This project will enhance significantly the undergraduate chemistry curriculum at Roanoke College by incorporating state-of-the-art UV- visible spectroscopy into laboratory courses in physical chemistry, instrumental analysis, and biochemistry. The computer-controlled UV- visible spectrophotometer acquired for this project affords capabilities not previously available to students at Roanoke College: determining absorbance as a function of time, measuring spectra at various temperatures, and obtaining spectra with very high resolution. Current experiments will be improved substantially, and new experiments will be added to the curriculum. Examples include a study of a Co (II) equilibrium system, determination of thermodynamic functions from spectroscopic data, and investigations of enzyme kinetics. The project will give students at Roanoke College experience with modern technology in UV-visible spectroscopy.
