The Chemistry Department at the University of South Alabama is currently focusing on modernizing our upper level laboratory courses such that the experiments are more consistent with ongoing chemistry research. A primary consideration in this effort is the study of biological molecules and systems. We plan to use a computer interfaced potentiostat to introduce four new experiments that emphasize biological molecules or applications. The equipment will have a major impact upon the Instrumental Analysis, Inorganic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry laboratories. There are relatively few electrochemistry experiments in our current laboratory curriculum and none that use modern methods to examine biological molecules. The potentiostat will be used to introduce upper level students to techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, pulse voltammetry, and spectroelectrochemistry by characterizing molecules such as epinephrine (adrenaline), amino acid complexes of copper, acetaminophen, and myoglobin. These electrochemistry experiments will interest and motivate students, as well as complement our established spectroscopy experiments.
