MRI: Acquisition of a Gas Chromatograph with Dual Detection Capabilities to be Used in Sustainable Energy Research

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) programs, the University of Kentucky acquires a gas chromatograph with dual detection capabilities: a flame ionization detector and a mass spectrometer. The system is used to separate and analyze the composition of mixtures of substances obtained from various sources including samples obtained from chemical reactions, energy-related research and batteries used for energy storage. Using this instrument, the samples are heated and then the gases are allowed to pass through columns filled with substances that interact to various degrees with the sample components and thus the components move at different speeds through the columns. This allows separation of the components. These species are analyzed using a flame ionization detector after the gases are burned to produce ions. The ions are then attracted by a polarizing electrical voltage. The current is sensed by an electrometer. In a mass spectrometer, the components are ionized and the spectrometer determines their mass by measuring the mass to charge ratio (m/z) of the ions. These are a widely used analytical tools to determine the composition of a mixture or material. Students are trained to use this instrumentation in their research, preparing them for their later careers in energy-related fields.The instrument is used in research especially in areas such as: (a) upgrading of algal biomass to hydrocarbon fuels via catalytic hydrodeoxygenation; (b) studying the conversion of fatty acids and their derivatives to hydrocarbon fuels via decarboxylation / decarbonylation; (c) studying lignin oxidative deconstruction for the production of liquid fuels; (d) approaching nucleophilic deconstruction of lignin for the production of fuels and chemicals; (e) studying genetic engineering of algal oil synthetic biopaths into hosts capable of large-scale production; (f) evaluating different microalgae strains for the production of fuels from lignocellulosic biomass; and (g) developing battery electrolytes for high energy lithium-ion system.