Advanced Experimental Tools in Chemistry

Advanced experimental and instrumental chemical techniques play a decisive role for studies of molecules and their interaction with their surroundings. Chemists are supposed to possess the ability to both produce completely new substances and to study these with the help of suitable tools - a combination of knowledge that is central within many natural scientific, medical and technological disciplines within both academia and industry. The course addresses theoretical and practical aspects of modern techniques for producing, isolating and characterising various types of chemical substances that are important within the life and environmental sciences. The course encompasses four modules that address tools for (i) synthesis and isolation, (ii) separation, (iii) identification and quantification, (iv) structure-characterisation. The course focuses on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and techniques for x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The course's laboratory experiments cover organic synthesis work and practical work with advanced chemical instrumentation. They are closely connected with ongoing research at Umeå University within the fields of protein, medicinal and environmental chemistry.