A public demonstration of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) for fast and sensitive qualitative elemental analysis of solid everyday objects is described. This demonstration served as a showcase model for modern instrumentation (and for elemental analysis, in particular) to the public. Several steps were made to…

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a powerful analytical tool for detection, identification, and quantification of many volatile organic compounds. However, many colleges and universities have not fully incorporated this technique into undergraduate teaching laboratories despite its wide application and ease of use in organic…

We present a simple, effective, and inexpensive spectrophotometer design that may be used in a stand-alone teaching module, and to enhance various unit operations experiments. The spectrophotometers described performed as well as a commercial option at estimating cell concentration in a bioreactor and tracking a first-order reaction. Such devices…

Access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, namely nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, early in the college curriculum was provided to undergraduate students in an effort to improve student perceptions of science. Proton NMR spectroscopy was introduced as part of an aspirin synthesis in a guided-inquiry approach to spectral…

A new lecture/laboratory course to offer advanced biochemical training for undergraduate and early graduate students has been developed in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This unique course offers students an opportunity to work hands-on with modern instrumentation not normally found in a predominately…

The construction of a fluorometer and a spectrofluorometer using flashlight or a sunlight excitation source in a shoebox and the eye as a detector is being described. The assembly helps in understanding several fundamental ideas related to the subject very easily.

A laboratory experiment designed as part of an upper-level undergraduate analytical chemistry course is described. Students investigate two popular soft drinks (Red Bull Energy Drink and sugar-free Red Bull Energy Drink) by NMR spectroscopy. With assistance of modern NMR prediction software they identify and quantify major components in each…

This paper proposes a different experimental setup compared with the traditional ones, in order to determine the acceleration of gravity, which is carried out by using a fluid at a constant rotation. A computerized rotational system--by using a data acquisition system with specific software, a power amplifier and a rotary motion sensor--is…

We describe an inexpensive device for performing capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations with fluorescence detection. As a demonstration of the device's utility we have determined the mass of riboflavin in a commercially available dietary supplement. The device allows for separation of riboflavin in [asymptotically equivalent to] 100 s with a…