[Determination of dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry].

Dazomet is a kind of crystal solid that is stable at room temperature and acts as a fumigant. It is commonly used to control soil fungi, as an insecticide, and in sterilization and weeding. It can effectively kill root-knot nematodes, soil pests, weeds, and many soil-borne disease-causing organisms, to provide clean and healthy soil. Dazomet slowly decomposes and releases methyl isothiocyanate, methylamine, carbon disulfide, and hydrogen sulfide in acidic soil, and diffuses upward through the spaces in the soil to kill contact organisms. When agricultural crops are planted in soil treated with cotton wool, the residues in the grown crop can cause harm to human body when consumed. To ensure the quality and safety of food crops, it is important to develop a detection method for dazomet and its metabolites in plant-derived foods. Hence, in this study, a rapid and simultaneous determination method was developed for dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The sample pretreatment and chromatographic conditions were optimized in the experiment. Subsequently, dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, tea, and spices were extracted with ethyl acetate, and purified using graphitized carbon, a primary-secondary amine, stearyl-bonded silica gel, and anhydrous magnesium sulfate as dispersive solid-phase extraction sorbents. After centrifugation and filtration, the target compounds were analyzed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by GC-MS/MS, and quantified by matrix matching external standard method. The matrix effects of the samples were also evaluated. The matrix effect was found to be in the range of 2.5% to 13.6% for methyl isothiocyanate in 16 matrices. As this matrix effect was weak, there was no need for compensatory measures. In contrast, the matrix effect of dazomet in 16 matrices was in the range of 240.3% to 331.2%. This matrix effect was strong and required compensation. Finally, a matrix matching calibration method was used to compensate the matrix effects. The relative matrix effects of other tested substrates were analyzed using lettuce as the representative substrate; it was found that all showed weak matrix effects. Therefore, the use of lettuce as a representative matrix to prepare a matrix standard curve can effectively correct the matrix effects of dazomet and methyl isothiocyanate in other substrates. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.005-1 mg/L with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. Recovery tests were conducted by adding mixed standards to blank samples at four levels. The recoveries were in the range of 74.2%-117.2% with relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=6) of 2.8%-9.0%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of dazomet and methyl isothiocyanate were 0.01 mg/kg. The accuracy and precision of this method met the requirements of pesticide residue determination. The established method was used to detect dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in six samples of Chinese cabbage, Chinese chives, cowpea, lettuce, eggplant, ginger, celery, potato, orange, kiwifruit, tomato, chili, rice, tea, almond, and Cuminum cyminum L. in the laboratory, and nothing was detected. The method is simple, rapid, and sensitive; overcomes the shortcomings of existing methods that require two pretreatment steps and two sets of equipment; and meets the requirements for the detection of dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods.

False luminescence of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots from carbon dots.

For the first time, a systematical investigation has been carried out to verify luminescent molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS2 QDs). We found that the well-reported blue fluorescence of the so-called "MoS2 QDs" is mainly originated from the co-present carbon based dots rather than MoS2. Furthermore, the band gap of MoS2 is independent of the lateral size, and it is impossible to obtain luminescent MoS2 QDs by reducing the lateral size.

[Determination of 21 organophosphorus pesticides in tea by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes based on dispersive solid-phase extraction].

A rapid determination method of 21 organophosphorus pesticides in tea was developed by QuEChERS method using modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-OH), primary-secondary amine (PSA) and MgSO4 coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The pesticide residues in tea were extracted with a hexane-acetone (2:1, v/v) mixture, and cleaned up by dispersive solid-phase extraction using MWCNTs-OH and primary-secondary amine (PSA) as the sorbents. After centrifugation and filtration, the target compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and quantified by the external standard method. Under the optimized conditions, good linearities were obtained in the range of 0. 01- 0. 50 mg/kg. The average recoveries were in the range of 81. 5% -109. 4% at three spiked levels, with relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 5 ) of 2. 3% - 10. 6%. The limits of quantification were 0. 001-0. 040 mg/kg. This method is simple, fast, sensitive, cheap, and can meet the requirements of the rapid detection of organophosphorus pesticides in tea.