MRI: Acquisition of a High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) programs, the University of Hawaii will acquire an integrated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatograph (UHP-LC) and high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) with quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF). The system will be used to analyze the composition of materials obtained from various sources including samples obtained from chemical reactions, natural products and biological sources. The liquid chromatography system (LC) separates a mixture into its individual components. Mass Spectrometry (MS) then ionizes the components and determines their mass by measuring the mass to charge ratio (m/z) of the ions. The selected configuration will enable accurate mass determination, with the capability to resolve and characterize the components of complex mixtures. This is a widely used analytical tool to identify the composition of a mixture or material. The instrument will be used by students in their research, training them with sophisticated, modern instrumentation. Students in laboratory courses will be trained to use this tool preparing them for their advancement into graduate study and careers in chemistry and allied fields. The mass spectrometry system will be used in research including areas such as (a) synthesizing phosphaalkene-based ligands and the application of their corresponding transition metal complexes to problems in small molecule activation, homogeneous catalysis, and alternative energy processes; (b) pursuing total synthesis of natural products and the development of new bond-forming processes; (c) studying mechanisms of radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzymes that generate C-S bonds; (d) studying elastin protein; (e) developing technologies for membrane protein expression and crystallization; (f) developing total synthesis and synthesis of bioactive small molecules and (g) identifying small molecules in complex biological samples.