• Knowledge and understanding o the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum o the main spectroscopic techniques o spectroscopic transition rules • Skills aims. o Bottom-up approach to chemical problems o Extraction of the information from an experiment using a coherent physical model o Selection of the most suitable technique(s) according to the desired outcome o Critical analysis of experimental results • Communicative aims o This lesson aims at helping learners become better able to explain the logic process that brings to the selection of a spectroscopic techniques. • Autonomous assessment o Selection of the spectroscopic approach o Discussion of results
Course Prerequisites
Quantum Mechanics is a standard prerequisite for this course.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lessons (32 hours): introduction and theoretical development of the topics, exemplified by means of typical cases. During the lessons, students are often engaged by means of questions in order to make them more involved according to the basic principles of active learning in its most elementary form.
Assessment Methods
Oral examination on both part A and B of the course (30 min). Four questions: 2 questions on the content of section 1 as in the course program. 2 questions on the content of sections 2-7 as in the course program. The evaluation criteria will consider: 1) the completeness of the acquired knowledge. 2) ability to report critically about the advantages and limitations of the different techniques. 3) ability to indicate the more appropriate spectroscopy to be used in different scenarios. 4) the technical terminology used.
Contents
1. The electromagnetic field and its interaction with matter and definition of spectrum (8 h). 1.1. Absorption and emission of radiation. Line width, line-broadening effects, and possible solutions. 2. Rotational spectroscopy. Linear molecules, spherical rotors, symmetric/asymmetric rotors (12 h). 2.1. Rotational IR and Raman spectroscopies. Determination of molecular structure from rotational constants. 3. Vibrational spectroscopy (12 h). 3.1. Vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules. 3.2. Polyatomic molecules: harmonic potential and normal modes. 3.3. Anharmonicity. 3.4. Infrared and Raman spectra. 3.5. Rotovibrational spectra of diatomic molecules: from the spectrum to the bond length and strength constant.
