4
1 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
(g) it considers quality, in a direct manner (referred to the information produced) and an indirect one (referred to tools and processes), as a strategic
target with a view to achieving the external quality required to solve scientific, technical, economic and social problems.
(h) it defines the nature of the tools, information, analytes and materials
(systems) involved, a frequent source of confusion in need of further specification.
As can be seen from Fig. 1.2 b, Analytical Chemistry uses a wide array of tools
including, but not limited to, the following types:
• Chemical: reagents, chemical reactions.
• Biochemical: immobilized enzymes, immunoassay reagents.
• Physical: laser sources, apparatuses, instruments, balances.
• Mathematical: statistical treatment of primary data.
• Computers: software for data acquisition and processing.
• Biological: animal and plant tissues for building sensors.
• Engineering: large-scale processes adapted for micro scale implementation
(e.g. supercritical fluid extraction, freeze drying).
On the other hand, the information produced by analytical chemical processes
can be of the following types:
• Chemical: the presence or concentration of inorganic or organic species; the
structure of a material; changes in the properties of the material surface (e. g.
by effect of corrosion).
• Biochemical: the presence, concentration or activity of biochemical species
such as enzymes or nucleic acids.
• Biological: the presence or concentration of microbes or allergens.
In fact, biological information does not strictly belong in the analytical chemical domain (analyte species are not molecules or ions but biological entities);
there is, however, a growing trend to expanding the boundaries of Analytical
Chemistry into the microbiological and allergological fields as a result of
chemists being more experienced in measurements than are biologists and of
the fact that characterizing a system (e.g. drinking water, the atmosphere)
entails extracting integral information from it.
Box 1.1
Nature of some elements included in the definition of Analytical Chemistry
Chemical
Biochemical
Physical
Mathematical
Biological
Tools
x
x
x
x
x
Information
x
x
(xl
Analytes
x
x
(xl
Objects
x
x
x
1 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
(g) it considers quality, in a direct manner (referred to the information produced) and an indirect one (referred to tools and processes), as a strategic
target with a view to achieving the external quality required to solve scientific, technical, economic and social problems.
(h) it defines the nature of the tools, information, analytes and materials
(systems) involved, a frequent source of confusion in need of further specification.
As can be seen from Fig. 1.2 b, Analytical Chemistry uses a wide array of tools
including, but not limited to, the following types:
• Chemical: reagents, chemical reactions.
• Biochemical: immobilized enzymes, immunoassay reagents.
• Physical: laser sources, apparatuses, instruments, balances.
• Mathematical: statistical treatment of primary data.
• Computers: software for data acquisition and processing.
• Biological: animal and plant tissues for building sensors.
• Engineering: large-scale processes adapted for micro scale implementation
(e.g. supercritical fluid extraction, freeze drying).
On the other hand, the information produced by analytical chemical processes
can be of the following types:
• Chemical: the presence or concentration of inorganic or organic species; the
structure of a material; changes in the properties of the material surface (e. g.
by effect of corrosion).
• Biochemical: the presence, concentration or activity of biochemical species
such as enzymes or nucleic acids.
• Biological: the presence or concentration of microbes or allergens.
In fact, biological information does not strictly belong in the analytical chemical domain (analyte species are not molecules or ions but biological entities);
there is, however, a growing trend to expanding the boundaries of Analytical
Chemistry into the microbiological and allergological fields as a result of
chemists being more experienced in measurements than are biologists and of
the fact that characterizing a system (e.g. drinking water, the atmosphere)
entails extracting integral information from it.
Box 1.1
Nature of some elements included in the definition of Analytical Chemistry
Chemical
Biochemical
Physical
Mathematical
Biological
Tools
x
x
x
x
x
Information
x
x
(xl
Analytes
x
x
(xl
Objects
x
x
x