Chiral Magic-Number Clusters & Non-Covalent Complexes Studied by Electrospray Ionization & Ion Soft Landing

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Professor R. Graham Cooks of Purdue University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to use the soft ionization capabilities of electrosonic spray ionization to generate molecular clusters probed by mass spectrometry. Reactions of these clusters will be carried out at atmospheric pressure prior to introduction of the products into a mass analyzer. Clusters and products are 'soft landed' onto surfaces (liquids and solids) after mass selection and detected using infrared laser desorption. The work focuses on the homochiral clusters of the amino acid serine discovered in the PI's laboratory, and on issues of chiral amplification and transfer of chirality to other species through enantioselective chemical reactions. Noncovalent bonding is an important topic in understanding interactions between biologically active molecules, as well as in many other areas including colloid chemistry and sensors. Thus, in addition to providing excellent student education, the PI continues to develop mass spectrometry ultimately for biology and security applications, for example.