Through this project, the institution acquired a FT-IR spectrometer and ATR and diffuse reflectance accessories. The instrument replaced a dispersive IR that was purchased in 1965 for which repair costs had frequently exceeded the value of the instrument and replacement parts were no longer available. The FT-IR is being used in courses such as organic, physical, spectrometric identification of organic compounds, and introduction to research. In addition to being used for the experiments previously done with the dispersive IR, the new instrument and accessories enable the students to carry out new experiments such as spectra of aqueous and dilute solutions, opaque solids such as polymers and minerals, cut outs from TLC separations, and high resolution spectra of gases. The computer controlled instrument allows the manipulation of data in analyzing mixtures and the creation of one's own spectral library. Also of prime importance is the fact that industrial employees and graduate schools expect that a bachelor's degree chemist can operate a FT-IR instrument and is familiar with the mathematical manipulations and capabilities of the Fourier transform technique. The FT-IR also played an important role in the phasing in of microscale in the organic chemistry labs. The institution is contributing to the project in an amount equal the NSF funds.
