The University of Leicester and the East Midlands Region are
leading a national programme aimed at providing schools and colleges
with hands-on access to state of the art scientific instrumentation in
the study of chemistry.
This project has recently attracted the attention of Sigma-Aldrich, a major
international chemical company, who have agreed to become partners in
the project by pledging to supply a range of ancillary small equipment
and any chemicals needed to ensure the success of this exciting
programme.
As part of the HEFCE-funded project, Chemistry for our Future,
a range of instrumentation costing in excess of £80,000 has
recently been purchased exclusively for schools outreach events. This
instrumentation includes infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), time-of-flight
mass spectrometry (TOF) and UV-Visible spectroscopy and, to complement
this, a number of exciting hands-on experiments have been developed.
The main plank of Spectroscopy in a Suitcase is sending trained
postgraduate students into schools and colleges with portable
instrumentation and tailored hands-on experiments designed to enrich
the GCSE and AS/A2 curricula. These key instrumental techniques are
being demonstrated through activities based around engaging and
relevant themes that include atmospheric monitoring, flavours and
fragrances, forensic analysis and medicinal chemistry quality control.
Importantly these visits complement schools spectroscopy days
widely held within the universities themselves.
Sigma-Aldrich initially expressed interest in the project
after a presentation given by Professor Paul Cullis at the RSC Chemical
Education Group Meeting at the Salter’s Institute in February
this year. Cari Davies for Sigma-Aldrich said: “The Company
is delighted to have the opportunity to support the training and
education of the next generation of UK chemists and is very keen to
participate in these inspiring outreach activities. Spectroscopy is an
exciting way to engage students in the subject and we are pleased to be
able to provide equipment and chemicals to help in the
delivery”.
Amongst other things, Sigma-Aldrich have so far supplied
samples of key components of flavours and fragrances to be analysed by
mass spectrometry, precision optical cells and automatic pipettes for
analytical chemistry activities based around UV/Visible spectroscopy as
well as NMR tubes and solvents to help with spectroscopy days
throughout the six regions involved in the Chemistry for our Future
Project, benefiting a total of 34 universities.
Tracy McGhie, who got the project on the road in the early
summer, commented: “Teachers in the East Midlands region are
very keen to make use of this equipment and see this as a fantastic way
to inspire students and for them to have hands-on experience of modern
analytical instrumentation.”