Integrated Instrumental Analysis Teaching Platform with Smartphone-Operated Fluorometer

The present work describes an Integrated Teaching Tool (ITT) to facilitate the learning process in analytical chemistry. The first instrument integrated in the platform to demonstrate the concept is a wireless, portable fluorometer, produced by 3D printing. The low-cost instrument features a Teensy 3.1 board as the microcontroller, a high-power UV-LED, a secondary filter, a photodiode, and simple auxiliary electronic circuits. Modules of the ITT app were designed to manage the instrument and perform data acquisition remotely from any Android smartphone via Bluetooth, plot and transmit the results. Supporting the educational purpose of the platform, basic concepts about fluorescence as well as technical information about the instrument are also provided in the app, as an additional module, and instructors can assist and evaluate students through push notifications.