High throughput mechanochemistry: application to parallel synthesis of benzoxazines.

We describe herein an unprecedented mechanochemical "parallel synthesis" of 3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[e][1,3]oxazine derivatives via a one pot three component reaction. The new milling system uses a multiposition jar (variable sizes are possible), allowing for the processing of up to 12 samples simultaneously, leading to the formation of a fungicide and a building block for polymer preparation with higher throughput compared to standard milling devices.

Use of masking agents in the determination of lead in tap water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with flow injection pre-concentration.

The selectivity of immobilised 8-hydroxyquinoline for lead is shown to be improved by the use of masking agents during pre-concentration, prior to determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Interference by iron, copper, aluminium and zinc is suppressed by including triethanolamine, thiourea, fluoride, acetylacetone or cyanide in the buffer as masking agents. Species such as iron or copper can completely prevent the pre-concentration of lead. This is shown to be overcome by using a buffer consisting of 0.2 M boric acid, 2% triethanolamine, 2% thiourea and 2% acetylacetone, even when the interfering species is in a 200-fold excess over lead. Recoveries from tap water samples, to which various amounts of lead had been added, ranged from 94 to 108%. Results of analyses of tap water samples using this method were in good agreement with those obtained by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

Design and operation of an autosampler controlled flow-injection preconcentration system for lead determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

Flow-injection manifolds are described which allow the preconcentration of lead for flame atomic absorption determinations, using columns contained within the sample loop of an injection valve. An interface was designed which allowed the valves and pump in the system to be controlled by an autosampler which enabled precise timing of preconcentration and elution steps. The effects of sample flow rate, buffer pH and buffer type for preconcentration and eluent concentration and flow rate were investigated in order to obtain optimum performance of the system. A 50-times improvement in detection limits over conventional sample introduction was obtained for a sample volume of approximately 12 ml, preconcentrated for 150 s. The injection of eluent, as opposed to the use of a continuously flowing eluent stream, enabled this reagent to be conserved.