CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
A deep knowledge of the topics tackled during the courses of General Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, as well as of the fundamentals of Mathematics and Physics, is a beneficial prerequisite.
The final examination is a two-step procedure:
1. The students are expected to write a report describing what they carried out during the practical exercitations, in terms of data collection and treatment, the results obtained and their interpretation, also on the basis of the explanations provided by the professor during front lections and practical exercitations.
2. An oral interview, during which the students will be examined on all the topics tackled during the lessons and on the critical aspects possibly present in the report at point 1. The students are admitted to the oral interview only after delivering the report. The oral interview is satisfactory if it is worth a mark amounting at least to 18/30, which coincides with the final mark.
Front lecturing aims at increasing students’ knowledge and comprehension in the field of characterization techniques for solid-state (mainly but not exclusively) inorganic materials.
The practical exercitations enable the students to apply the topics tackled during the front lessons, test their comprehension skills and get acquainted with instruments that are often present in the R&D or quality control sections of a chemical industry.
Treating and interpreting the data collected during the practical sections should help the students learning to judge in autonomy.
Writing a report at the end of the practical sections should aid the students rationalizing the results obtained and improving their communication skills.
The main topics of the course can be subdivided into two distinct but strictly related parts:
First part, front lections:
1. Diffraction
2. Historical hints on the discovery of X-rays and the birth of X-ray diffraction.
3. Lab instrumentation for powder X-ray diffraction: the diffractometer and its main components (X-ray source, slits, monochromator, sample-holder, detector).
4. Large scale facilities: synchrotrons.
5. Sample preparation for powder X-ray diffraction: grinding and/or disaggregation, sample-holder choice, sample-holder filling.
6. Introduction to qualitative analysis (phase identification, also within a mixture, polymorphs discrimination) on solid-state samples by means of powder X-ray diffraction. Examples of application of qualitative analysis by powder X-ray diffraction at the industrial level (pharmaceutical, colour and pigment, cement industries, etc.), in mineralogy, in the forensic field, to study artworks and artefacts, at customs, etc.
7. Databases.
8. Introduction to variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction to study the thermal behaviour of a solid-state sample in terms of thermal expansion, phase transition, solvent loss, decomposition, etc.
9. Introduction to thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to study the thermal behaviour of a solid. Correlation with the topics at point 8.
10. Introduction to qualitative analysis (element identification) on solid-state samples by means of 10. X-ray fluorescence.
11. Introduction to X-ray absorption as a technique to retrieve information on the coordination sphere of a metal centre.
12. Polymorphism.
Second part, practical exercitations to apply some of the topics tackled during the front lessons.
The teaching activities does not rely on a reference textbook. Rather, they take advantage of material prepared ad hoc by the professor, including book chapters in Italian or English and the slides presented during the lessons.
The teaching activities comprise front lections and practical exercitations.
The professor is available to meet the students any working day, preferably by appointment. Her office is located on the third floor of the building in via Valleggio 9, Como.