Our instruments and facilities include a 400-MHz NMR, ICP-OES, Fluorimeters, Potentiostats, GCMS, LCMS, HPLC, UV-Vis, ITC, Combiflash, Microplate Readers, dedicated lab for isotopic labeling of DNA, RNA, and proteins, Microwave Reactors, Raman & FTIR spectrometers in addition to an ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser as part of a state-of-the-art laser lab.
Our multi-nuclear Varian 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer is used heavily in our organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry courses and in many senior research projects. It is used in the characterization and determination of the molecular structure of organic compounds and inorganic complexes in undergraduate labs, and faculty and student research projects.
We have recently acquired a Varian gas chromatograph – mass spectrometer (GC/MS) with an auto-injecting carousel to supplement the use of our Agilent GC/MS. The gas chromatograph (GC) is an instrument for the separation of minute quantities of volatile compounds. The vaporized material thus separated can be detected as it exits the GC by a variety of methods. Our instruments have thermal conductivity and flame ionization detectors as well as the most useful of detectors, the mass spectrometer (MS). The MS will identify each component of a mixture by its mass fragmentation pattern. Both of these instruments are used in organic lab, advanced courses, along with student and faculty research.
Our Varian liquid chromatograph – mass spectrometer (LC/MS) is another efficient instrument for separating and identifying compounds. The liquid chromatograph can be utilized in the separation of small quantities of many types of organic, inorganic, and bio-molecules. Once separated, they pass through a Varian 500 mass spectrometer (MS) to identify each component by its mass fragmentation pattern. The Varian MS, can also be used separately to identify compounds through direct infusion.
The chemistry program has two Thermo-Nicolet Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometers. These both have SMART accessories including an ATR assembly that allows for quick and simple running of IR spectra. The IR spectrophotometers are used in the undergraduate labs and research projects in order to identify compounds or to determine the percentage of a compound present in a mixture.
The department has several UV/Vis spectrophotometers that are used to identify and characterize compounds. We have single beam, double beam and multiple channel spectrophotometers that are amenable for solving different problems. The department has recently acquired a Cary 100 double beam UV/Vis spectrophotometer with magnetic stirring and a Peltier temperature control device suitable for carrying out melting and kinetic studies. These instruments find heavy use in most of our lab classes and research projects.
Our inert atmosphere glovebox allows reactions to be performed with reagents that are sensitive to air and water. Having O2 and H2O concentrations < 1 ppm, and both negative and positive pressure operation modes, this glovebox enables the synthesis of sophisticated materials for use in pharmaceuticals and electronics such as photovoltaics and OLEDs.
The Polarograph is commonly used to identify and measure the concentration of inorganic ions in solution. It is used in analytical labs and research projects.
Bard College, in collaboration with Vassar College, have at its disposal a state-of-the-art X-Ray diffractometer. This instrument is used in the determination of the molecular structure of organic, inorganic, and polymeric species. The instrument is equipped with a MonoCap X-ray waveguide that increases the collimated X-ray intensity by a factor of 2.5, an APEX II charge-couple device (CCD) detector with ten-fold better sensitivity than first generation CCD’s, and an Oxford liquid nitrogen cryostream. These features make the instrument useful for a large variety of samples, including tiny, weakly diffracting and air-sensitive materials. The instrument is installed at Vassar and Bard students have access to it for research and education purposes.