This project will use computers to construct a new type of analytical chemistry course at the freshman-sophomore level. It will focus on trace analysis of metal ions and organic substances in a toxic waste site that can be "sampled" by students to obtain uninterpreted analytical data via computer at many different locations at the site. Students will carry out hands-on trace analyses with non-toxic substances in order to develop their laboratory skills, and to see how the analytical data from the "site" was obtained. Applications of high-end graphics workstations throughout the lower-division laboratory courses, including the analytical course, will also be central to this project. The uses will involve among other things designing sequesterants for pollution abatement, exploring host-guest interactions, and examining orbital interactions.
