An Oil Spill in a Tube: An Accessible Approach for Teaching Environmental NMR Spectroscopy

• André J. Simpson ^[1] ; Perry J. Mitchell ^[1] ; Hussain Masoom ^[1] ; Yalda Liaghati Mobarhan ^[1] ; Antonio Adamo ^[1] ; Andrew P. Dicks ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Toronto

     University of Toronto

     Canadá

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 92, Nº 4, 2015, págs. 693-697
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • NMR spectroscopy has great potential as an instrumental method for environmental chemistry research and monitoring but may be underused in teaching laboratories because of its complexity and the level of expertise required in operating the instrument and interpreting data. This laboratory experiment introduces environmental NMR spectroscopy to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in a simple and accessible manner. Students investigate the partitioning of crude oil components into water under various environmental conditions; assess the effects of agitation and dispersants on dissolution; and identify benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene components through standard addition. Furthermore, electronic referencing is introduced as an effective method for quantification in complex unaltered samples.