No abstract

The electrophoretic behavior of water-soluble anionic porphyrins, such as meso-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP), meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TSPP) and its zinc(II) and copper(II) complexes (ZnTSPP and CuTSPP, respectively) has been studied by capillary zone electrophoresis using fused-silica capillaries. The selectivity of the separation is strongly dependent on the type and concentration of betacyclodextrin (betaCD) or the O-methylated derivatives added to the background electrolyte. CuTSPP and TSPP can be separated using a pH 2.5 aqueous sodium phosphate buffer in the presence of 1 mM betaCD. Resolution is poorer or absent employing alkylated betaCDs, such as the heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin or the heptakis(2,3,6-triO-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin, as additives. On the other hand, separation of TSPP from its copper and zinc complexes has been achieved using a pH 7.0 aqueous sodium phosphate buffer, in the presence of 0.75 mM betaCD and 20% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as organic modifier. Under such conditions, the calibration curve for quantitative analysis of copper(II) was obtained. A rationale for the observed behavior will be presented and discussed on the basis of binding and protonation equilibria and a simple mathematical model.

The water soluble 5-p-aminophenyl)-10,15,20-tris(p-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin, 4, acts as an extremely efficient chromogenic reagent for the detection of very low amounts of nitrites. The amino group of porphyrin 4 reacts smoothly with nitrite in acidic conditions 0.2 M HCl) producing the corresponding diazo-porphyrin derivative which is stable and does not show any appreciable hydrolysis to phenol within 6 h. The reaction is carried out in the presence of 25 mM heptakis-(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin that prevents precipitation of the protonated form of porphyrins 4 or 5 due to the formation of strong inclusion complexes. The capillary zone electrophoresis of the diazoporphyrin and amino-porphyrin mixture shows severe peak tailing. However, symmetrical peaks can be obtained by adding 5 mM beta-cyclodextrin to the background electrolyte (20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0). Calibration curve for nitrite analysis is linear up to 0.25 mM nitrite and the detection limit (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) has been estimated to be a 1 microM (50 ppb) of nitrite concentration in aqueous solutions.