NMR spectroscopy is presented. It is seen that the experiment regarding the synthesis and resolution of 1,1'-Bi-2-naphtol presents a good experiment for teaching organic synthesis and NMR spectroscopy and provides a strategy for obtaining enantiopure compounds from achiral starting materials.

The objective of the James L. Waters Annual Symposium is to recognize pioneers in the development of instrumentation by preserving the early history of the cooperation and important contributions of inventors, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and marketing organizations. The symposium was held in Pittsburgh, United States in March 2002 to…

A study of the development of commercial electron spectroscopy of chemical analysis (ESCA) instrumentation over a span of three decades is presented. The field has also been extended significantly by use of synchrotron radiation as a bright X-ray source, which has opened new areas of research in solid-state physics, molecular biology, and many…

A laser spectrometer for the ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) titration of magnesium or calcium ions that is designed around a handheld laser pointer as the source and a photoresistor as the detector is developed. Findings show that the use of the spectrometer reduces the degree of uncertainty and error in one part of the EDTA titrations,…

The utilization of the simple and traditional vector model-based product operator formalism is highlighted. It is seen as a critical device in the area of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry for a comprehensive analysis of spin coupling and quantum coherences.

The researchers in London have developed an emerging technology that utilizes mass spectrometry to detect processed animal protein (PAP) in animal feed. The amount of animal protein in the feed can be determined by the ratio of the hydrolyzed gelatine signal at m/z 1044 to an internal standard signal at m/z 556.

A study uses the ChemDraw nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) tool to process 15 para-substituted benzoic acids and generate (super 13)C NMR chemical shifts of C1 through C5. The data were plotted against their pK[subscript a] value and a fairly good linear fit was found for pK[subscript a] versus delta[subscript c1].

A laboratory project for a first semester biochemistry course is described, which integrates the traditional classroom study of the structure and function of biomolecules with the laboratory study of these molecules using fluorescence spectroscopy. Students are assigned a specific question addressing the stability/function of lipids, proteins, or…

A simple photometer constructed from an LED and an op amp can be used to measure light in a number of physical situations. A variety of LEDs exist to investigate different wavelength ranges. Combined with an inexpensive transit, the LED photometer can be used to carry out skylight studies and atmospheric optical depth measurements. The activities…

A project module designed for biochemistry or cellular and molecular biology student which involves determining the secondary structure of Bacillus circulans xylanase (BCX) by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under conditions that compromise its stabilizing intramolecular forces is described. The lab model enhanced students knowledge of the…

An experiment is described, which is designed for a junior-level chemical engineering "fundamentals of measurements and data analysis" course, where students are introduced to the concept of statistical process control (SPC) through a simple inline mixing experiment. The students learn how to create and analyze control charts in an effort to…

In this article, we present an overview of a suite of light and spectroscopy education materials developed as part of Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments). We also present an analysis of how introductory college astronomy students using these Project LITE materials performed on the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI)…

This is Part II in a series on Fourier transforms. Described are Fourier transform techniques using spectrometers in chemistry. Advantages of the technique are discussed. (RH)

This is Part II in a series on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Described are various advantages of FT-IR spectroscopy including energy advantages, wavenumber accuracy, constant resolution, polarization effects, and stepping at grating changes. (RH)

Presented are representative examples of the spectra and the analyses for a linear molecule (HC1), a symmetric top molecule (NH3), and an asymmetric top (H2O). Any combination of these projects could be incorporated in a physical chemistry or molecular spectroscopy laboratory. (RH)