Chemical analysis of materials
Introduction
Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to separate, identify and quantify matter.[1] In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the complete analysis or be combined with another method. The separation isolates the analytes. Qualitative analysis identifies the analytes, while quantitative analysis "Quantitative analysis (chemistry)") determines the quantity or numerical concentration.
Analytical chemistry consists of classical chemical methods (wet analysis, flame analysis) and modern instrumental methods.[2] Classical qualitative methods use separations such as precipitation, extraction and distillation. Identification may be based on differences in color, odor, melting point, boiling point, radioactivity or reactivity. Classical quantitative analysis uses changes in mass or volume to quantify quantity. Instrumental methods can be used to separate samples using chromatography, electrophoresis, or field flow fractionation. Qualitative and quantitative analysis can then be performed, often with the same instrument and may use light interaction, heat interaction, electric fields, or magnetic fields. Often the same instrument can separate, identify and quantify an analyte.
Analytical chemistry also focuses on improvements in experimental design, chemometrics, and the creation of new measurement tools. Analytical chemistry has wide applications for forensics, medicine, science and engineering.
History
Analytical chemistry has been important since the early days of chemistry, as it provides methods for determining what elements and chemicals are present in the sample in question. During this period, significant contributions to analytical chemistry include the development of systematic elemental analysis by Justus von Liebig and systematized organic analysis based on the specific reactions of functional groups.
The first instrumental analysis was flame emission spectrometry developed by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff, who discovered rubidium (Rb) and cesium (Cs) in 1860.[3].
Most of the major developments in analytical chemistry took place after 1900. During this period, instrumental analysis becomes progressively dominant in the field. In particular, many of the basic spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques were discovered at the beginning of the century and refined at the end of the century.[4].