A laser-based kinetics/spectroscopy laboratory is being created to service students in physical chemistry, instrumental analysis, and polymer chemistry laboratories and undergraduate research. With this equipment, students perform experiments to gain insights into the chemical an physical principles discussed in lecture courses. The laboratory houses two instrumental arrangements, each of which can be easily adapted to perform a number of experiments. One utilizes steady-state excitation to effect Raman scattering, emission spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, and light scattering. This system includes a 150 mW Argon-ion excitation laser and a detection system consisting of a monochromator, photomultiplier tube, and either a lock-in amplifier or electrometer. Data collection is under computer control. The second arrangement features a pulsed-nitrogen laser pumped dye laser excitation source that allows students to measure luminescence lifetimes and perform pulse-probe experiments. Detection is accomplished with a digital oscilloscope.
