PSC2031 - Analytical methods - 2018

Analytical Methods lays a foundation of knowledge for the analytical identification and quantitation of chemical entities used in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries (eg polymers, cosmetics & paints). The subject provides the participant with basic principles and concepts of chemical equilibria, classical (titrimetric) methods of analysis, atomic and molecular spectroscopy (spectrochemical methods of analysis) and separation (chromatographic) methodologies.

This will involve:

• chemical equilibria
• classical methods of analysis
• spectrochemical methods of analysis
• analytical separations

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

1. Understand the chemical compositions of aqueous solutions, apply the effects of electrolytes on chemical equilibria and solve equilibrium calculations for simple and complex systems;
2. Apply the basic principles underlying gravimetric and titrimetric methods of analysis (including precipitation titrations, neutralization titrations, complex acid/base systems, complexation reactions and titrations and non-aqueous titrations) and analyse chemical equilibria to determine the concentrations of species of interest;
3. Evaluate the basic properties of electromagnetic radiation and the interactions between radiation and matter on an atomic and molecular level and calculate specific spectrochemical descriptors (energy, frequency, wavelength, % transmittance and absorbance);
4. Understand and apply the functions of instrumental components used in optical spectrophotometry;
5. Understand and apply the basic principles of molecular absorption, molecular fluorescence and atomic absorption/emission spectroscopy to practical scenarios;
6. Understand basic separations and chromatographic theory and apply this knowledge in predicting the separation, identification and quantitation of compounds;
7. Acquire knowledge of commonly used instrumental techniques, namely GLC and HPLC, and apply these principles to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of compounds;
8. Identify troubleshooting strategies for commonly encountered problems in liquid chromatography.

Final exam (2 hour): 60%; quizzes: 5%; active learning modules: 5%; practical experiments: 20%; practical exam: 10%.

Contact hours for on-campus students:

• Twenty eight 1-hour lectures
• Six 1-hour tutorials
• One 2-hour HPLC workshop
• Eight 4-hour practicals
• One 4-hour practical exam

See also Unit timetable information

http://www.monash.edu/pharm/current/