single-liposome characterization. They evaluate the latest adaptations of traditional microscopy techniques and investigate the advantages and limitations of using flow cytometry for characterisation. Recently developed commercial techniques such as scanning ion occlusion sensing (SIOS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) also offer more advanced methods of single-liposome analysis.

To access the full article, please click on the link below. This paper will be free to read until May 14th.

Analytical techniques for single-liposome characterization
Chaoxiang Chen, Shaobin Zhu, Tianxun Huang, Shuo Wanga and Xiaomei Yan
Anal. Methods, 2013,5, 2150-2157
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY40219C

Webinar – The next generation of SEC/GPC analysis

Rebecca Brodie, Deputy Editor — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:14:07 +0000

Join Chemistry World and Waters for a free webcast on the next generation of SEC/GPC analysis

Tuesday, 30 April 2013, 4pm BST (11am EST)

Speakers:

Tanya Jenkins: Product Marketing Manager, Waters
Michael O’Leary: Principal Application Scientist, Waters

Join us for this free webinar in order to…
•   Identify the requirements for an advanced chromatographic system to meet the needs for determination of molecular weight distributions
•   Understand the benefits of a complete system approach to molecular weight characterization
•   See how the new paradigm in molecular size characterization will reduce test cycle time and consumption of operating chemicals while providing improved test precision with statistically enhanced data sets
•   See where the innovative separation approach can allow for a deeper understanding of polymeric properties and their variation

Register today at http://rsc.li/waters-acquity