OVERVIEW

The course provides fundamental knowledge of analytical chemistry, including a description of the analytical laboratory and basic instrumentation, analytical methodologies, the selection of appropriate analytical methods and the achievable accuracy, sampling techniques, sources of error, and the evaluation of the importance of proper calibration and the use of standards. It will therefore provide the conceptual tools necessary for the interpretation of analytical data, with the aid of statistical principles, in order to assess the reliability of data obtained from a series of analyses. Chemical equilibria in solution will also be addressed.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides the basics of analytical chemistry, including the description of an analytical laboratory, Lab Equipment and Glassware, analytical methods, the choice of the method of analysis and its accuracy, sampling, sources of error, the importance of a proper calibration and the use of standard. The tools will be also provided for the interpretation of analytical data with the aid of statistical methods, in order to assess the reliability of data obtained from a series of analyses.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with a general foundation in Analytical Chemistry, offering both theoretical and practical knowledge to operate correctly in an analytical chemistry laboratory. The course is designed to introduce students to the understanding of solution equilibria and the main analytical methods. Furthermore, it aims to develop students' critical thinking skills in evaluating the accuracy and precision of experimental data and in extracting useful information from them through the application of statistical methods.

PREREQUISITES

Fundamentals of General Chemistry

TEACHING METHODS

The course is organized in lectures, supported by power point presentations and other training material available on www.aulaweb.unige.it/.

Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, shall reach out to the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department ( Prof. Luca Raiteri, Luca.Raiteri@unige.it ) before class begins, in order to liaise and arrange the specific learning methods and ensure proper achievement of the learning aims and outcomes. VERY IMPORTANT: any request for compensatory tools and adaptations in the exam MUST be done within 10 working days before the date of the exam according to the instructions that can be found at https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/comunicazioni

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

A. Methodology of analytical chemistry

Definition and purposes of analytical chemistry. Good laboratory practices. Th analytical laboratory. The main steps of the analytical process. Quantity and unit of measure. Description of the system.
Activity and concentration, ionic strength, and activity coefficients, Debye Hukel equation.
Chemical equilibrium, law of mass action, the equilibrium constants, calculation of the equilibrium constants, complete reactions, the reaction conditions, the solvent.
Chemical kinetics.
 

B. Statistical Bases

Random experiments, population sample. Absolute and relative frequency, random variables.
Statistical regularity, frequency distribution, probability distribution.
The central limit theorem.
Continuous variables. Frequency histogram, probability distribution for continuous variables. Location, dispersion and sample dispersion.
Standard normal distribution.
Distribution of media, Student distribution, distribution of Fisher.
The significance test.
Test on average of a single sample of N repetitions.
Test between the means of two different samples, N1 and N2.
Test on paired data. Test Dixon.
The calibration of an instrument-univariate regression.
Systematic and random errors. Accuracy and Precision.
LOD and LOQ.
Readability (Appreciation).

Introduction to multivariate analysis

C. Chemical reactions.

Acid-base reactions Brönsted. Solvents: properties and classification. The solvent water, protolisi reactions in water.
generic setting for balance: basic state, reactions and equations, mass and charge conditions.
Calculation of the equilibrium concentrations

monoprotic weak acid dissolved in water, neutralization curve with strong base
monoprotic strong acid dissolved in water, neutralization curve with strong base.
monophasic strong base dissolved in water, neutralization curve with strong acid.
monophasic weak base dissolved in water, neutralization curve with strong acid.
weak acid and strong base dissolved in water
weak acid and weak base dissolved in water
The buffer solutions: buffer capacity and the 'index of Van Slyke.
Complexation reactions: general, complexes with ligands unidentati, the chelating ligands.
precipitation reactions: general, dissolution, precipitation, concurrent reactions. Calculation of the equilibrium concentrations.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) Chimica Analitica, L. Sabbatini, C. Malitesta, P. Pastore

 Formato: copertina flessibile, Edizione: EdiSES (I/2025), N. Pagine: 820

ISBN: 9788836231942

2) M. Forina, "Introduzione alla Chimica Analitica", ECIG, Genova, 2003, ISBN: 88-7545-986-X.

3) D.A. Skoog, D.M. West, F.J. Holler, S.R. Crouch "Fondamenti di Chimica Analitica", EDISES, Napoli, 2005, ISBN: 8879593005

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a written test for admission to the oral test. The written test consists of 7 exercises and students have 120 minutes available. The oral test takes place in the presence of two professors, concerns the syllabus taught during the lectures and in general it takes about 30 minutes.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

During the course, the students have the opportunity to do an ongoing evaluation that consists in a written entirely equivalent to the written tests scheduled for the appeal sessions. Additional simulations of the oral test are performed.