RESUMO
Understanding ammonia oxidation over metal oxide surfaces is crucial for improving its detection with resistive type gas sensors. Formation of NOx during this process makes sensor response and calibration unstable. Cr-doping of nanocrystalline metal oxides has been reported to suppress NO2 sensitivity and improve response towards NH3 , however the exact mechanism of such chromium action remained unknown. Herein, by using EPR spectroscopy we demonstrate formation of Cr(VI) lattice defects on the surface of nanocrystalline Cr-doped SnO2 . Enhancement of Cr-doped SnO2 surface acidity and ammonia adsorption as a result has been revealed by using inâ situ IR spectroscopy. Moreover, a decrease in concentration of free electrons in the conduction band has been shown as a result of substitutional Cr(III) defects formation. Weaker NOx chemisorption during ammonia oxidation over SnO2 surface after Cr doping has been found with the use of mass-spectrometry assisted NH3 thermo-programmed desorption. The given example of surface acidity adjustment and electronic configuration by means of doping may find use in the design of new gas-sensing metal oxide materials.
RESUMO
Urine analysis gives an insight into the excretion of the administered drug which is related to its reactivity and toxicity. In this work, the capability of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure ultratrace metal levels was utilized for rapid assaying of gallium originating from the novel gallium anticancer drug, tris(8-quinolinolato)gallium(III) (GaQ(3)), in human urine. Sample dilution with 1% (v/v) HNO(3) as the only required pre-treatment was shown to prevent contamination of the sample introduction system and to reduce polyatomic interferences from sample components. The origin of the blank signal at masses of gallium isotopes, 71 and 69, was investigated using high-resolution ICP-MS and attributed, respectively, to the formation of (36)Ar(35)Cl(+) and (40)Ar(31)P(+) ions and, tentatively, to a triplet of doubly charged ions of Ba, La, and Ce. The accuracy and precision performance was tested by evaluating a set of parameters for analytical method validation. The developed assay has been applied for the determination of gallium in urine samples spiked with GaQ(3). The achieved recoveries (95-102%) and quantification limit of 0.2 µg L(-1) emphasize the practical applicability of the presented analytical approach to monitor renal elimination of GaQ(3) at all dose levels in clinical trials that are currently in progress.
