STB412 Advanced Experimental Chemistry Techniques


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:STB412
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:Admission to ST10 or (Admission to ST20 and completion of 288 credit points (CP))
Coordinator:James Blinco | j.blinco@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit is offered at the Honours level for students who wish to build on their knowledge in chemistry, obtained during their undergraduate studies. The unit will provide an essential platform for further studies and theoretical and experimental research concerning the analysis of chemical compounds.
To successfully complete this unit you will:
1. Be able to apply modern analytical approaches to the identification, characterisation and quantification of a variety of chemical compounds.
2. Develop general skills in problem solving, that will be applicable to various areas of pure and applied chemistry.
3. Acquire a range of experimental and interpretive skills in advanced experimental techniques commonly used in cutting-edge research.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Be able to apply modern analytical approaches to the identification, characterisation and quantification of a variety of chemical compounds.
  2. Develop general skills in problem solving, that will be applicable to various areas of pure and applied chemistry.
  3. Acquire a range of experimental and interpretive skills in advanced experimental techniques commonly used in cutting-edge research.

Content

The content will be delivered in three modules, with specific modules selected each year to suit the cohort of students and their project needs. Content will include advanced theory of experimental techniques applicable to chemical characterisation and analysis including details of instrumentation, experimental methods, data acquisition, data quality and reliability and interpretaion of experimental data.

Modules will cover techniques such as

NMR spectroscopy
Mass spectrometry
X-ray crystallography
Chemometrics
IR/Raman spectroscopy,
Electron microscopy (SEM, TEM)
Calorimetry
X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Chromatography
Electrochemistry

The content will be reinforced with authentic problem solving tasks that require mastery of the experimental method.

Learning Approaches

This unit will be given as a series of 12 one-hour lectures and 12 one-hour problem solving workshops on theory and application of experimental techniques. Students will also be expected to devote considerable time to individual study. This includes working with textbooks, solving practise problems, completing workshop problems, and reading selected research papers from the field of chemistry. Strong emphasis will be placed on the experimental approach and interpretation of experimental results in the workshop sessions to acquire skills in at least three of the techniques presented at the lectures.

Assessment

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Problem Solving Task

Workshop assignments

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Weekly/Fortnightly
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3

Assessment: Timed Online Assessment

Exam

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

There is no prescribed text for this unit. Students will be directed to resource material related to the specific modules covered in lectures and workshops.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.