Teaching UV Vis Spectroscopy with a 3D-Printable Smartphone Spectrophotometer

Visible absorbance spectroscopy is a widely used tool in chemical, biochemical, and medical laboratories. The theory and methods of absorbance spectroscopy are typically introduced in upper division undergraduate chemistry courses, but could be introduced earlier with the right curriculum and instrumentation. A major challenge in teaching spectroscopy is gaining access to laboratory equipment, which can be expensive. Even common educational spectrophotometers still carry a substantial cost and have the disadvantage of being inherently closed designs. We report on a 3D-printable smartphone spectrophotometer that is very inexpensive to build, yet retains the functionality and analytical accuracy necessary to teach concepts like the Beer Lambert Law. The optical components are arranged in an intuitive, accessible way so that students can see each relevant part and experiment with the parameters. Here, we describe the device and provide exercises to teach different concepts in analytical spectrophotometry.