Showing papers on "Acetic acid published in 2012"

Design and Synthesis of Mesoporous Polymer-Based Solid Acid Catalysts with Excellent Hydrophobicity and Extraordinary Catalytic Activity

Abstract: Novel excellent hydrophobic- mesoporous- polymer-based solid acid catalysts have been successfully synthesized by copolymerization of divinylbenzene (DVB) with sodium p-styrene sulfonate (H-PDVB-x-SO3H's) under solvothermal conditions. N2 isotherms and TEM images showed that H-PDVB-x-SO3H's have high BET surface areas, large pore volumes, and abundant mesoporosity; CHNS element analysis and acid–base titration technology showed that H-PDVB-x-SO3H's have adjustable sulfur contents (0.31–2.36 mmol/g) and acidic concentrations (0.26–1.86 mmol/g); TG curves showed that H-PDVB-x-SO3H's exhibited much higher stability of the active site (372 °C) than that of the acidic resin of Amberlyst 15 (312 °C); contact angle and water adsorption tests showed that H-PDVB-x-SO3H's exhibited excellent hydrophobic properties. Catalytic tests in esterification of acetic acid with cyclohexanol, esterification of acetic acid with 1-butanol, and condensation of benzaldehyde with ethylene glycol showed that H-PDVB-x-SO3H's were mo...

Trapping spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with combinations of vinegar and wine, and acetic acid and ethanol

Abstract: Recommendations for monitoring spotted wing drosophila (SWD) Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) are to use either vinegar or wine as a bait for traps. Traps baited with vinegar and traps baited with wine, in field tests in northwest Oregon, captured large numbers of male and female SWD flies. Numbers of SWD trapped were significantly greater with a mixture of vinegar and wine compared with vinegar alone or wine alone. Attraction of SWD to vinegar and wine may be due in part to responses to acetic acid and ethanol evaporated from the two baits, respectively. Numbers of SWD captured in traps baited with 2% acetic acid in water were significantly greater than in unbaited traps, indicating a fly response to acetic acid. Very few flies were captured in traps baited with 10% ethanol in water. Traps baited with a combination of acetic acid and ethanol in water captured more SWD flies than traps baited with acetic acid or ethanol solutions alone. These results indicate a synergy of the two materials, and of the two chemicals, as lures for SWD. A comparison of a mixture of acetic acid with ethanol in water versus a mixture of vinegar with wine showed stronger fly attraction to the vinegar/wine mixture, indicating potential attractiveness of vinegar and wine volatiles in addition to acetic acid and ethanol.

Identification and field evaluation of fermentation volatiles from wine and vinegar that mediate attraction of spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii.

Abstract: Previous studies suggest that olfactory cues from damaged and fermented fruits play important roles in resource recognition of polyphagous spotted wing Drosophila flies (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). They are attracted to fermented sweet materials, such as decomposing fruits but also wines and vinegars, and to ubiquitous fermentation volatiles, such as acetic acid and ethanol. Gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), two-choice laboratory bioassays, and field trapping experiments were used to identify volatile compounds from wine and vinegar that are involved in SWD attraction. In addition to acetic acid and ethanol, consistent EAD responses were obtained for 13 volatile wine compounds and seven volatile vinegar compounds, with all of the vinegar EAD-active compounds also present in wine. In a field trapping experiment, the 9-component vinegar blend and 15-component wine blend were similarly attractive when compared to an acetic acid plus ethanol mixture, but were not as attractive as the wine plus vinegar mixture. In two-choice laboratory bioassays, 7 EAD-active compounds (ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl lactate, 1-hexanol, isoamyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, and ethyl sorbate), when added singly to the mixture at the same concentrations tested in the field, decreased the attraction of SWD to the mixture of acetic acid and ethanol. The blends composed of the remaining EAD-active chemicals, an 8-component wine blend [acetic acid + ethanol + acetoin + grape butyrate + methionol + isoamyl lactate + 2-phenylethanol + diethyl succinate] and a 5-component vinegar blend [acetic acid + ethanol + acetoin + grape butyrate + 2-phenylethanol] were more attractive than the acetic acid plus ethanol mixture, and as attractive as the wine plus vinegar mixture in both laboratory assays and the field trapping experiment. These results indicate that these volatiles in wine and vinegar are crucial for SWD attraction to fermented materials on which they feed as adults.

Mechanisms leading to oligomers and SOA through aqueous photooxidation: insights from OH radical oxidation of acetic acid and methylglyoxal

Abstract: . Previous experiments have demonstrated that the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal produces low volatility products including pyruvate, oxalate and oligomers. These products are found predominantly in the particle phase in the atmosphere, suggesting that methylglyoxal is a precursor of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Acetic acid plays a central role in the aqueous oxidation of methylglyoxal and it is a ubiquitous product of gas phase photochemistry, making it a potential "aqueous" SOA precursor in its own right. However, the fate of acetic acid upon aqueous-phase oxidation is not well understood. In this research, acetic acid (20 μM–10 mM) was oxidized by OH radicals, and pyruvic acid and methylglyoxal experimental samples were analyzed using new analytical methods, in order to better understand the formation of SOA from acetic acid and methylglyoxal. Glyoxylic, glycolic, and oxalic acids formed from acetic acid and OH radicals. In contrast to the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal, the aqueous OH radical oxidation of acetic acid did not produce succinic acid and oligomers. This suggests that the methylgloxal-derived oligomers do not form through the acid catalyzed esterification pathway proposed previously. Using results from these experiments, radical mechanisms responsible for oligomer formation from methylglyoxal oxidation in clouds and wet aerosols are proposed. The importance of acetic acid/acetate as an SOA precursor is also discussed. We hypothesize that this and similar chemistry is central to the daytime formation of oligomers in wet aerosols.

Microbiological and Physicochemical Characterization of Small-Scale Cocoa Fermentations and Screening of Yeast and Bacterial Strains To Develop a Defined Starter Culture

Abstract: Spontaneous cocoa bean fermentations performed under bench- and pilot-scale conditions were studied using an integrated microbiological approach with culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques, as well as analyses of target metabolites from both cocoa pulp and cotyledons. Both fermentation ecosystems reached equilibrium through a two-phase process, starting with the simultaneous growth of the yeasts (with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the dominant species) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus plantarum were the dominant species), which were gradually replaced by the acetic acid bacteria (AAB) (Acetobacter tropicalis was the dominant species). In both processes, a sequence of substrate consumption (sucrose, glucose, fructose, and citric acid) and metabolite production kinetics (ethanol, lactic acid, and acetic acid) similar to that of previous, larger-scale fermentation experiments was observed. The technological potential of yeast, LAB, and AAB isolates was evaluated using a polyphasic study that included the measurement of stress-tolerant growth and fermentation kinetic parameters in cocoa pulp media. Overall, strains L. fermentum UFLA CHBE8.12 (citric acid fermenting, lactic acid producing, and tolerant to heat, acid, lactic acid, and ethanol), S. cerevisiae UFLA CHYC7.04 (ethanol producing and tolerant to acid, heat, and ethanol), and Acetobacter tropicalis UFLA CHBE16.01 (ethanol and lactic acid oxidizing, acetic acid producing, and tolerant to acid, heat, acetic acid, and ethanol) were selected to form a cocktail starter culture that should lead to better-controlled and more-reliable cocoa bean fermentation processes.

Nitrate as a redox co-catalyst for the aerobic Pd-catalyzed oxidation of unactivated sp3-C–H bonds

Abstract: This paper describes a new method for the catalytic aerobic oxygenation of unactivated sp3-C–H bonds. This transformation utilizes Pd(OAc)2 as a catalyst in conjunction with NaNO3 as a redox co-catalyst. Both oxime ether and pyridine derivatives are effective directing groups for these reactions. The oxygen incorporated into the product derives from the solvent (acetic acid). Preliminary results show that the addition of simple NaCl to the reaction mixture results in aerobic chlorination under analogous conditions.

Candida zemplinina Can Reduce Acetic Acid Produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Sweet Wine Fermentations

Abstract: In this study we investigated the possibility of using Candida zemplinina, as a partner of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in mixed fermentations of must with a high sugar content, in order to reduce its acetic acid production. Thirty-five C. zemplinina strains, which were isolated from different geographic regions, were molecularly characterized, and their fermentation performances were determined. Five genetically different strains were selected for mixed fermentations with S. cerevisiae. Two types of inoculation were carried out: coinoculation and sequential inoculation. A balance between the two species was generally observed for the first 6 days, after which the levels of C. zemplinina started to decrease. Relevant differences were observed concerning the consumption of sugars, the ethanol and glycerol content, and acetic acid production, depending on which strain was used and which type of inoculation was performed. Sequential inoculation led to the reduction of about half of the acetic acid content compared to the pure S. cerevisiae fermentation, but the ethanol and glycerol amounts were also low. A coinoculation with selected combinations of S. cerevisiae and C. zemplinina resulted in a decrease of ~0.3 g of acetic acid/liter, while maintaining high ethanol and glycerol levels. This study demonstrates that mixed S. cerevisiae and C. zemplinina fermentation could be applied in sweet wine fermentation to reduce the production of acetic acid, connected to the S. cerevisiae osmotic stress response.

Carbon dioxide in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. I. Unusual solubility investigated by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations

Abstract: The unusual solubility of carbon dioxide in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (Bmim Ac) has been studied by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations. It is shown that the solubility results from the existence of two distinct solvation regimes. In the first one (CO(2) mole fraction ≤ 0.35), the usual Fermi dyad is not observed, a fact never reported before for binary mixtures with organic liquids or ionic liquids (IL). Strong experimental evidence complemented by effective DFT modeling shows that this regime is dominated by a chemical reaction leading to the carboxylation of the imidazolium ring accompanied by acetic acid formation. The reactive scheme proposed involves two concerted mechanisms, which are a proton exchange process between the imidazolium cation and the acetate anion and the carboxylation process itself initiated from the formation of "transient" CO(2)-1-butyl-3-methylimidazole 2-ylidene carbene species. In that sense, CO(2) triggers the carboxylation reaction. Moreover, this dynamic picture circumvents consideration of a long-lived carbene formation in dense phase. The second regime is characterized by the detection of the CO(2) Fermi dyad showing that the carboxylation reaction has been strongly moderated. This finding has been interpreted as due to the interaction of the acetic acid molecules with the COO group of acetate anions involved in monodentate forms with the cation. The observation of the Fermi doublet allows us to infer that CO(2) essentially preserves its linear geometry and that the nature and strength of the interactions with its environment should be comparable to those existing in organic liquids and other IL as well. These results have been supported by DFT calculations showing that the CO(2) molecule interacts with energetically equivalent coexisting structures and that its geometry departs only slightly from the linearity. Finally, we find that the CO(2) solvation in Bmim Ac and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate (Bmim TFA) cannot be straightforwardly compared neither in the first regime due to the existence of a chemical reaction nor in the second regime because CO(2) interacts with a variety of environments not only consisting of ions pairs like in Bmim TFA but also with carboxylate and acetic acid molecule.

Mass balances of components dissolved in the pre-hydrolysis liquor of kraft-based dissolving pulp production process from Canadian hardwoods

Abstract: A study was carried out to assess the chemical composition of pre-hydrolysate liquor (PHL) produced in a dissolving pulp production facility in Eastern Canada. The true PHL contains high amount of both mono- and oligo-sugars (1.50–1.65%). Xylose/xylan was the predominate sugar in the PHL. Glucose, galactose, and mannose were also found in the PHL. Furfural, which was generated from further degradation of five carbon sugars, was also found in the PHL. Acetic acid released during pre-hydrolysis from the labile acetyl groups present in the hemicelluloses was about 25% of the total solids in the PHL. The sum of sugars, acetic acid, lignin and ash contents account for 91.4–95.6% of the total solid content of the PHL. The presence of sugars in the neutralized PHL was negligible while a large amount of furfural was found.

Effect of Boswellia serrata on antioxidant status in an experimental model of colitis rats induced by acetic acid.

Abstract: Aim of the Study To evaluate the antioxidant effect of an extract of the plant Boswellia serrata in an experimental model of acute ulcerative colitis induced by administration of acetic acid (AA) in rats.

Production of n-butanol from concentrated sugar maple hemicellulosic hydrolysate by Clostridia acetobutylicum ATCC824

Abstract: Using fermentation to replace chemical processes in the production of acetone and butanol depends largely on the availability of inexpensive and abundant raw materials and efficient conversion of these materials to solvents. In this study solvent production of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824 from nano-membrane concentrated hemicellulosic hydrolysate was investigated. Alkali pretreatment methods were applied to improve fermentability of nano-membrane concentrated hemicellulosic hydrolysate and solvent production by ATCC824. Results demonstrated that though nanofiltration could remove nearly all small molecular organic acids (acetic acid, formic acid), furfural and HMF, the resulting hydrolysate found to be still inhibiting solvent production of C. acetobutylicum . Solid particles separated from filtering hydrolysate were found not toxic to cells when xylose or glucose was used as carbon resource. Overliming treatment can significantly improve the ultimate butanol concentration to 7 g l −1 from 0.8 g l −1 . Providing cells with more carbon source at the final stage of fermentation was found to have no impact on butanol production, but acetic acid and butyric acid production were found to increase significantly. The reasons leading to low solvent yield at later fermentation stages is not cell degeneration, but the toxicity of butanol and inhibitors remaining in the hydrolysate.

Epoxidation of castor oil with peracetic acid formed in situ in the presence of an ion exchange resin

Abstract: The influence of reaction variables on the epoxidation of castor oil (CO) in benzene with peracetic acid (P) generated in situ from acetic acid (A) and hydrogen peroxide (H) in the presence of an ion exchange resin as catalyst was examined. The highest relative epoxy yield (REY) of 78.32% was achieved at 323 K after 8 h when 0.5 mol of acetic acid and 1.5 mol of 30 wt% aqueous hydrogen peroxide per mol of double bond in oil were used in the presence of 15 wt% of Amberlite IR-120. The experimental data were fitted by proposed pseudo-homogeneous kinetic model which considers the side reaction of epoxy ring cleavage involving the formation of hydroxy acetate in addition to reactions of the peracetic acid and epoxy compound formation. Temperature dependency of the kinetic parameters is expressed by a reparameterized Arrhenius equation. The constants of the Arrhenius equation were determined by fitting experimental data using the Marquardt method. An increase of all rate coefficients for considered reactions with temperature and good agreement of the calculated reactant and product concentrations with experimental data, indicate the correctness of the proposed kinetic model. The model was compared with pseudo-homogeneous models reported in the literature.

Understanding the Dissolution of α-Zein in Aqueous Ethanol and Acetic Acid Solutions

Abstract: Zein is a corn prolamin that has broad industrial applications because of its unique physical properties. Currently, the high cost of extraction and purification, which is directly related to the dispersion of zein in different solvents, is the major bottleneck of the zein industry. Solution behaviors of zein have been studied for a long time. However, the physical nature of zein in different solvents remains unclear. In this study, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), static light scattering (SLS), and rheology were combined to study the structure and protein-solvent interaction of α-zein in both acetic acid and aqueous ethanol solutions. We found that the like-dissolve-like rule, the partial unfolding, and the protonation of zein are all critical to understanding the solution behaviors. Zein holds an elongated conformation (i.e., prolate ellipsoid) in all solutions, as revealed from SAXS data. There is an "aging effect" for zein in aqueous ethanol solutions, as evidenced by the transition of Newtonian rheological profiles for fresh zein solutions to the non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior for zein solutions after storage at room temperature for 24 h. Such shear thinning behavior becomes more pronounced for zein solutions at higher concentrations. The SLS results clearly show that acetic acid is a better solvent to dissolve zein than aqueous ethanol solution, as supported by a more negative second virial coefficient. This is majorly caused by the protonation of the protein, which was further verified by the dissolution of zein in water (a nonsolvent for zein) with the addition of acids.

Enhancement of acetic acid tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by overexpression of the HAA1 gene, encoding a transcriptional activator.

Abstract: Haa1 is a transcriptional activator required for Saccharomyces cerevisiae adaptation to weak acids. Here we show that the constitutive HAA1-overexpressing strain acquired a higher level of acetic acid tolerance. Under conditions of acetic acid stress, the intracellular level of acetic acid was significantly lower in HAA1-overexpressing cells than in the wild-type cells.

Production of oils from acetic acid by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus.

Abstract: The feasibility of the conversion of acetic acid, a metabolite commonly obtained during anaerobic fermentation processes, into oils using the yeast Cryptococcus curvatus was reported. This microorganism exhibited very slow growth rates on acetate as carbon source, which led to design a two-stage cultivation process. The first consisted of cell growth on glucose as carbon source until its complete exhaustion. The second step involved the use of acetate as carbon source under nitrogen limitation in order to induce lipid accumulation. A typical experiment performed in a bioreactor involved a preliminary yeast growth with a glucose initial concentration of 15 g/L glucose. Further additions of acetate and nitrogen source allowed a final lipid accumulation up to 50% (w/w). These promising results demonstrated the suitability of the technique proposed.

Ni/Al coprecipitated catalysts modified with magnesium and copper for the catalytic steam reforming of model compounds from biomass pyrolysis liquids

Abstract: Ni/Al coprecipitated catalysts modified with magnesium and copper have been prepared by a constant pH technique and tested in the catalytic steam reforming of model compounds (acetic acid, acetol and butanol) from biomass pyrolysis liquids at 650 °C and atmospheric pressure. Catalysts with different copper contents, reduced at 650 °C for 1 h, were tested in the steam reforming of acetic acid with a steam/carbon (S/C) molar ratio of 5.6. The best performance and the highest hydrogen yield in these conditions were achieved with the 5% Cu catalyst. This catalyst reduced at 650 °C during 10 h showed a high activity, close to the thermodynamic equilibrium, and a stable performance during 12 h in the steam reforming of acetic acid with a S/C = 5.6, using a short space time of 1.00 g catalyst min/g acetic acid. Copper as a promoter produces counterbalanced effects: a decrease in the initial reforming activity and an enhancement of the catalyst stability. The initial steam reforming activity decreased and the CH 4 yield increased concurrently with increasing the copper content, because of the Ni dilution effect. Copper has a positive effect inhibiting the formation of encapsulating coke, identified as the cause for deactivation in acetic acid steam reforming with a steam-to-carbon molar ratio (S/C) of 5.6. However, such a positive effect of copper has not been observed in acetic acid steam reforming with S/C = 14.7 or in the steam reforming of acetol and butanol.

CO2 in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. 2. NMR investigation of chemical reactions.

Abstract: The solvation of CO2 in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (Bmim Ac) has been investigated by 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy at low CO2 molar fraction (mf) (xCO2 ca. 0.27) corresponding to the reactive regime described in part 1 of this study. It is shown that a carboxylation reaction occurs between CO2 and Bmim Ac, leading to the formation of a non-negligible amount (∼16%) of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate. It is also found that acetic acid molecules are produced during this reaction and tend to form with elapsed time stable cyclic dimers existing in pure acid. A further series of experiments has been dedicated to characterize the influence of water traces on the carboxylation reaction. It is found that water, even at high ratio (0.15 mf), does not hamper the formation of the carboxylate species but lead to the formation of byproduct involving CO2. The evolution with temperature of the resonance lines associated with the products of the reactions confirms that they have a different origin....

Catalytic conversion of carboxylic acids in bio-oil for liquid hydrocarbons production

Abstract: Bio-oil must be upgraded to be suitable for use as a high-grade transport fuel. Crude bio-oil has a high content of carboxylic acids which can cause corrosion, and the high oxygen content of these acids also reduces the oil’s heating value. In this paper, acetic acid and propanoic acid were chosen as the model carboxylic acids in bio-oil. Their behavior in the production of liquid hydrocarbons during a catalytic conversion process was investigated in a micro-fixed bed reactor. The liquid organic phase from this catalytic conversion process mainly consisted of liquid hydrocarbons and phenol derivatives. Under the condition of low Liquid Hourly Space Velocity (LHSV), the liquid organic phase from acetic acid cracking had a selectivity of 22% for liquid hydrocarbons and a selectivity of 65% for phenol derivatives. The composition of the organic products changed considerably with the LHSV increasing to 3 h −1 . The selectivity for liquid hydrocarbons increased up to 52% while that for phenol derivatives decreased to 32%. Propanoic acid performed much better in producing liquid hydrocarbons than acetic acid. Its selectivity for liquid hydrocarbons was as high as 80% at LHSV = 3 h −1 . A mechanism for this catalytic conversion process was proposed according to the analysis of the components in the liquid organic phases. The pathways of the main compounds formation in the liquid organic phases were proposed, and the reason why liquid hydrocarbons were more effectively produced when using propanoic acid rather than acetic acid was also successfully explained. In addition, BET and SEM characterization were used to analyze the catalyst coke deposition.

Biohydrogen production from cheese whey wastewater in a two-step anaerobic process.

Abstract: Cheese whey-based biohydrogen production was seen in batch experiments via dark fermentation by free and immobilized Enterobacter aerogenes MTCC 2822 followed by photofermentation of VFAs (mainly acetic and butyric acid) in the spent medium by Rhodopseudomonas BHU 01 strain. E. aerogenes free cells grown on cheese whey diluted to 10 g lactose/L, had maximum lactose consumption (∼79%), high production of acetic acid (1,900 mg/L), butyric acid (537.2 mg/L) and H2 yield (2.04 mol/mol lactose; rate,1.09 mmol/L/h). The immobilized cells improved lactose consumption (84%), production of acetic acid (2,100 mg/L), butyric acid (718 mg/L) and also H2 yield (3.50 mol/mol lactose; rate, 1.91 mmol/L/h). E. aerogenes spent medium (10 g lactose/L) when subjected to photofermentation by free Rhodopseudomonas BHU 01 cells, the H2 yield reached 1.63 mol/mol acetic acid (rate, 0.49 mmol/L/h). By contrast, immobilized Rhodopseudomonas cells improved H2 yield to 2.69 mol/mol acetic acid (rate, 1.87 mmol/L/h). The cumulative H2 yield for free and immobilized bacterial cells was 3.40 and 5.88 mol/mol lactose, respectively. Bacterial cells entrapped in alginate, had a sluggish start of H2 production but outperformed the free cells subsequently. Also, the concomitant COD reduction for free cells (29.5%) could be raised to 36.08% by immobilized cells. The data suggest that two-step fermentative H2 production from cheese whey involving immobilized bacterial cells, offers greater substrate to- hydrogen conversion efficiency, and the effective removal of organic load from the wastewater in the long-term.

Direct conversion of glycerol to acrylic acid via integrated dehydration–oxidation bed system

Abstract: Acrylic acid can be successfully produced in a single reactor via subsequent oxidation of the glycerol-dehydrated products. Selective dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was studied at 275–400 °C over HZSM-5, HBeta, HMordenite and HY. The V–Mo oxides (15–70 mol%V) on silicic acid support (20–100 wt% mixed oxides loading) were then included as a second bed for subsequent oxidation of the dehydrated products. Over the acid zeolites, acrolein and acetol are mainly generated, together with acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, pyruvaldehyde and other oxygenates as secondary products. A complete conversion of glycerol with high selectivity to acrolein (up to 81 mol%) can be obtained when medium pore zeolites (HZSM-5) and low glycerol concentration (10–30 wt%) was used at 300 °C. A separated-sequential bed system provides high selectivity for acrylic acid with small amount of acetic acid and acetaldehyde (∼15 mol%). The catalyst with high V content promotes total oxidation of the dehydrated products to CO while that with highly dispersed V–Mo–O phases affords 98% selectivity to acrylic acid with 48% acrolein conversion.

Simultaneous determination of five plant growth regulators in fruits by modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract: An effective method using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was developed and optimized to obtain a complete separation of five representative plant growth regulators (PGRs) [gibberellic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), thidiazuron, forchlorfenuron, and paclobutrazol] in fruits. Extraction was performed with acetonitrile containing 0.1% (v/v) acetic acid, applying modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) methodology. LC–MS/MS conditions including composition of mobile phases and mass spectrometry (MS) conditions were evaluated to achieve the highest sensitivity in MS detection. All of the data acquisition was employed in the segmented multiple-reaction monitoring mode for the selected negative and positive transition ions. The octadecylsilyl (C18) dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent was found to provide the more satisfied recoveries than primary secondary amine (PSA) and graphitized carbon black (GCB) for five target PGRs. The opt...