Ultraviolet Spectroscopy
A one-day course on the fundamentals of UV spectroscopy including:
- The electromagnetic spectrum
- Bonding orbital energy levels, pi bonds and conjugation
- Electronic transitions and absorbance wavelengths
- The Beer-Lambert Law
- Spectrometer components and optical path designs
- Sample cuvettes – selection, use and cleaning
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Derivative spectroscopy
- Typical applications
- Practical exercise – instrument calibration and assay of an unknown sample
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
A one-day course on the fundamentals of IR spectroscopy including:
- The electromagnetic spectrum
- Bond stretching, bending and rotation
- Frequency, wavelength, wavenumber and band intensity
- Absorbance regions associated with different functional groups
- Spectrometer components and optical path designs
- The interferogram
- Sample preparation – thin film, KBr pellet and diamond ATR
- Artefacts caused by carbon dioxide and water
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Typical applications
- Practical exercise – sample preparation and data acquisition
Interpretation of Infrared Spectra
A one-day course on the interpretation of IR spectra including:
- Revision of modes of absorbance in the IR region
- Appearance of typical functional group absorbance bands – spectral region and intensity
- Positional isomers, including aromatic substitution patterns
- Practical exercise – interpretation of unknown spectra
Mass Spectrometry
A one-day course on the fundamentals of mass spectrometry including:
- The covalent bond
- Bond strength and fragmentation
- Deflection of ions in a magnetic field and mass:charge ratio
- Components of a mass spectrometer – overview
- Types of ion source, mass analyser and detector
- Stable isotopes and monoisotopic masses of common elements
- Mass resolution
- Molecular formulae from accurate mass data
- Large molecules and multiple charging
- Interfaces for GC-MS and LC-MS
- Practical exercise – sample preparation and data acquisition
Interpretation of Electron Ionisation Mass Spectra
A one-day course on the interpretation of mass spectra including:
- Revision of basic theory and instrument design
- Data produced by different ionisation methods and mass analysers
- Typical EI mass spectra and common neutral losses
- Identifying possible molecular ions
- The odd nitrogen rule
- Rings plus double bonds
- Stable isotope patterns and molecular composition
- Data from accurate mass determinations
- Fragmentation and rearrangement mechanisms
- Worked examples
- Practical exercise – interpretation of unknown spectra