Colorful chemistry: The spectroscopic analysis of autumn leaves

CHED 284

Kathleen S. Donaldson, XC_runner2429@yahoo.com and Susan M. Yochum. Division of Natural and Health Sciences, Chemistry Program, Seton Hill University, 1 Seton Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601
This poster will feature the spectroscopic analysis of leaf pigments from various colored leaves including green, red, and yellow. The pigments were extracted from autumn leaves of different tree species found in the Western Pennsylvania region. The overall objective of the research was to determine a method for analyzing the various pigments using infrared spectroscopy. The project will be developed into an instructional laboratory dealing with infrared sample preparations such as KBr pellets, HATR, and analysis including spectral subtraction.