Investigating the optical properties of various chemical compounds using UV-vis spectrophotometers is an essential part of education in chemistry. However, commercial spectrophotometers are usually treated as "magic black boxes", where the dominant majority of optical elements are hidden "under the hood". This often limits…

Remote access technology in STEM education fills dual roles as an educational tool to deliver science education (Educational Technology) and as a means to teach about technology itself (Technology Education). A five-lesson sequence was introduced to 11 and 12-year-old students at an urban school. The lesson sequences were inquiry-based, hands-on,…

In this work, a versatile and user-friendly selection of stereolithography (STL) files and computer-aided design (CAD) models are shared to assist educators and students in the production of simple and inexpensive 3D printed filter fluorometer instruments. These devices are effective resources for supporting active learners in the exploration of…

An exercise on structure elucidation for advanced undergraduate students is described. To determine the structure of an unknown product, students are required to use spectra together with an organic chemistry mechanism. This exercise exemplifies the procedure commonly used in research, thus helping students develop problem-solving skills. In…

This laboratory experiment provides a unique opportunity for students to synthesize three analogues of aspartame, a commonly used artificial sweetener. The students are introduced to the powerful and useful method of parallel synthesis while synthesizing three dipeptides in parallel using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and simultaneous…

A greener, microwave-assisted Wittig reaction has been developed for the second-semester organic teaching laboratory. Utilizing this microwave technique, a variety of styrene derivatives have been successfully synthesized from aromatic aldehydes in good yields (41-68%). The reaction not only occurs under neat reaction conditions, but also employs…

Presents an analogy for the principle of separation by mass spectrometry using an overhead projector, nickel spheres, and magnets. (JRH)

Presents an internally consistent set of 63 substituent constants developed for use with the Schoolery Relationship to predict the chemical shifts of methylene protons of acyclic compounds. Chemical shift data used in deriving the constants were taken mainly from primary sources of HNMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra. (JN)

Discusses factors that determine whether or not a sunburn is possible under glass, including the spectral dependence of the skin's sensitivity to sunburn, the ground-level spectrum of solar radiation, and the wavelength dependence of the transmission for the particular piece of glass. Concludes that it is possible to get sunburned through glass.…

Discusses: (1) the design of the Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer; (2) the computation of the spectrum from the interferogram; and (3) the use of apodization. (Part II will discuss advantages of FT-IR over dispersive techniques and show applications of FT-IR to difficult spectroscopic measurements.) (JN)

Reviews literature on Raman spectroscopy from late 1981 to late 1983. Topic areas include: instrumentation and sampling; liquids and solutions; gases and matrix isolation; biological molecules; polymers; high-temperature and high-pressure studies; Raman microscopy; thin films and surfaces; resonance-enhanced and surface-enhanced spectroscopy; and…

The low-resolution mass spectrum of integral masses is used to determine the number of bromine and chlorine atoms in an organic compound. The chlorine rule is a tool suitable for use in structural determinations in first year organic chemistry and it is supported by the ability of sophomore-level students to successfully determine n and m from the…

Describes a low-cost ($120) device which eliminates plasma lines in Raman spectra. The device consists of two prisms and two mirrors which are held in a symmetrical relationship to one another so that a particular position will allow only one wavelength to pass through on a given axis. (JN)

Outlines how the radiative properties of a surface can be tailored so as to be favorable for efficient utilization of energy. The radiative properties of concern are transmittance, reflectance, absorptance, and emittance. (JN)

A previous part (Analytical Chemistry; v57 n9 p1057A) discussed the theoretical aspects of diode ultraviolet-visual (UV-VIS) spectroscopy. This part describes the applications of diode arrays in analytical chemistry, also considering spectroelectrochemistry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), HPLC data processing, stopped flow, and…