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CM3141 - INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Academic Year 23/24 - Semester 1

Assessments:​

  • Closed-book Test 1 (Part I): 25%

  • Group Project Presentation (Part I): 25%

  • Closed-book Test 2 (Part II): 25%

  • Take-home Assignment (Part II): 25%

Lecturer: Dr Linda Sellou & A/P Fan Wai Yip

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Course Overview: 

  • Part 1 (Spectroscopy): Fundamentals of spectroscopy, Beer lambert law, UV-vis spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy, Atomic absorption spectroscopy, Atomic emission spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy

  • Part 2 (Other analytical techniques): Mass spectrometry (ion generation methods such as electron impact, electrospray, matrix-assisted laser desorption, Ion separation methods such as magnetic, time-of-flight and quadrupole mass analyzers, Tandem and hyphenation techniques, Interpretation of mass spectra), Electron-based Imaging (Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy), Thermal methods (thermogravimetric, differential scanning calorimetry analysis)

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No. of responses : 2

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REVIEWS

What advice would you give to someone considering to take this course?

 

Flanders: CM3141 is relatively light on content compared to the other 3Ks. The first half of the course, taught by Dr Linda Sellou, focuses on spectroscopy involving EM radiation, such as UV-vis, IR, and AES. The entire exam for the first part comprised 5 questions, all testing the Beer-Lambert Law, which makes it the most important concept for the first half. There is a group project where students form a group of 4 and present on an application of spectroscopy in the real world. The second half of the course, taught by A/P Fan Wai Yip, focuses on mass spectrometry and microscopy. There are some elucidation skills required for mass spectrometry questions. The test for the second part required students to perform elucidation, and also explain certain things about mass spectrometers. However, cheat sheets are not allowed, so students will have to memorise a sizeable amount of information about how all the different types of MS works. There is an individual take-home assignment to be submitted in reading week.  There is no final exam. This is one of the courses where if you wanted, you could cram the entire syllabus a few days before the final exam.

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Anonymous: Students can overload with this as it is the lowest workload amongst all the core 3Ks. First part is a lot of recap on spectroscopic techniques that you should have encountered before. Second part on mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques are newer and more useful. But the pace is slow to moderate so the course is quite doable.

 

What did you enjoy or find most useful from this course?

 

Flanders: Although the course is mainly simple memorisation, the machines being taught are very likely what you will be using when you do an internship at a chemical company. Thus, the content is highly relevant to students looking to do UPIP.

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Anonymous: The second part on different mass spectroscopic techniques is quite interesting and useful. Having taken CM3252, one can draw some connections between both courses in this regard.

 

What aspects of the course did you find most challenging, and why?

 

Flanders: There was a lack of clarity on what is tested. Since cheat sheets are not allowed, many students spent time memorising the theory behind the machines for the first half, only for it to be completely untouched in the exam. For future students, please note that the exams may be set differently.

 

Anonymous: The group presentation for the first part. It’s criteria was a little vague, and it was a pretty open-ended way to assess students but I guess it forces students to know how to do literature review and search which is a plus.

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What resources did you find most helpful in helping you better understand the course material?

 

Anonymous: Nothing really, students just need to know how to use beer lambert law for Dr Linda's part because that’s the main thing that is tested.

 

What other courses do you think should be taken before or concurrently with this course?

 

Flanders: I've been told CM3192 has significant overlap in content.

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Anonymous: It is possible to overload with this.

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