MRI: Acquisition of an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer for Quantitative Elemental Analysis of Natural and Engineered Materials

该奖项由主要研究仪器和化学研究仪器计划支持。位于尤金的俄勒冈州大学正在购买一台离子色谱仪，电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（IC-ICP-MS），以支持Shannon Boettcher教授及其同事Krista McGuire和Matthew Polizzotto。一般来说，质谱（MS）是用于识别和表征复杂基质中少量化学物质的关键分析方法之一。在一个典型的实验中，组分流入质谱仪，在那里它们被电离，并测量离子质量。这种高灵敏度的技术可以检测和确定复杂混合物中分子的结构。使用电感耦合等离子体的电离允许检测以非常小的浓度存在的金属离子和几种非金属。离子色谱仪组件允许从混合物中分离金属离子，从而改善各种组分的表征。此次收购加强了大学和地区的研究基础设施，因为该技术可供化学，生物化学，材料科学研究所，地球科学，生物科学和人类学科学等几个部门的学生，教师和研究人员使用。该团队正在设计一个研究项目，以培训新的博士生成为K-12学生的导师，通过向他们展示如何量化土壤和水源中的金属离子含量，以及通过仪器所在的俄勒冈州先进材料表征中心（CAMCOR）支持学术和工业合作伙伴关系的计划。质谱仪旨在加强各级的研究和教育。这是特别有用的，以确定物种的功能，作为电催化剂和含水层矿物复杂性和氧化还原反应性的研究。该仪器还用于调查含水层中砷和其他污染物的生物转化过程，以及有助于维持热带森林树木多样性和养分循环的植物-土壤-微生物协会。该仪器还可用于研究人员评估金属离子与核酸生物分子的相互作用以及精密工程纳米颗粒的制备。质谱仪有助于火山和热液矿物中微量元素的表征。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation programs. The University of Oregon at Eugene is acquiring an ion chromatograph, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (IC-ICP-MS) to support Professor Shannon Boettcher and colleagues Krista McGuire and Matthew Polizzotto. In general, mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical methods used to identify and characterize small quantities of chemical species in complex matrices. In a typical experiment, the components flow into a mass spectrometer where they are ionized, and the ion masses are measured. This highly sensitive technique allows detection and determination of the structure of molecules in a complex mixture. The ionization using the inductively coupled plasma allows detection of metal ions and several non-metals present in very small concentrations. The ion chromatograph component allows separation of metal ions from mixtures, thus improving the characterization of the various components. The acquisition strengthens the research infrastructure at the university and regional area since this technology is accessible to students, faculty and researchers throughout several departments such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Science Institute, Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences and Anthropological Sciences. The team is designing a research program to train new PhD students to be mentors to K-12 students, by showing them how to quantify metal ion content in soil and water sources and a plan to support academic and industrial partnerships through the facility denominated Center for Advanced Material Characterization at Oregon (CAMCOR) where the instrument is located.The award of the IC-ICP-mass spectrometer is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. It is especially useful to determine species that function as electrocatalysts and for the study of aquifer mineral complexity and redox reactivity. The instrumentation is also used to investigate processes underlying biotransformation of arsenic and other contaminants in aquifers as well as plant-soil-microbial associations contributing to maintenance of tree diversity and nutrient cycling in tropical forests. The instrument also serves researchers assessing interactions of metal ions with nucleic-acid biomolecules and the preparation of precision-engineered nanoparticles. The mass spectrometer aids characterization of trace elements in volcanic and hydrothermal minerals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.