Introduction of Research-Based Instructional Laboratories Using GC-MS

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This project supports the purchase of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) system, including both headspace equipment and an automatic sampler. This instrument is an integral part of new research-based experiments in general chemistry, chemical analysis, organic chemistry, and instrumentation and in undergraduate research. Chemical educators recognize the value of introducing students to research early in their careers, as it increases their interest and enthusiasm; however, few have implemented such experiments in the general chemistry laboratory. This project develops new research-based environmental experiments that can be introduced into the general chemistry and analytical chemistry curricula and serve to support the newly formed environmental science and studies concentrations. These experiments introduce students to the applicability of GC/MS to environmental study, particularly in the analysis of organics in natural water samples. This project further illustrates the usefulness of this technique by incorporating it into laboratory experiments that emphasize its importance in the bioanalytical (drug analysis, peptide structure) and organic fields. The GC/MS system has the capability to perform the analysis of volatile organic contaminants of water (headspace equipment), mass spectral library searches, single ion monitoring, and deconvolution (difference spectra) of overlapping peaks, and is able to facilitate the timely analysis of many samples (automatic sampler). This instrumentation can have a broad impact on science (chemistry, biology, and geology) majors and non-science-majors and especially on those students interested in environmental science.