MRI Track 1: Acquisition of a Photoionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (PI-TOFMS) to Advance Environmental Research in Water, Soil, and Air

该项目的研究人员将获得一种新的最先进的观测仪器，实时光电离飞行时间质谱仪（PI-TOFMS），它将能够对悬浮在空气中的有机材料组成的分子结构进行新的观察。项目团队将使用该仪器测量大气中的一系列化合物，这将减少与环境气溶胶、野火排放和环境中的微塑料有关的现有不确定性和数据缺口。这个仪器将补充沙漠研究所现有的和计划中的项目，并将支助至少两名本科生、四名研究生和一名博士后研究人员，并向他们提供研究培训。此外，该项目团队将进行STEM培训，将仪器和新的观察结果整合到学术课程和学生项目中，并向公众进行外展和数据传播。本项目拟获得的PI-TOFMS包括三种电离模式：单光子电离（SPI）模式、共振增强多光子电离（REMPI）模式和电子电离（EI）模式。该仪器可与多波长碳分析仪（MWCA）和快速气相色谱仪（Fast GC）集成，以实现更详细的物种分析。具体的研究目标包括加强对野火排放和环境中微塑料的观测研究能力，建立用于估算排放和空气和水质建模的源剖面库，为研究生和本科生开发新的教育机会，并吸引早期职业研究人员参与前沿研究。通过获得这台PI-TOFMS仪器，广泛的当前和未来项目将得到加强。该项目由大气化学（ATC）计划、刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）和主要研究仪器（MRI）计划共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

The investigators in this project will acquire a new state-of-the-art observational instrument, a real-time Photoionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (PI-TOFMS), which will enable new observations of the molecular structure of the composition of organic materials suspended in air. The project team will use this instrument to take measurements of a range of compounds in our atmosphere which will reduce existing uncertainties and data gaps pertaining to ambient aerosols, wildfire emissions, and microplastics in our environment. This instrument will supplement existing and planned projects at the Desert Research Institute and will support and provide research training to at least two undergraduate students, four graduate students, and one postdoctoral researcher. Additionally, this project team will conduct STEM training, integrate the instrument and new observations into academic courses and student projects, and conduct outreach and data dissemination to the public.This PI-TOFMS to be acquired in this project includes three ionization modes: a single photon ionization (SPI) mode, a resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) mode, and an electron ionization (EI) mode. The instrument can be integrated with a Multiwavelength Carbon Analyzer (MWCA) and a Fast Gas Chromatograph (fast GC) to achieve more detailed speciation. Specific research aims include strengthening research capabilities in the observation of wildfire emissions and microplastics in the environment, to establish source profile libraries for estimating emissions and air and water quality modeling, to develop new educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and to engage early career researchers in cutting-edge research. A wide range of current and future projects will be enhanced via the acquisition of this PI-TOFMS instrument.This project is jointly funded by the Atmospheric Chemistry (ATC) Program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program.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.