Purchase of a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Mass Spectometer

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This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program will assist the Department of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University to acquire a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer. This equipment will enhance research which includes (1) polymer characterization; (2) design, synthesis and characterization of solid state organic materials with novel electrical, magnetic and optical properties; (3) biocatalytic synthesis of specialty polymers; and (4)characterization of peptide nucleic acid oligomers. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to probe intimate structural details and to obtain the molecular compositions of a vast array of organic, bioorganic, and organometallic molecules. The addition of the technique of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) extends the range of MS to non-volatile molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. It affords the chemist one of the most powerful tools available for the characterization of compounds. The acquisition of this capability in mass spectrometry is essential for conducting frontier research in many fields of chemistry.