Photodiode-Array UV-visible Spectrophotometry in the Undergraduate Curriculum

The university is purchasing a modern photodiode array (PDA) instrument to upgrade its analytical chemistry curriculum. Semester-long courses in Quantitative and Instrumental Analysis are being integrated into a 2-semester series entitled Analytical Chemistry I and II. The department also plans to integrate a course in Spectrometric Identification. The instrument is utilized in General Chemistry and Biochemistry. The primary objective in General Chemistry is to increase student interest in the sciences by exposing them to modern instrumentation early in their undergraduate career. In Analytical Chemistry-I, students are exposed to the advantages of PDA technology for the quantitative analysis of mixtures, and to study reaction equilibria under varying environmental conditions. The instrument is used for lessons in precision and accuracy in Analytical Chemistry-II and for lessons in spectroscopy in Spectrometric Identification. Lastly, the instrument exposes Biochemistry majors to the latest methods for analyzing enzyme kinetics, including the determination of constants that characterize binding and reaction rates.