Chemistry 61. Instrumental Analysis
DESCRIPTION: Of the courses commended to chemistry departments by the ACS Committee on Professional Training, none is (likely) taught in so many different ways as instrumental analysis. The field of chemical analysis itself seems to be convulsed with yearnings for self-definition. So H A. Laitinen: “The vital point here is that if the research is aimed at methods of solution of a measurement problem, it is properly classified as analytical chemistry, whereas the interpretation of the results of the measurements infringes upon other fields of chemistry.” [Anal. Chem. 1966, 38, 1441.] In that spirit….
Chemistry 61 explores the principles of using instrumentation to make measurements of chemical species. The first unit lays the foundation for modern analytical work: statistics, calibration, and electronic and optical components used in instruments. The second unit explores in depth the use of optical spectroscopy in chemical analysis. The balance of the course will be devoted to other important topics in analytical chemistry; this may include treatments of mass spectrometry, surface interrogation techniques, NMR spectroscopy, chromatography, and electroanalytical chemistry.
Instrumental analysis is distinct from both physical chemistry and quantitative chemical analysis (the prerequisites for this course). With respect to the former, we will focus on the physics and physical chemistry of instrumentation and measurement, rather than the physico-chemical properties of analytes per se. With respect to the latter, while we will spend some time on the numerical results of chemical analyses, we are also interested in how to get these numbers in the first place. Hence, a good number of the problem sets and exam questions (especially after Exam 1) will be qualitative in nature.
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Keith T. Kuwata, Olin-Rice 318, 696-6768, kuwata@macalester.edu. Come by if you have questions. You can make an appointment if you want to make sure I’ll be in.
REQUIRED TEXT: Douglas A. Skoog, F. James Holler, and Timothy A.
Nieman, Principles of Instrumental
Analysis, 5th ed., Saunders, 1998.
LECTURES: MWF from 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. in Olin-Rice 370.
LABS: No formal meeting times (except as announced). Will involve the construction of a diode array spectrometer, and other experiments to be announced.
PROBLEM SETS: Handed out at least one week before due date. Solutions posted after due date.
PAPER: You will have the opportunity (and
obligation!) to choose a topic in analytical chemistry that interests you,
explore the literature (both journals and books), write a paper of 1500 to
2000 words, and give an oral presentation (20 to 25 minutes) on what
you have learned. You may focus either
on a specific instrumental technique, or an analytical problem to be
solved. (Much of analytical research
today address biological or environmental concerns.) To help you make progress on this project, you will turn in an
abstract and bibliography three weeks before the paper is due. Ask me if you have any questions!
EXAMINATIONS: There will be
three hour-long exams and a two-hour final examination.
GRADING: Homework:
15% Lab Work: 20% Paper: 15%
Hour
Exams: 30% Final: 20%
This is (nearly) a
graduate-level course, and I anticipate assigning final grades typical of grad
school.
COURSE SCHEDULE (timing of lecture topics may vary)
|
Date |
Day |
Event |
Lecture
Topics |
Reading |
|
|
|
|
Unit 1:
Fundamentals |
|
|
9/6 |
W |
|
Introduction, statistics |
Ch 1 pp 1-3, App 1 |
|
9/8 |
F |
|
More on statistics
|
Ch 1 pp 1-3, App 1 |
|
9/11 |
M |
|
Calibration, figures of merit |
Ch 1 pp 11-18 |
|
9/13 |
W |
PS 1 due
|
Basic electronics
|
Ch 2 |
|
9/15 |
F |
|
Operation amplifiers |
Ch 3 |
|
9/18 |
M
|
|
Digital electronics
|
Ch 4
|
|
9/20 |
W
|
PS 2 due
|
Signal(s) and Noise(s)
|
Ch 5
|
|
9/22 |
F |
|
Light: Wave and QM treatments |
Ch 6 |
9/25
|
M |
|
[ditto]
|
Ch 6 |
9/27
|
W |
PS 3 due
|
Optical Instruments: Overview |
Ch 7 pp 143-182 |
9/29
|
F
|
|
Wavelength selectors
|
Ch 7 pp 143-182
|
10/2
|
M
|
|
Detectors
|
Ch 7 pp 143-182
|
|
|
|
|
Unit 2: Optical
Spectroscopy
|
|
10/4
|
W
|
PS 4 due
|
UV/vis
spectroscopy; Beer’s Law in detail
|
Ch
13
|
10/6
|
F
|
Hour Exam 1
|
Reading thru 10/2; PS 1, 2, 3, 4
|
|
10/9
|
M
|
|
UV/vis: Instrumentation
|
Ch
13
|
10/11
|
W
|
|
UV/vis: Applications
|
Ch 14
|
10/13
|
F
|
|
[ditto]
|
Ch 14
|
|
10/16 |
M
|
|
Fluorescence
and phosphorescence
|
Ch
15
|
10/18
|
W
|
PS 5 due
|
Atomic
spectroscopy: Overview
|
Ch
8
|
10/20
|
F
|
|
Atomic
absorption
|
Ch
9
|
10/23
|
M
|
|
Atomic
emission
|
Ch
10
|
10/25
|
W
|
PS 6 due
|
IR:
theory and instrumentation
|
Ch
16
|
10/27
|
F
|
|
Fall Break—no
class
|
|
10/30
|
M
|
|
FTIR: theory and instrumentation
|
Ch
7 pp 182-189
|
11/1
|
W
|
PS 7 due
|
IR: Applications
|
Ch
17
|
11/3
|
F
|
|
Raman spectroscopy
|
Ch 18
|
11/6
|
M
|
Hour Exam 2
|
Reading thru 11/3; PS 5, 6, 7
|
|
11/8
|
W
|
|
Other
analytical topics; course schedule TBA
|
|
11/10
|
F
|
|
[ditto]
|
|
11/13
|
M
|
|
[ditto]
|
|
|
11/15 |
W |
PS 8
due
|
[ditto] |
|
|
11/17 |
F |
|
[ditto] |
|
|
11/20 |
M |
|
[ditto] |
|
|
11/22 |
W |
Abstract due |
[ditto] |
|
|
11/24 |
F |
|
Thanksgiving
Holiday—no class
|
|
|
11/27 |
M |
|
[ditto]
|
|
|
11/29 |
W
|
PS 9 due
|
[ditto]
|
|
|
12/1 |
F
|
|
[ditto]
|
|
|
12/4 |
M
|
|
[ditto]
|
|
|
12/6 |
W
|
|
[ditto]
|
|
12/8
|
F
|
Hour Exam 3
|
|
|
|
12/11 |
M
|
|
Oral
reports in class
|
|
|
12/13 |
W
|
|
Oral reports in class
|
|
|
12/15 |
F
|
Paper due
|
Oral
reports in class
|
|
Final Examination (Comprehensive): Monday,
December 18, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.