27604 - Analytical Chemistry

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will: - acquire the knowledge of analytical chemistry necessary to understand the basic principles of the main classical and instrumental analytical techniques used in carrying out and evaluating tests on medicines and chemical products, including through laboratory work and practical exercises; - will gain a comprehensive understanding of the analytical process, from the selection of the analytical method through to the interpretation of results, and of the various types of classical and instrumental analytical methods, whilst being able to communicate their conclusions – as well as the underlying knowledge and rationale – clearly and unambiguously to both specialists and non-specialists; - possesses the tools to critically evaluate (including statistically) the experimental results obtained and acquires the practical skills necessary to work in a laboratory; - possesses the knowledge required to undertake the courses in subsequent years.

Course contents

Foreword:

Important: The course, as further detailed in the "Teaching Methods" section, includes mandatory attendance laboratory activities. During the lectures, the laboratory exercises and the related safety regulations will be explained. For this reason, attendance of at least 70% of the lectures is required. Students who are unable to meet this attendance requirement must contact the instructor before the start of the course in order to agree on alternative methods of preparation for the laboratory. Without adequate preparation, participation in the laboratory sessions will not be allowed.

Prerequisites: It is assumed that students are familiar with the fundamentals of the following topics:
General Chemistry: Chemical reactions, Classification of chemical reactions, Redox reactions, Balancing redox reactions, Solutions, Electrolytes and non-electrolytes, Solubility, Solubilization process, Activity and concentration, Solution concentration, Definition of acids and bases, Acid-base systems in water, Self-ionization of water, Acid and base dissociation constants.

THEORETICAL PART

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY – GENERAL CONCEPTS

The analytical process (common steps in chemical analysis)

Definition of standard solution, blank standard solution, certified reference materials

STATISTICS

Types of experimental errors

Sources of experimental errors

Correction of systematic error

Accuracy and precision (definitions and parameters for their evaluation)

Statistical parameters for processing replicated data (s, CV%, absolute error, relative error %, standard deviation of the mean)

Student's t-test

Confidence interval

TITRATIONS

Chemical equivalence: equivalence point, end point, expression of chemical equivalence

Neutralization titrations: titration reaction and standard solutions

Acid-base indicators: use and properties

Water hardness: definitions, units of measurement, classification

Complexometric determination of water hardness

EDTA: chemical properties and use as a titrant

Complexometric indicators: use and properties of NET

SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

Lambert-Beer law: definitions and use in quantitative analysis

Absorbance and transmittance

Absorbance measurements: wavelength selection, deviation from linearity

Spectrophotometry instrumentation: light sources, wavelength selectors, sample holders, detectors, optical materials

Single-beam and double-beam spectrophotometers

STOICHIOMETRY

Definitions of molar mass, molar concentration, percentage concentration (%w/w, %v/v, %w/v)

Relationship between solution molarity, solute mass and moles, molar mass, and solution volume

Equation for solution dilution

Application of the chemical equivalence equation

LABORATORY MODULE

Calibration: Calibration of glassware and automatic pipettes, expression of results (mean and standard deviation), writing of a lab report

Acid/base titration, applied to strong and weak acids, and to a real sample (vinegar)

Determination of water hardness using the complexometric method

Spectrophotometric determination of iron

Potentiometric determination of pH

All students are required to obtain and wear a chemistry lab coat.

Readings/Bibliography

The PowerPoint slides shown in class will be available on “Virtuale” (https://virtuale.unibo.it) along with instructions for the laboratory exercises and for writing reports, as well as other instructional materials (e.g., PDFs of the virtual whiteboards used in class to work through the exercises, exercise texts and expected results or step-by-step solutions, self-study activities to be completed in preparation for the laboratory exercises, multiple-choice self-assessment tests, fact sheets on reagents or instruments described during lectures, etc.).

The teaching materials and notes taken during class are essential for exam preparation, as is studying one of the following textbooks:

- Chimica Analitica: una Introduzione, D.A. Skoog, D.M. West, F.J. Holler, (EdiSES).

- Elementi di Chimica Analitica, Daniel C. Harris (Zanichelli Editore).

- Chimica Analitica Quantitativa, Daniel C. Harris (Zanichelli Editore).

- Fondamenti di Chimica Analitica di Skoog e West, F.J. Holler, S.R. Crouch (EdiSES).

- Il laboratorio di Chimica Analitica, Marco Grotti (EdiSES)

Students are free to choose other university-level analytical chemistry textbooks.

Teaching methods

The course is worth 6 ECTS credits, of which 4 ECTS are for lectures (32 hours) and 2 ECTS for laboratory sessions with mandatory attendance (24 hours, usually organized into two full days of 8 hours each and 2 half days of 4 hours each).

During the lectures, the course topics will be presented and discussed, with theoretical insights and illustrative examples. The laboratory exercises will be introduced during the lectures. These exercises aim to help each student acquire the necessary practical skills and knowledge of basic analytical techniques to work in a laboratory environment following principles of quality and safety.

Students will process the results obtained in the lab using statistical tools learned during the lectures and will submit a written report on their laboratory experiences.

Given the nature of the activities and teaching methods used, attendance in this course requires all students (including all incoming international students, e.g., ERASMUS) to complete Modules 1 and 2 in e-learning mode [https://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/health-and-assistance/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-in-study-and-internship-places], and to attend Module 3, which provides specific training on health and safety in study environments.

Information on the dates and attendance procedures for Module 3 can be found in the dedicated section of the degree program website (under “Studying” → “Mandatory training on health and safety”).

Assessment methods

Assessment of knowledge covering the entire course program will be carried out through the following evaluations:

Partial test on stoichiometry and statistics: a 60-minute written test consisting of numerical exercises aimed at solving analytical problems. Passing this partial test exempts the student from completing the exercises in the final exam and may contribute additional points to the final grade.

Laboratory reports: reports on the laboratory exercises must be submitted—according to the instructions provided in the course presentation slides—before taking the final exam.

Final written exam: a 90-minute written test including three open-ended questions covering all topics discussed during the lectures and two numerical exercises on stoichiometry and statistics. Students who have passed the partial test will only be required to answer the open-ended questions, with a time limit of 60 minutes.

The evaluation criteria are based on the student’s ability to demonstrate the use and application of the knowledge, information, and cultural tools provided by the course.

In particular, the assessment will verify the student’s understanding of the following topics:

Fundamentals of the analytical chemical process and its application to real-world problem solving

Principles of chemical equilibrium in analytical chemistry

Volumetric titration methods

Spectrophotometric methods

The minimum passing threshold is defined by the student’s ability to demonstrate a critical understanding of the course topics.

The instructor is available for further clarification and to assess the student’s level of preparation before the exam.

With regard to assessment, the use of AI is prohibited. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Video projector, interactive whiteboard, PC, laboratories with individual workstations, equipment and glassware, spectrophotometers.

Teaching materials:

The teaching materials presented during lectures will be made available to students in electronic format via the internet. Students are expected to print the materials and bring them to class.

To access the teaching materials:

https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Access is restricted to students enrolled at the University of Bologna.

Link to additional information:

http://www.unibo.it/docenti/donato.calabria2 [https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/donato.calabria2]

office hours

Visit Donato Calabria’s website

Office hours

See the website of Donato Calabria

See the website of Andrea Zattoni