9350652 Brletic The project will purchase a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR), spectral libraries, temperature- controlled IR cells and various reflectance accessories to be used in five upper-level chemistry courses (Instrumental Analysis, Physical, Polymer, Advanced Organic, and Advanced Inorganic Chemistry) along with Independent Study Projects. The FT-IR and accessories will provide students with tools for the cutting edge studies in vibrational analysis. The underlying theory of infrared (IR) analysis will be introduced at the freshman chemistry level and "hands-on" experience provided at the second year level. This project will allow for: improved experiments dealing with qualitative and quantitative analysis; new projects dealing with the application of normal coordinate calculations and partition functions to gas-phase spectra; and new experiments involving samples (aqueous solutions, polymers, emulsions and coatings) studied by reflectance. ***
