An Oily Endeavor: Teaching Excitation–Emission Matrix Using the Fluorescence Fingerprints of Olive Oils

Abstract

Knowledge related to photochemistry has been gradually introduced as a part of chemistry courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, due to their complex conceptual principles, limited class time, and tedious experimental setup and methodologies, students tend to encounter difficulties in understanding the concepts and comprehending the applications of fluorescence in their daily lives. Hence, developing effective multidisciplinary approaches to help students understand such intricate and complicated concepts remains a focus for most chemistry educators. In this study, we demonstrated the introduction of the excitation–emission matrix and how it can be used to monitor the effect of thermal treatment on different olive oils via the fluorescence fingerprinting method. The heating effect on the fluorescent properties of three olive oils, including extra virgin olive oil, refined olive oil, and blended olive oil, was discussed in a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates mathematical analyses. A speed-reading-based informative questionnaire survey was also conducted on students to investigate whether this method was effective in aiding students to better understand the physical significance of the excitation–emission matrix and its relevance to their daily lives. The acceptability and extensibility of this method were further evaluated by the student’s performance in this survey.