Introduction of GC and GC-MS into First and Second Year Chemistry Courses

本项目的目的是将气相色谱和气相色谱-质谱学结合到课程的前两年。在第一学期的普通化学课程中，通过一系列的三个实验向学生介绍色谱和质谱学。这组实验中的最后一项实验涉及从当地湖泊、溪流和河流中收集、提取和分析除草剂的样本。在一门新的跨学科环境分析课程中，学生们使用气相色谱来测量不同类型土壤的甲烷产量，并将结果纳入一个简单的全球气候变化模型。有机化学专业的学生广泛使用气相色谱来评估反应产物的纯度，并使用GC-MS来确定产物和副产物的特性。分析化学专业的学生利用氚内标法和选择离子监测法来测量当地湖泊沉积物中多环芳烃的浓度。分析型学生也在他们自己设计的小型研究项目中使用GC和GC-MS。通过让学生在早期的化学经验中熟悉色谱原理和GC-MS独特的问题解决能力，该项目(1)在低级课程中创造了兴奋；(2)使学生对他们利用复杂仪器的能力充满信心；(3)允许高级课程专注于仪器的问题解决能力，而不是操作细节；以及，(4)允许学生进行学生发起的研究。

The purpose of this project is to incorporate gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the first 2 years of coursework. Students are introduced to chromatography and mass spectrometry through a series of three experiments in the first semester general chemistry course. The final experiment in this set involves sample collection, extraction, and analysis of herbicides from local lakes, streams, and rivers. Students in a new interdisciplinary Environmental Analysis course use gas chromatography to measure methane production from different types of soils and incorporate their results into a simple global climate change model. Organic Chemistry students make extensive use of gas chromatography for assessing purity of reaction products, and GC-MS to determine the identity of products and by-products. Analytical Chemistry students utilize deuterated internal standards and selected ion monitoring to measure the concentration of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in local lake sediments. Analytical students also utilize the GCs and GC-MS in mini-research projects of their own design. By acquainting students with the principles of chromatography and the unique problem solving capabilities of GC-MS early in their chemistry experience, the project (1) creates excitement in lower division courses; (2) gives students confidence in their ability to utilize sophisticated instrumentation; (3) allows upper level courses to focus on problem solving capabilities of the instrumentation, rather than on details of operation; and, (4) allows students to pursue student-initiated research.