"Integration of GC-MS into the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum"

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This project is based on the need for a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) system for use in the improvement of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Theoretical discussions of mass spectrometry, as well as actual use of the instrument, can be incorporated into most of the lower level courses. The basic principles of mass spectrometry and its use in determining isotopic distributions of various elements can be introduced in the freshman-level General Chemistry course. Also in this course (taken by all pre-health-professions majors), the use of GC/MS in biomedical screening and in the detection of hazardous materials in water can be discussed and experiments conducted. In the Organic Chemistry course, GC/MS can be used to determine the composition of various natural products and to determine the identity of various halogenated hydrocarbons, as well as structural isomers of esters. The junior/senior-level Analytical Chemistry courses focus on theoretical aspects of the instrumentation and detailed analyses of fragmentation patterns. In Physical Chemistry, diffusion rates of liquids and gases are measured. The department is also in the process of developing a bachelor's degree program with an Environmental Chemistry emphasis. One of the components of this program is a course in which analyses of water and soil samples are conducted according to EPA guidelines. Thus, this project affects a wide range of students (including both chemistry and non-chemistry-majors), whose career fields make use of GC/MS technology. *