The Use of Factorial Design and Simplex Optimization to Improve Analytical Performance of In Situ Film Electrodes

This work presents a systematic approach to determining the significance of the individual factors affecting the analytical performance of in-situ film electrode (FE) for the determination of Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II). Analytical parameters were considered simultaneously, where the lowest limit of quantification, the widest linear concentration range, and the highest sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the method evidenced a better analytical method. Significance was evaluated by means of a fractional factorial (experimental) design using five factors, i.e., the mass concentrations of Bi(III), Sn(II), and Sb(III), to design the in situ FE, the accumulation potential, and the accumulation time. Next, a simplex optimization procedure was employed to determine the optimum conditions for these factors. Such optimization of the in situ FE showed significant improvement in analytical performance compared to the in situ FEs in the initial experiments and compared to pure in situ FEs (bismuth-film, tin-film, and antimony-film electrodes). Moreover, using the optimized in situ FE electrode, a possible interference effect was checked for different species and the applicability of the electrode was demonstrated for a real tap water sample.

Options of the Organization of the Inter-Regional Innovative Oil and Gas and Chemical Cluster

A general characteristic of innovative territorial clusters of federal significance in the field of oil and gas processing and petrochemistry is given. All of them are located in the Volga Federal District, which ranks first in the country in terms of the number of participants in innovative activities. Based on the study of the structure of oil and gas processing in the Volga Federal District, an assumption was made that the interregional innovative oil refining cluster will be more economically efficient than the regional one due to the development of intra-cluster competition and synergistic effects of mutually beneficial interregional management, which are absent in a cluster located on the territory of one region. On the basis of simplex optimization methods, options for organizing interregional innovation clusters in the field of oil and gas processing and petrochemistry are presented