GENERAL AND INSTRUMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY - MOD. 2

The teaching General and Instrumental Analytical Chemistry is part of the core educational activities characterizing the degree course in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, curriculum in Sciences and Technologies of Bio and Nanomaterials, aimed at providing students with knowledge and understanding of the main methods and techniques of scientific investigation for the study and characterization of advanced materials, using the methods developed to treat the experimental data and the current technical-scientific language in an appropriate manner.
The teaching Analytical Chemistry for Cultural Heritage and Laboratory is divided into two modules (defined as Module 1 and Module 2), both with theoretical lessons and laboratory exercises. The educational objectives of the course include:
1. Learn and understand the general principles on which the classical and instrumental analytical methods most commonly used in the analysis and characterization of advanced and nanostructured materials, also featuring biologically-derived components.
2. Develop skills and competences aimed at identifying and applying the most common classical and instrumental analytical techniques to the investigation and characterization of above-mentioned materials, as well as at interpreting the experimental data.
3. Provide knowledge on the functioning of the instrumentation and on the modality of reading the responses obtained from the different types of instruments and their correlation with the theoretical aspects dealt with.
4. Develop critical sense that allows students to evaluate the potentials, advantages and limitations of the various analytical techniques studied.
5. Develop skills in the evaluation and reliability of an analytical data.

The specific training objectives of module 2 of the course are:
1. Provide students with knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying the main instrumental analytical techniques based on spectroscopy, electrochemistry and chromatography, most commonly used in the study Science and Technology of Materials.
2. Ability to evaluate the invasive and / or non-invasive analytical techniques best suited to the application in the study of bio and nanomaterials.
3. Develop manual skills, familiarity, and autonomy in experimentally tackling instrumental analytical problems, either alone or in small work groups.
4. Develop skills to design an appropriate experimental approach to scientific investigation and use of analytical instrumentation.
5. Develop skills in collecting, organizing, and processing experimental data and presenting them through a report drawn up in a suitable scientific language.
6. Develop the competence to interpret and critically evaluate the experimental results in accordance with the theoretical principles underlying the techniques used.

Expected learning outcomes for module 2:

1. Knowledge and understanding
(a) Know the fundamental principles of the analytical techniques based on spectroscopy, electrochemistry and chromatography, the laws which they are based on and the equations that express them.
(b) Knowledge and understanding of the elements that make up the instruments with which the spectroscopic, electrochemical and chromatographic analyses are carried out.
(c) Know the main features of the process of acquisition and processing of experimental data.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
(a) Ability to understand the instrumental aspects and their connection with the theoretical basis of an instrumental analytical method.
(b) Ability to use the laws and concepts learned in the theoretical course for the application of analytical instrumental techniques in the resolution of an analytical problem in the of Science and Technology of Materials.
(c) Ability to collect experimental data (alone and / or in groups) and to elaborate them consistently in the final results, made explicit by writing a scientific report.

3. Ability to judge (depending on the in-depth analysis of the subject matter during the course)
(a) Ability to compare the available analytical techniques to choose the most appropriate to solve a specific problem.
(b) Ability to perform a critical evaluation of the experimental results, recognizing possible errors and proposing alternative methods.
(c) Ability to evaluate the logical consistency of the functioning of the instruments

4. Communication skills
(a) Communicating the knowledge learned and the result of their application using an appropriate language, both in oral and written.
(b) Develop the ability to work in a team, interacting with the teammates in a respectful and constructive way, assuming responsibility for their role in the team.

To have achieved the training objectives of general and inorganic chemistry, mathematics, physics, and possibly (but not necessarily) having passed the exams of these teachings.

With respect to the training objectives and the expected learning outcomes, the module General and Instrumental Analytical Chemistry – Mod.2 is divided into three parts.

FIRST PART: theory

1. Introduction to instrumental analytical techniques.
2. Spectroscopic analytical techniques - atomic spectrophotometry. Introduction to spectrophotometric methods. Atomic spectroscopy. Fundamental principles of X-ray spectroscopy: X-ray fluorescence and diffraction. Absorption and emission atomic spectroscopy. Atomic mass spectrometry. ICP-MS laser ablation. Components of the instrumentation.
3. Spectroscopic analytical techniques - molecular spectrophotometry. Introduction to molecular absorption spectrophotometry in ultraviolet and visible. Spectrophotometry of molecular reflectance in the visible. Components of the instrumentation. Infrared spectrophotometry. Raman spectroscopy.
4. Electrochemical techniques. Introduction to thermodynamics and electrode kinetics. Electron transfer reaction: Butler-Volmer and Marcus kinetics. Potential-controlled transient methods: cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear voltammetry (LSV) and differential pulsed (DPV) voltammetry, chronoamperometry (CA). Reversible, irreversible and quasi-reversible processes. Controlled-current methodologies: chronopotentiometry, constant-current electrolysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Scanning probe microscopy: scanning electrochemical micriscopy (SECM), also coupled with atomic force micriscopy (AFM-SECM).
5. Introduction to chromatographic separations. General presentation of chromatographic methods. Gas chromatography (GC). Principles and instrumentation. Columns and stationary phases for gas chromatography. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Efficiency of the column. Instrumentation for HPLC. Various liquid chromatography techniques. Thin layer chromatography.

SECOND PART – laboratory

The experimental investigations carried out in the laboratory will mainly deal with the following methodologies.
1. UV-vis molecular spectroscopy.
2. Emission atomic spectroscopy with atomization by microwave plasma.
3. Electrochemistry: cyclic, linear and differential pulse voltammetry of a redox mediator in solution; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, water-splitting and Tafel plot

THIRD PART- virtual project

The teacher will provide a list of project ideas concerning the scientific analysis of a (bio-)nanomaterial, among which the students will be invited to choose one. Following an in-depth bibliographic search, the elaboration of a virtual project consists of a PowerPoint document, which will be presented by the students (12 min ca.) during the course (usually the last few days) to the teacher, the tutor/s, their colleagues and possible external guests. After the presentation, the teacher and the audience might pose questions leading to an open discussion of the work (5 min ca.).
To this end, the students will be invited to attend a bibliographic course that will be organized by the representative of the Scientific Library at the Scientific Campus.

1. Skoog D.A., West D.M., Holler F.J., Crough S.R., Fondamenti di Chimica Analitica, EdiSES, Napoli, III ed. (2015), op. II Ed. (2005).
2. Skoog D.A., Holler F.J., Crouch S.R., Chimica Analitica Strumentale, EdiSES, Napoli, 2009.
3. A. J. Bard, L. R. Faulkner. Electrochemical Methods. Fundamentals and Applications. 2nd ed. New York City: Wiley, 2002.

For the executive part of the exercises the teachers will provide handouts with the information necessary for the realization of each experience and the processing of the corresponding report.

The evaluation of learning related to the teaching of General and Instrumental Analytical Chemistry - Module 2, is divided into the following parts:
(a) Evaluation of the virtual project presentation and discussion of the project. Weight: 30% of the vote.
(b) An oral examination for the evaluation of the objectives concerning the theoretical part, which consists of a series of open questions related to the theoretical aspects of the different analytical techniques dealt with. The proposed questions will be of different levels: understanding, application, analysis, and critical evaluation. Weight: 70% of the vote.

Concerning the evaluation of the laboratory activities, the following criteria will be taken into account:
(c) The votes of the reports concerning laboratory exercises. To this aim, the realization of at least 80% of the programmed laboratory activities is required. Appropriate additional laboratory sessions are planned to allow for possible recoveries.
(d) A test consisting of a series of questions directly related to the experiences performed, especially regarding understanding of the work done and application of analytical techniques studied in the laboratory.
The overall assessment of the General and Instrumental Analytical Chemistry – Module 2 is calculated as the arithmetic average of the marks obtained for the oral part (0.3 a + 0.7 b) and for the laboratory part (laboratory reports + test)

Theoretical part: the teaching will take place through lectures in which the principles concerning the instrumental analytical techniques will be presented and discussed.

Laboratory - module 2: students will be divided into small work groups to perform the experimental activities of programmed instrumental analytical chemistry. At the end of each experience the students must write a report with the instrumental results obtained and their elaboration in order to present the desired analytical result. The results must be critically evaluated based on the objectives of the experiment, the theory concerning the technique used and the results present in the literature.

Exercise: in small groups (generally two people) the students must carry out the planned research for the elaboration of a project to solve a problem concerning the study and the characterization of a (bio-)nanomaterial. Each group will have a different problem to solve. For the development of the project students will have to use the scientific databases and scientific journals available online in the university library and discuss the project with a PowerPoint presentation to all the colleagues.

Italian

Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments: Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding supportservices and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters), please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.
Students, who legitimately cannot attend the course in whole or in part, are required to contact the teacher and discuss the program before the beginning of the classes.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development