Organic Microchemistry

Abstract

MICROCHEMICALanalyses of organic compounds still follow largely the pattern set by Fritz Pregl. Considerable strides have been made during the past 6 years, as evidenced by the increase in the number of microchemical laboratories and the wider application of microanalytical chemical techniques. During the late twenties and early thirties, microanalytical methods were but little used in the United States except in the Atlantic Coast states. Ten years later these methods had been introduced into the midwestern states, and today micromethods are in use in analytical laboratories throughout the country.The keen interest shown in the development of microchemical analysis is exhibited by the establishment of a committee on the performance of microchemical balances (A. H. Corwin of Johns Hopkins University, chairman); a revival of the committee on standardization of microchemical apparatus (A. Steyermark, chairman); and the re-establishment of a referee on the standardization of microchemical methods by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. The British Standards Institute has formed a subcommittee to standardize microchemical apparatus, and the work of this subcommittee is well advanced. Microchemistry has gone a long way since Pregl devised this scheme of analysis, for it is no longer limited to the analysis of material available in only small amounts. Instead, it has an accepted place, along with micromethods, for the analysis of materials available in large amounts. The micromethod is superior, in that it is faster, more economical of reagents, and in many instances more precise and accurate.

Characterization of Organic Compounds

“…Subsequent to Pregl's introduction of techniques for quantitative organic microchemical analysis (78), there have been everincreasing development and extension of methods of elemental analysis and group analysis (31,84,102). The results of such studies have provided a sound basis for analytical characterization of organic compounds.…”

Current Trends in Analytical Chemistry

“…There is no need to discuss as such the development and applicability of micro or small-scale techniques, because this story is well knoxvn and has been competently discussed by Benedetti-Pichler, Clarke, Hallett, Kirner, Niederl, and others (17,45). Hoxvever, one pertinent observation should be made.…”

“…Good examples of the instrumentation of well-known analytical methods are seen in the conversion to automatic operation of the micro and macromethods of organic combustion analysis by Hallett, Royer, Clark, the Shell Development Company group, and others (17,18,45). Apparatus have been described for the determination of ash, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, halogen, sulfur, and other elements.…”

Microdetermination of Nitrogen in Organic Compounds

“…This is borne out by the large number of papers dealing with attempts to modify both methods so as to make them applicable to a wider variety of materials. The most significant of these have been covered in recent reviews by Willits and Ogg (9,16,17).…”