The Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University will use this award from the Chemical Research Instrumentation Program to help acquire a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The areas of chemical research that will be enhanced by the acquisition include the following: 1. Speciation of Sulfur Compounds; 2. Quantification of Drugs in the Presence of Cutting Agents; 3. Identification and Quantification of Gases Envolved During the Controlled Oxidation of Coals and Combined Fuels; 4. FT-IR Analysis of Modified Coals and Coal Extracts; 5. Relationship Between the Organic Structure of Coal and Thermal Maturation. %%% Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a technique that uses absorption of infrared energy to probe molecular structure. When used in conjunction with a modern computer, FTIR studies on large numbers of samples can be conveniently carried out and the resulting data readily analyzed. The use of FTIR spectroscopy is essential to chemists who are carrying out research in many important frontier areas. The instrument will be used in undergraduate research.
