Hong Kong Baptist University

Department of Chemistry
Final-year Project and Dissertation (2011-2012)

1 Each student is required to conduct some independent research work in the

final year of study. There are two possible ways to satisfy this Programme
requirement. Students who perform satisfactorily at the end of Year II (i.e.,
with a cumulative GPA  2.20) are required to take up a 3-unit project in their
final year of study. Students who are interested in taking up an additional
semester project in lieu of a 3-unit Major elective may apply to the
Department with endorsements from their project supervisors. The detailed
requirements for such project extension are given in Sect. 3.

Students who are considered likely to have difficulties in meeting the more
demanding research-based project requirements (i.e., cumulative GPA < 2.20
at the end of Year II) will be recommended to substitute the Project by a
3-unit Dissertation, which essentially consists of library (i.e. literature)
research rather than the more time-consuming experimental research work.

2 Project/Dissertation Selection
The selection of Projects and Dissertations will normally take place in the 2nd
semester of Year II. The route (Project vs. Dissertation) to be followed will
depend on the cumulative GPA at the end of the 2nd year of study,
summarized as follows:

cumGPA 3-unit 6-unit 3-unit

at end of Year II Project Project Dissertation

 2.2  
(optional#)
 2.2* 

Note:
* Students with cum GPA between 2.1 and 2.2 may apply for
doing a project but they have to convince the Department of
their ability to successfully complete the project without any
negative impact on their studies of other programme courses.
#
Students can take an additional semester of Project in lieu of
a 3-unit Major elective course subject to the approval by the
Department.

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3 Project Extension (6-unit Project)
Students who are interested in pursuing a chemistry-related career or
postgraduate studies in chemistry or related fields are encouraged to take an
additional semester of Project in order to acquire additional laboratory skills
and strengthen their research experience. To apply for such project
extension, students are required to submit a Progress Report of their project
work to their supervisors for consideration and endorsement. This progress
report should contain a summary of the experiments performed, significant
results obtained and the proposed future experiments. The approval of
project extension will be based on the supervisor’s comments and the
available resources.

Some major criteria for determining which project will be allowed to extend
to a 6-unit Year Project are:

The Objective of the Project

The original scope of the project can be broadened or deepened to furnish a

study for one year.

The Experimental Results Obtained

The experimental results obtained by the student had laid down a good
foundation for future work.

Complete Work of Investigation

The proposed future extension experiments would constitute a complete work

of investigation.

Continuous Assessment of the Student

With the recommendation of the supervisor, only a better than average

student with apparent ability for independent work would be considered for
possible extension of the Semester Project.

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4 Assessment of Final-year Project and Dissertation

4.1 Students are required to spend 6 to 9 hours each week on their projects.
The project performance of each student is evaluated according to the
following Assessment Scheme:
- Continuous performance (30%)
- Thesis (50%)
- Oral presentation (20%)

4.2 Interdisciplinary approaches in projects are encouraged, which may lead to

close collaborations between research groups. In such cases, each student
must engage in a clearly defined work schedule. Close interactions
between students and supervisors are always encouraged as team approach
is often found in industry and established research institutions. Examples
of likely collaborations include: (1) several students with different specific
project objectives but all using similar instrumentation, (2) students
involved in the synthesis of different compounds, or even classes of
compounds but utilizing similar synthetic methodology, (3) environmental
project students assisting one another in the field sampling process but
performing their own specific analyses, (4) students conducting
computation and modeling of different chemical systems but employing the
same mathematical techniques and/or computer software packages.

4.3 The normal scheduled meetings between project students and their
supervisors are expected to be about one hour per week. This is in the
form of individual or small group tutorials. In addition, monitoring of the
progress of all project students by their respective supervisors should be
done on a regular basis.

4.4 Schedule for Thesis/Dissertation Submission and Oral Presentation

a. Semester (3-unit) Project and Dissertation: Deadline for thesis or
dissertation submission is normally in mid-January while oral
presentation usually takes place in early January.
b. Year (6-unit) Project: Deadline for thesis submission is normally set at
one month prior to the Semester II final examinations. Oral
presentation usually takes place around the Easter holidays.

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 BSc Honours Degree Programme
Guidelines for Theses

1. Introduction on the Use of Thesis Guidelines

The purpose of writing a thesis is to report the essentials of an investigation in a
simple, direct and easily understood manner. The thesis as a whole will serve
as a permanent record of information. It also serves to enable the supervisors
and observers to evaluate the student’s ability in the presentation of findings.
With some modifications, these guidelines may also be used for the library
research-based Dissertations.
Two copies of the thesis and two separate copies of the abstract are to be
submitted by the students to the departmental office. The abstract will be
included in a bound volume after the oral examination.
Owing to the diversity of topics introduced in the Faculty of Science, the thesis
format is flexible. Suggested sub-headings are itemized below in Section 2.

2. Thesis Writing
All theses should be typed in black ink, paginated, and on A-4 white paper.
The page layout should use double-spacing, font size 12 and have one-inch
margins on all sides. The thesis should not exceed 50 pages, excluding the
appendices.

2.1 Thesis Title Page

See Sample Layout 3.1

2.2 Acknowledgement

This should include the contributions made from supervisor(s), appreciation

extended to supervisor(s), and parties who should receive recognition for their
part in the project. See Sample Layout 3.2.

2.3 Table of Contents (optional)

Major headings and titles of all the tables and figures should be listed.

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2.4 Abstract

An abstract should contain not more than 250 words on a separate page
summarizing the essentials of the research work, including the objectives,
methodology, results, discussions and conclusions. See Sample Layout 3.3.

2.5 Introduction

The introduction should state clearly the objectives and significance of the
project with reference to the past or ongoing work.

2.6 Main Text

Presentations may vary according to the topic. For experimental studies, the
methodology of pursuing the work should give a detailed account of the
instrumentation, measurement technique, reagents used, and computer
programmes where applicable. The formats of tables and figures should follow
Sample Layouts 3.4 and 3.5. If the study involves theoretical work, detailed
discussion (with illustrations if appropriate) leading to the final interpretations
and conclusions is essential. The student must clearly demonstrate to what
extent the objectives have been achieved.

2.7 Conclusion

This should include description of the objectives met and discussion of the
significance of the results obtained and their achievements. The student should
summarize the merits of the model or theory and the devised technique which
might be the theme of the investigation.

2.8 References

References should be listed at the end of the thesis. See Sample Layout 3.6 for
details.

2.9 Appendices (optional)

Not all theses need to have appendices. However, when there are materials
which are too technical or too detailed to be included in the main text and would
help some readers to understand the topic more thoroughly, the author can
accommodate them in an appendix section. These could be auxiliary tables,
figures, computer programmes, sample calculations etc., which are related to the
course of investigation. However, it must be stressed that the main text itself
should be self sufficient and readers should be able to follow the arguments
without frequent use of the appendices.

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3. Sample Layouts
The order and layouts of the title page, acknowledgement, abstract, tables,
figures and references should be prepared as shown in the examples:
3.1 Title page
3.2 Acknowledgement
3.3 Abstract
3.4 Tables
3.5 Figures
3.6 References

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3.1 Title page

PAH in the Environment

by

CHAN Tai Man

(Student number)

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of

Bachelor of Science (Honours)

in Chemistry

(Concentration in Environmental Studies)

at

Hong Kong Baptist University

Date

7
3.2 Acknowledgement

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Part of the work presented in this thesis was done in

collaboration with Drs. Y. Zhang and X. Hu at the School of
Molecular Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China, and
with Dr. G.A. Tanner (University of Tasmania, Australia). The
experiments described in Table 11 and Fig. 4 of Chapter 3, and
Table 2, Fig. 3, of Chapter 7 were done jointly with Drs. K.N.
Leung, and C.K.C. Wong, respectively. The experiment
described in Fig. 6 of Chapter 5 was performed by Prof. H.K.
Ma and his coworkers at the Department of Chemistry, The
University of Hong Kong. The nitro-PAH standards were a
gift from Dr. G.A. Tanner. All other experiments described in
this thesis were my own original work and were carried out by
myself under the supervision of Dr. Frank S.C. Lee.

______________________
Signature of Student

______________________
Student Name

Department of Chemistry
Hong Kong Baptist University

Date: ________________

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3.3 Abstract

SEPARATION AND DETERMINATION OF

COPPER AND NICKEL IN SEA WATER BY
REVERSE PHASE HIGH PERFORMANCE
LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

CHEUNG Tsz Wing

(Student number)

Department of Chemistry

ABSTRACT

The concentrations of copper and nickel in water and

seawater were determined simultaneously without
preconcentration as complexes of ethylenediamine salicylic
aldehyde H2enSal2. The metal complexes were separated by
50% aqueous methanol with a 30-cm -Bondapak C18 column
and determined by the UV absorbance detector at 254 nm. The
stability constants of Ni(enSal2) and Cu(enSal2) in 1:1 methanol
and seawater were evaluated under these conditions. The
stability constants KCuL and KNiL were found to be (3.4  0.8) x
5 4
10 M-1 and (2.1  0.2) x 10 M-1, respectively.

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3.4 Tables

Table 1. Operation Parameters of Atomic Absorption

Spectrophotometer for the Analysis of the Different
Metals in Plastic Bags

Wavelength Slit width Lamp

Element Current Flame
(nm) (nm) (mA)
Aluminium 309.3 0.5 10.0 N2O/C2H2
Chromium 357.9 0.2 7.0 N2O/C2H2
Lead 217.0 1.0 5.0 Air/C2H2
Nickel 232.0 0.2 5.0 Air/C2H2
Titanium 364.3 0.5 20.0 N2O/C2H2
Zinc 213.9 1.0 5.0 Air/C2H2

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3.5 Figures

Power spectral density

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00 100 200 300 400 500
Frequency (Hz)

Figure 1. Power spectral density

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3.6 References Style for Applied Chemistry Programme
The list of references should be in the order in which they appear in the text.
The following reference style should be used:

(a) journal article

Sharpless, K. B.; Akashi, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1975, 97, 5927-5928.

Gust, D.; Moore, T. A.; Moore, A. L. Acc. Chem. Res. 1993, 26, 198-205.

(b) book reference, the edition (if not the first), the publisher and the place
and date of publication should be given, followed by the page number.

Arndt, D. Manganese Compounds as Oxidizing Agents in Organic

Chemistry; Open Court Publishing: La Salle, IL, 1981.

Knox, J. H. In Oxidation of Organic Compounds; Gould, R. F., Ed.;

American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1968; Vol. II, pp 1-57.

4. Further Readings About Thesis Writing Guidelines

Please refer to the library for more detailed information concerning thesis
writing, e.g.

a. Campbell, W.G. Form & Style: Thesis, Reports & Term Papers, 6th ed.,
Houghton Mifflin, Boston (1982).

b. Lewins, F.W. Writing a Thesis: A Guide to its Nature & Organization,

The Australian National University, Canberra (1988).

c. Watson, G. Writing a Thesis: A Guide to Long Essays & Dissertations,

Longman, London (1987).

d. Van Wagenew, R.K. Writing a Thesis, Substance & Style, Prentice-Hall

(1991).

e. Willes, M.J. Writing a Thesis, API Press (1991).

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 Project Progress Report (and Extension)

Page

1. SAMPLE TITLE PAGE 14

2. SAMPLE ABSTRACT 15

3. SAMPLE PROGRESS REPORT 16

4. SAMPLE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF PROJECT 17

5. SAMPLE SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTS 18

6. SAMPLE PROGRAMME EXAMINATION

COMMITTEE’S COMMENTS 19

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1. Sample Title Page
(To be completed by students)

HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

SCIENCE FACULTY

Bachelor of Science (Honours)

in Chemistry

(Concentration in Environmental Studies)

SEMESTER PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

(Academic year)

by

CHEUNG Tsz Wing

(Student number)

Department of Chemistry

Date

14
2. Sample Abstract
(To be completed by students)

Student Name:
Student Number:

SEPARATION AND DETERMINATION OF COPPER AND

NICKEL IN SEA WATER BY REVERSE PHASE HIGH
PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

CHEUNG Tsz Wing

Department of Chemistry

ABSTRACT

The concentrations of copper and nickel in water and seawater

were determined simultaneously without preconcentration as
complexes of ethylenediamine salicylic aldehyde, H2enSal2. The
metal complexes were separated by 50% aqueous methanol with a
30-cm -Bondapak C18 column and determined by the UV
absorbance detector at 254 nm. The stability constants of
Ni(enSal2) and Cu(enSal2) in 1:1 methanol and seawater were
evaluated under these conditions. The stability constants KCuL
5
and KNiL were found to be (3.4  0.8) x 10 M-1 and (2.1  0.2) x
4
10 M-1, respectively.

15
3. Sample Progress Report
(To be completed by students)
Summarizing the work done, experiments performed and significant results
obtained.

Student Name:

Student Number:

PROGRESS REPORT

16
4. Sample Proposed Extension of Project
(To be completed by students)

Student Name:

Student Number:

PROPOSED EXTENSION OF PROJECT

Signature of Student

Date:

17
5. Sample Supervisor’s Comments
(To be completed by supervisor)

Student Name: __________________

SUPERVISOR’S COMMENT

1. Application for Extension of Semester Project into Year Project

 Accept
 Reject

2. Feasibility of the project to be widened:

3. Confidential statements regarding the student’s ability:

4. Indicate any special considerations which have led to the

recommendation of the Student:

Signature of Supervisor
Date:

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6. Sample Programme Examination Committee’s Comments
(To be completed by Programme Coordinator or Head of Department)

Student Name: __________________

PROGRAMME EXAMINATION COMMITTEE’S COMMENTS:

Application for Extension of Semester Project into Year Project

 Accept

 Reject

 Others, please specify

Signature of Programme Coordinator

or Head of Department

Date:

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