ACHM 522: Instrumental Analysis
Analytical methods are often divided into two classifications: classical and instrumental. Classical methods include the “wet-chemistry methods” introduced in ACHM 321 Quantitative Analysis. These methods represent the earliest forms of quantitative analysis and are still used in many labs throughout the country. As technology and chemical instrumentation understanding continue to progress, many of these classical methods are being replaced by more rapid and sensitive instrumental methods. Today’s analytical chemist can be classified as a problem solver that uses cutting edge scientific technology pulled from a variety of fields to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze complex systems in an attempt to better understand a given sample’s chemical composition and structural characteristics that give rise to unique functionality.
The purpose of this course is to introduce chemists to the ever-changing world of chemical instrumentation. This class is a survey of the theory and practice of modern analytical instrumentation. Some topics covered include: ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatographic techniques, atomic absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical methods of analysis.
The goal of this course is to familiarize chemists with the theory and practice of available chemical instrumentation that can be utilized to solve challenging chemical problems.