Improvement of Undergraduate Science Instruction with FTIR Spectroscopy

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9450945 Bezoari The project will enhance undergraduate science courses by providing students with hands-on experiences in spectroscopic analysis on the microscale level. The plan centers on the acquisition of a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with computer data handling and library search capabilities. The primary use of the instrument will be in the Organic Chemistry, Instrumental Analysis, and Physical Chemistry laboratory courses. Students will gain important experiences by: a) applying theoretical principles to contemporary problems Including ground- water, soil, and air pollution monitoring, and analysis of commercial goods such as solvents and food-packaging (polymers and additives); b) learning techniques of sample preparation; c) using the computer to enhance sensitivity and analyze data with multiple scans, spectral overlay, and quantitative methods; d) carrying out searching and matching of spectra with the library data bank; and e) seeing the internal hardware arrangements used in the FTIR spectrometer. The project is meaningful because students need to experience how compounds are analyzed and detected on the microscale level with modern instrumentation. Furthermore, these experiences will provide the foundation to promote a better understanding of other modern spectroscopic methods of analysis (e.g., FT-NMR).