Acquisition of a Supercritical Fluid System for Diverse Undergraduate Curricular Activities

化学(12)超临界流体(SCF)技术正在被引入到本科课程中，以补充许多已经讨论过的传统主题，并加强化学教育，使学生为各种工作环境做好准备。这种环境友好的媒介通常在当前的本科课程中只被简单地提到，通常没有任何动手实验室的经验，尽管涉及SCF的应用的多样性继续在科学工作的几乎每个部门增加。SCF系统正被引入到五门不同的本科化学实验室课程-两门分析课程，一门无机课程，一门物理课程和一门材料课程。实验主要从研究文献中改编，并被实施到这些课程中。分析实验正在利用该系统使用环境友好的溶剂从困难的基质中提取分析物。无机实验正在利用超临界流体的性质来分离具有不稳定配体的新型络合物，以及其他传统上难以合成/纯化的化合物。物理实验正在研究各种共溶剂/超临界流体混合物的溶解度和相行为。此外，在临界点附近监测各种反应的热力学和动力学参数，以确定这些介质的影响。正在进行半经验和密度泛函计算，以预测超临界流体介质中的物种形成，并比较实验结果。材料实验正在将这项技术应用于聚合、结晶、纳米颗粒沉积和薄膜生长。

Chemistry (12)Supercritical fluid (SCF) technology is being introduced into the undergraduate curriculum to complement many traditional topics already discussed and to enhance chemical education to prepare students for a variety of work environments. This environmentally-friendly medium is often mentioned only briefly in current undergraduate curricula, usually without any hands-on laboratory experience, even though the diversity of applications involving SCFs continue to mount in virtually every sector of the scientific workplace.A SCF system is being introduced into five different undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses - two analytical, one inorganic, one physical, and one materials courses. Experiments are being adapted primarily from the research literature and implemented into these courses. Analytical experiments are utilizing the system for extraction of analytes from difficult matrices using environmentally-friendly solvents. Inorganic experiments are exploiting the properties of SCFs to isolate novel complexes possessing labile ligands, and other compounds that are traditionally difficult to synthesize/purify. Physical experiments are examining solubility and phase behavior of various co-solvents/SCF mixtures. In addition, thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for a variety of reactions are monitored around the critical point to determine the effects of such media. Semi-empirical and DFT calculations are being carried out to predict speciation within a SCF medium and to compare experimental results. Materials experiments are invoking this technology for polymerization, crystallization, nanoparticle deposition, and thin-film growth applications.