2024 Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Undergraduate major in Chemical Science and Engineering
Polymer Characterization
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Chemical Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Masatoshi Tokita / Hidemine Furuya / Shoichi Kubo
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CAP.Y306
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course covers important basic knowledge, measurement methods, principles of apparatuses, and detailed analysis methods of infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and molecular weights for the characterization of polymer compounds. The instructor assigns exercise problems for the analysis of various measurements, and students develop the ability to apply it when actually performing the experimental measurements.
Characterization is essential when synthesizing organic materials, including polymeric compounds, and examining their structure and physical properties. Students will acquire the ability to apply various measurements and analyze the obtained measured results for the determination of molecular structures and assembled structures for polymers. Students will gain an understanding of how the characteristic properties of polymers appear in various measurements.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to
1) Understand Infrared spectroscopy, and interpret the spectrum.
2) Understand the basics of methods for analyzing molecular weights.
3) Explain the basis of thermal anaysis and X-ray diffraction, and understand measurement results.
4) Explain the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and analyze the spectrum.
Keywords
Spectroscopic Analysis, Spectrum, Infrared Spectroscopy, Thermal Analysis, X-ray Diffraction, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Molecular Weight Analysis
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
In each class, the instructor explains basic knowledge. In each class, students are given exercise problems related to what is taught on that day in order to ensure understanding of the course content and develop their ability to solve problems.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Thermal Analysis and Polarized Optical Microscopy of Polymers (Masatoshi Tokita) | Explain what thermal analysis and give some examples applied to polymer materials. Explain differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of polymer materials based on the measurement principle. Get to know the relationships between polarized optical microscopy and polymer orientation and crystalline structures. |
| Class 2 | X-ray diffraction (XRD): What we learn by deriving the diffraction condition (Masatoshi Tokita) | Derive the Bragg’s equation (diffraction condition) from the interference of rays scattered by atoms in a crystal. Explain the relationships between polymer crystal structure and the location, width, and intensity of diffraction. |
| Class 3 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Overview and Principle, Chemical Shift, and Spin Coupling. (Hidemine Furuya) | Explain measurement principles and methods, apparatuses, chemical shift, and spin coupling. |
| Class 4 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Spectral Analysis. (Hidemine Furuya) | Explain spectral analysis and solve exercise problems. |
| Class 5 | Molecular Weight Analysis: Size Exclusion Chromatography and other methods. (Shoichi Kubo) | Explain measurement principles and methods. |
| Class 6 | Fundamentals of Spectroscopy, UV/Visible Absorption and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. (Shoichi Kubo) | Explain fundamentals of spectroscopic analyses and UV/visible absorption/fluorescence spectroscopy |
| Class 7 | Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy. (Shoichi Kubo) | Explain fundamentals of infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Ogawa, Keiichiro. Kanbara, Kazuhisa. Murada, Shigeru. Spectral Analysis of Organic Compounds to Learn the Basics, Tokyo Kagaku Doujin, ISBN978-4-8079-0685-7 (in Japanese), and materials are provided during class.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Chihara, Hideaki. Nakamura, Norio. Trans. P. Atkins, J. de Pauls, Physical Chemistry, Eight Ed. Tokyo Kagaku Doujin, ISBN978-4-8079-0696-3 (in Japanese)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' knowledge for fundamentals of various spectroscopies and analytical methods will be assessed.
Assignments 80%, Attendance & Quizzes 20%.
Related courses
- CAP.Y204： Polymer Physics I (Polymer Solutions)
- CAP.Y205 ： Polymer Physics II (Solid Structures)
- CAP.Y304 ： Polymer Physical Properties
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in courses related to quantum chemistry, physical chemistry, and polymer science (structures and physical properties) is desirable.