MRI: Acquisition of High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Instrumentation to Support Research and Undergraduate Education in Southern Colorado

在主要研究仪器项目（MRI）和化学研究仪器项目（CRIF）的支持下，科罗拉多大学科罗拉多斯普林斯分校的Janel Owens教授将获得一台液相色谱仪，串联质谱仪（LCMS/MS）。一般来说，质谱（MS）是用于鉴定和表征嵌入在复杂基质中的少量化学物质的关键分析方法之一。在一个典型的实验中，这些成分流入质谱仪，在那里它们被电离成母离子和母离子的碎片离子，并测量它们的质量。以串联方式排列的腔室提供更高程度的分离。这种高度灵敏的技术可以检测和确定复杂混合物中的分子结构。带有液相色谱仪的仪器通过在混合物到达质谱仪之前将其分离来提供额外的结构识别能力。作为一所以本科生为主的大学，科罗拉多大学科罗拉多斯普林斯分校的教职员工将本科生的研究经历作为其研究活动最重要的成果之一。拟议的仪器将直接影响大量本科生在三年项目期间的研究经历，以及未来几年的研究经历。该仪器将由美国国家科学基金会资助的REU项目的参与者使用，并将参与绿色化学研究，也将由邻近的科罗拉多学院的学生使用。该奖项旨在加强各级的研究和教育，特别是在以下领域：(a)调查环境和食品样品中的四溴双酚a （TBBPA）及其衍生物；(b)对科罗拉多州疑似与毒品有关死亡的死后脑组织进行毒理学分析；(c)合成和评价用于治疗非洲人类锥虫病的新羟肟酸系列；(d)研究微波辅助合成氟化抗疟类似物；(e)研究和量化环境样品中的工程纳米材料。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professor Janel Owens from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will acquire a liquid chromatograph, tandem mass spectrometer (LCMS/MS). In general, mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical methods used to identify and characterize small quantities of chemical species embedded in complex matrices. In a typical experiment, the components flow into a mass spectrometer where they are ionized into the parent ion and its fragment ions and their masses are measured. The chambers aligned in a tandem mode provide a higher degree of separation. This highly sensitive technique allows detection and determination of the structure of molecules in a complex mixture. An instrument with a liquid chromatograph provides additional structural identification power by separating mixtures of compounds before they reach the mass spectrometer. As a primarily undergraduate institution, the faculty at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs embraces undergraduate research experiences as one of the most important outcomes of their research activities. The proposed instrument will directly impact the research experiences of a large number of undergraduate students within the three-year project period, and many more in years to come. The instrument will be used by participants in an NSF funded REU program and will be involved in green chemistry research and also by students at neighboring Colorado College.The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) investigating tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) and derivatives in environmental and food samples; (b) toxicological analysis of postmortem brain tissue in suspected drug-related deaths in Colorado; (c) synthesizing and evaluating a new hydroxamic acid series for the treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis; (d) investigating microwave-assisted synthesis of fluorinated antimalarial analogues; and (e) investigating and quantifying engineered nanomaterials in environmental samples.