The chemistry department has been using an aged single-beam dispersive infrared (IR) spectrometer for routine analyses of organic compounds encountered in the undergraduate laboratories, specifically in the organic chemistry course. The instrument requires large sample sizes and inordinate amounts of time for spectra acquisition; it is becoming difficult to furnish with parts and supplies. To modernize the analytical holdings in the department, this project provides a Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Such features as computer control, saving of spectra into memory, spectra subtraction, the availability of spectral library software, and solid-analysis capabilities were not possible with the previous IR, but can be performed with this new instrument. This spectrometer is being used primarily in the organic chemistry laboratory for routine analysis, yet may also find use in inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry. A joint instrumentation course is also being implemented for the departments of chemistry and biology and is introducing the junior and senior science majors to some of the major instrumental methods of both fields. The students served in the sciences would benefit directly by the improved abilities, but also from the new experiments planned, which include the study of various types of polymers, analysis of low-level concentrations in raw materials, and the monitoring of a reaction's progress using FTIR. Ultimately, the desired impact on the students is their improved preparation for entry into the scientific workforce, having had adequate hands-on training using modern instrumental techniques and computers. The time saved on routine operations could be spent exploiting the instrument's numerous capabilities. The lessons learned may be shared with others at local scientific meetings in order to determine the best methods by which to incorporate the machine into the science curriculum.
