Reviving Retired Spectrometers: A Novel Educational Approach for Chemistry Students

Not all analytical laboratories are the same. Some are large, containing the most updated equipment, whereas some laboratories are much smaller and have limited resources. As a result, smaller laboratories are more susceptible to encountering difficulties in having the financial resources for the newest analytical equipment. As such, these laboratories are often forced to make do with the older equipment that they have, which will require them to conduct routine maintenance and updates on this existing equipment (1,2).

What compounds this issue is that new analytical equipment is expensive, so nonfunctional and unreliable equipment can hinder (or possibly even shut down) laboratory operations. This is an issue that Ken Overway from Bridgewater College is exploring. In a recent paper of his published in the Journal of Chemical Education, Overway shows how older optical spectrometers that have been decommissioned can be converted for the purpose of education (3). The result is that doing so can prolong the lifespan of this analytical equipment.

A spectrometer analyzing light wavelengths to identify chemical compositions, essential for detailed and accurate substance analysis with copy space. Generated by AI. | Image Credit: © JK_kyoto - stock.adobe.com

Optical spectrometers are designed to measure absorption of samples over different wavelength regions (4). They are commonly used for many spectroscopic techniques, such as near-infrared (NIR) and SWIR spectroscopy (4). Although not initially expensive, at least compared to new analytical instrumentation, repairing instruments can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process, leading them to be discarded or put in storage (3). Overway's approach is designed to convert these spectrometers to fulfill a new purpose, making them hands-on learning aids for students in instrumental analysis courses (3).

Overway’s laboratory experiment provided students an opportunity to explore the inner workings of optical spectrometers in ways not typically possible with operational equipment (3). By dissecting these instruments, students were able to learn practical insights into critical components of these spectrometers, such as photonic detectors, monochromators, light sources, and beam splitters (3).

Overway’s experiment is designed to help students understand the intricacies of optical spectrometers, which helps further educate the next generation in how to operate and work with such instruments. This initiative helps solve another concern in the spectroscopy community, where many new scientists have the knowledge but not the practical experience working with certain analytical instrumentation. By allowing students to physically interact with decommissioned instruments, they can understand the logical and functional interplay of components that underpin these tools (3).

For instance, in Overway’s experiment, students examined the beam-splitting chopper within a PerkinElmer Infracord spectrometer. This component, with its mirrored and transparent surfaces, illustrated how light paths are altered—a concept that can be challenging to grasp through textbook diagrams alone (3).

The experiment was strategically timed, following modules on absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Students first learned to identify spectrometer components in a less stressful laboratory setting before applying their knowledge in a formal examination (3). The idea was that this would allow students to understand the inner workings of the instruments much better.

Overway also highlighted the broader implications of this exercise for students' future careers. By understanding how spectrometers function at a fundamental level, students are better equipped to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain similar equipment in professional settings (3).

A small benefit to this experiment too is that it reinforces the idea of sustainability in science. Repurposing expensive but nonfunctional equipment minimizes waste while extending the value of the original investment (3).

The paper concludes with stating that this experiment is designed for smaller colleges and laboratories where financial resources are finite. Retired equipment can still offer educational value, as Overway demonstrated in his experiment, and his experiment was designed to be replicable across all institutions that may struggle with lack of funds (3).

References

1. Genemod, Pre-Analytical, Analytical, & Post-Analytical Phases of Lab Testing in 2024. Genemod.net. Available at: https://genemod.net/blog/pre-analytical-lab-testing-phase#:~:text=Human%20and%20instrumental%20errors%20may,instrumental%20malfunctions%20are%20more%20common. (accessed 2024-12-03).
2. MacNeil, J. D. Analytical Difficulties Facing Today's Regulatory Laboratories: Issues in Method Validation. Drug Test Anal. 2021, 4 (suppl. 1), 17–24. DOI: 10.1002/dta.1358
3. Overway, K. Turning Trash into Treasure: Using Old Optical Spectrometers as Learning Tools in Instrumental Analysis. J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101 (7), 2802–2805. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01300
4. Oxford Instruments, What is an Optical Spectrometer? Oxford Instruments. Available at: https://andor.oxinst.com/learning/view/article/what-is-an-optical-spectrometer (accessed 2024-12-03).