Università Roma Tre

The course covers the fundamentals of analytical chemistry, with particular reference to measurement errors, statistical data treatment with an introduction to multivariate analysis, significant figures, and calibration methods. It also introduces the main techniques for sampling, extraction, and purification of solid and liquid samples.
The concepts of equilibria in solution are then developed, including acid-base equilibria, weak acid-base systems with applications to titrations, buffer solutions, solubility equilibria, and complexometry.
Subsequently, separation methods are addressed with reference to the fundamental principles of chromatography, particularly HPLC and GC, as well as electrophoretic techniques.
Considerable attention is devoted to spectroscopic methods, including UV-Visible spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, and emission and absorption spectroscopic techniques.
The course also explores the application of UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for the analysis of different food matrices, such as beverages, oils, dairy products, and cereals, with the aim of quality control, authentication, and determination of chemical and elemental composition.
Laboratory activities are included, during which students perform analyses on real samples, acquire spectra using the techniques studied, process and interpret experimental data, and prepare a complete scientific report with a critical discussion of the results.

Slides of the teacher