Introduction of Research-Based Instructional Laboratories Using GC-MS

该项目支持购买气相色谱/质谱仪（GC/MS）系统，包括顶空设备和自动进样器。该仪器是普通化学、化学分析、有机化学、仪器和本科研究中新的研究型实验的一个组成部分。化学教育者认识到在学生的职业生涯早期引导他们进行研究的价值，因为这可以增加他们的兴趣和热情；然而，在普通化学实验室中实施此类实验的很少。该项目开发了新的以研究为基础的环境实验，可以引入普通化学和分析化学课程，并为新形成的环境科学和研究专业提供支持。这些实验向学生介绍了GC/MS在环境研究中的适用性，特别是在分析天然水样中的有机物方面。本项目进一步说明了该技术的实用性，将其纳入实验室实验，强调其在生物分析（药物分析，肽结构）和有机领域的重要性。GC/MS系统具有对水中挥发性有机污染物进行分析（顶空设备）、质谱库搜索、单离子监测和重叠峰反褶积（差谱）的能力，并且能够促进对许多样品的及时分析（自动进样器）。该仪器可以对科学专业（化学、生物和地质学）和非科学专业的学生产生广泛的影响，特别是对环境科学感兴趣的学生。

This project supports the purchase of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) system, including both headspace equipment and an automatic sampler. This instrument is an integral part of new research-based experiments in general chemistry, chemical analysis, organic chemistry, and instrumentation and in undergraduate research. Chemical educators recognize the value of introducing students to research early in their careers, as it increases their interest and enthusiasm; however, few have implemented such experiments in the general chemistry laboratory. This project develops new research-based environmental experiments that can be introduced into the general chemistry and analytical chemistry curricula and serve to support the newly formed environmental science and studies concentrations. These experiments introduce students to the applicability of GC/MS to environmental study, particularly in the analysis of organics in natural water samples. This project further illustrates the usefulness of this technique by incorporating it into laboratory experiments that emphasize its importance in the bioanalytical (drug analysis, peptide structure) and organic fields. The GC/MS system has the capability to perform the analysis of volatile organic contaminants of water (headspace equipment), mass spectral library searches, single ion monitoring, and deconvolution (difference spectra) of overlapping peaks, and is able to facilitate the timely analysis of many samples (automatic sampler). This instrumentation can have a broad impact on science (chemistry, biology, and geology) majors and non-science-majors and especially on those students interested in environmental science.