Practical Skill Sets for Undergraduate Chemists

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Practical

Practical

Practical

• Identifying & assembling glassware
• What equipment is e.g. what a Hirsh Funnel looks like
• What kind of containers to use
• Location of laboratory apparatus
• All basic laboratory skills e.g. recrystallisation
• Making and measuring solutions accurately
• Instrumentation
• Using Vernier scales
• Data-handling and taking observations in a coherent fashion
• Cleanliness of glassware
• Basic synthetic skills
• IR
• TLC

• Distillation
• Dry preparations, reagents-handling
• Handling BuLi
• Small scale synthesis/precious metal handling
• Solid state synthesis
• Gas handling
• Vacuum/inert atmosphere techniques
• Choosing an appropriate technique to address a problem
• Anticipating results - performing / designing experiments accordingly
• Prediction of outcomes as part of experiment planning
• Developing robust experimental protocols
• Understanding the importance of control experiments
• Standard manipulations under inert atmosphere including filtration
• Use of IR to follow a reaction
• Chromatography and HPLC

• Use of low temperatures
• Demanding small scale synthesis (10-20mg)
• Solid state synthesis
• Gas handling
• Standard manipulations under inert atmosphere including filtration
• Advanced vacuum/inert atmosphere techniques
• Choosing an appropriate technique to address a problem in a complex situation
• Anticipating results and performing and/or designing experiments accordingly
• Designing a series of experiments to test a hypothesis
• Use of IR to follow a reaction

Safety

Safety

Safety

• Following instructions
• Risk awareness and working in a safe manner
• Minimising danger to themselves and those around them

• Basic knowledge of risk assessment - how to minimise risk
• Being aware of COSHH

• Filling in own COSHH form

Measurements

Measurements

Measurements / Data

• Following detailed instructions - acceptable experimental data
• Recording accurate, reproducible data
• Understanding the importance of testing/calibrating apparatus
• Keeping accurate, detailed laboratory notebooks
• Using software to record data

• Recording accurate, reproducible data
• Understanding the importance of testing and calibrating apparatus
• Understanding how Signal to Noise can be improved
• Keeping accurate, detailed labbooks
• Using software to record data

• Diagnosing problems with malfunctioning apparatus
• Appreciating the strengths and weaknesses associated with “black box” instruments
• Understanding how Signal to Noise can be improved

Data

Data

Writing

• Following instructions to analyse data
• Demonstrate whether a set of data agrees with a given theory
• Introduction to using spreadsheets to analyse data

• Confidence in using spreadsheets to analyse data
• Demonstrate whether a set of data agrees with a given theory
• Drawing inferences from data sets
• Identifying sources of error in a procedure
• Propagating errors

• Advanced use of Crossfire/Web of Science
• Chemical Abstracts Keeping accurate, detailed lab-books

Writing

Writing

Transferable Skills

• Presenting data in tabulated and graphical format
• Writing figure legends
• Report writing
• Presenting detailed reports

• Use of Crossfire/Web of Science
• Use of Chemical Abstracts
• Use of Aldrich Catalogue
• Writing an abstract
• Giving complete and appropriate references
• Presenting detailed reports for short experiments/ extended projects

• Presenting experimental results orally
• Preparing a research poster
• Participating in group exercises
• Teamwork