Chemical Analysis Facility

Elemental Microanalysis

The Elemental Microanalysis Service provides a CHN and CHNS elemental analysis service for the wider research community within Australia as well as for the research needs of the Faculty of Science. CHN and CHNS analysis provides a quick and inexpensive method to find sample purity, and when used in conjunction with mass spectroscopy and NMR data can be used to characterise a compound.

NMR Analysis

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is a powerful, non-destructive analytical tool for obtaining information about the atomic composition of solutions. The Macquarie University NMR facility is able to analyse the chemical structure of organic molecules and biomolecules in solution, quantify mixtures, and perform kinetics analysis. Please refer to NMR facility website for more information, or contact Nima Sayyadi with any enquiries.

Thermal Analysis & Testing (DSC/TGA)

Thermal analysis measures physical or chemical changes in a material as a function of temperature. Two common, complimentary, techniques of thermal analysis offered by the Thermal Analysis Service are Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). DSC provides information about physical and chemical changes that involve endothermic and exothermic processes, or changes in heat capacity, and is useful in materials testing (e.g. proteins, foods, plastics, pharmaceuticals etc.). TGA is a technique for measuring changes in mass as function of temperature and is primarily used to determine the composition of substances.

Chromatography (GC/LC/GCxGC)

Chromatography is the collective term for a family of analytical techniques where a mixture is separated into its individual components. The mixture, dissolved in a 'mobile phase', is passed through a stationary phase, where the individual components of the mixture are separated. Once separated, the components of interest may be further identified and quantitated. The following chromatographic analytical techniques and expertise are provided by the Chemcial Analysis Facility:

• Gas Chromatography
• High Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Thin Layer Chromatography

Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS,GC-MS/MS,LC-MS)

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules. The combination of Mass Spectrometry with chromatographic techniques provide a powerful tool for the separation, quantitation and identification of the components of mixtures.

Spectroscopic Analysis (AAS/FTIR/UV-Vis)

Spectroscopic Analysis is a useful form of analysis providing both qualitative and quantitative information. The specificity of spectroscopic analysis allows compounds to be distinguished from one another in a mixture, making spectroscopy useful in wide variety of applications from characterising paint chips to measuring trace metals in water.

General/Wet Chemistry Analysis & Testing

The Chemical Analysis Facility also offers most common forms of routine analysis. e.g. Karl Fischer (KF) for water content, density/specific gravity of liquids, pH (acidity, alkalinity), testing of water sources, for items like nitrate, sulfate, cyanide etc. Wet chemistry is a term used to refer to chemistry generally done in the liquid phase. It is also known as bench chemistry because many of the tests performed are done at a lab bench.