ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY WITH LABORATORY

The course aims to provide students with fundamental concepts on solution equilibria as well as with the theoretical and practical tools for quantitative analysis in laboratory.

The purpose of the course is to give a global vision of the analytical process, from the selection of the method of analysis to data processing and critical discussion of the results through the application of the principles ruling chemical equilibria in solution and the use of a variety of classical and instrumental analytical techniques.

Gibbs free energy, chemical potential, activity. Equilibrium constants. Ionic strength. Debye-Huckel theory, activity coefficients. Factors affecting the equilibrium constant. Temperature dependence. K_T and Kst.

Acid-base theories. The ionic product of water. pH. Strength of acids and bases. Strong acids and bases: pH calculation. Solving solution equilibria problems. Mass and charge balance equations, proton condition. Weak acids and bases: degree of dissociation, pH calculation. Buffer solutions: pH calculation and buffer capacity. Polyprotic acids. Distribution diagrams. Amphoteric species. Acid-base titrations.

Solubility equilibria. Solubility product. Dependence on temperature and ionic strength. Effect of the common-ion, pH and complex formation on the solubility.

Complex formation equilibria. Species distribution and competition with the proton. EDTA, conditional formation constants, minimum pH for effective titrations. Complexometric titrations.

Laboratory. Calibration of volumetric glassware. Analytical balance. Volumetric analysis. Acid-base titrations. Standard solutions, acid-base indicators. Potentiometric titrations. Galvanic cells, reference and work electrodes, glass electrode, calibration of a glass electrode, determination of the end-point of a titration. Complexometric titrations. Metallochromic indicators. EDTA titrations and determination of copper(II). Precipitation titrations. Determination of chloride ions through the Mohr and Fajans methods. Spectrophotometric determination of iron(II).

1. H. Freiser, Q. Fernando, “Gli Equilibri Ionici nella Chimica Analitica", Piccin Editore, Padova
2. Daniel C. Harris, “Chimica Analitica Quantitativa”, Zanichelli Editore, Bologna
3. I. M. Kolthoff, E. B. Sandell, E. J. Meehan, S. Bruckenstein, “Analisi Chimica Quantitativa”, Piccin Editore, Padova