SBIR Phase I: Rapid Identification of Environmental Contaminants Using an Electrospray Ionization - Ion Mobility Spectrometer / Chiral Ion Mobility Spectrometer

这个小企业创新研究一期项目的重点是开发一种独立的电喷雾电离离子迁移谱仪/手性离子迁移谱仪（ESI-IMS/CIMS），用于环境污染物的现场分离、检测和鉴定，具有分离手性分子的独特能力。尽管每种手性形式对环境和生物过程的影响可能不同，但许多农药都是作为手性形式的混合物施用的。有效的手性分析方法将有助于研究立体异构体依赖的毒性和生物降解，以及评估污染物潜力和农业农药负荷。ESI-IMS/CIMS系统将取代缓慢、昂贵、基于实验室的手性分离方法，并将能够同时检测非手性物质，包括挥发性和非挥发性化合物。在第一阶段，重点是商业ESI-IMS系统的开发以及用于CIMS的手性改性剂的识别和验证。许多环境分析实验室为他们的客户提供农药分析，因为水、土壤和食物中农药残留的身份和数量会影响农业使用和公众态度。随着人们日益认识到手性对环境污染物的功能和降解的重要性，对快速和经济有效的手性分离的兴趣将增加。ESI-IMS/CIMS技术的成功商业化将提高环境分析的现场和实验室分析能力。便携式手性离子迁移谱仪将允许快速，现场分析农药残留，并将为环境科学家和分析测试/服务实验室以及政府监管机构提供强大的现场分析工具。研究确定使用手性离子迁移率光谱法分离环境污染物手性形式的最佳条件将促进该技术的快速发展。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is focused on the development of a stand-alone electrospray ionization-ion mobility spectrometer/chiral ion mobility spectrometer (ESI-IMS/CIMS) for on-site separation, detection and identification of environmental contaminants with the unique capability of separating chiral molecules. Many pesticides are applied as a mixture of chiral forms despite the fact that each chiral form may differ in its impact on environmental and biological processes. Efficient methods for chiral analysis will facilitate the study of stereoisomer-dependent toxicity and biodegradation, as well as permit evaluation of pollutant potential and agricultural pesticide loading. The ESI-IMS/CIMS system will be used in place of slow, expensive, lab-based chiral separation methods and will be able to concurrently detect non-chiral species of interest, including both volatile and non-volatile compounds. In Phase I, the focus is on the development of a commercial ESI-IMS system and identification and validation of chiral modifiers for use in CIMS. Many environmental analysis laboratories provide pesticide analysis to their clients as the identity and quantity of pesticide residues in water, soils, and foods can have an impact on agricultural use and public attitudes. With growing awareness of the importance of chirality to the function and degradation of environmental contaminants, interest in rapid and cost-effective chiral separations will increase. Successful commercialization of ESI-IMS/CIMS technology will enhance both field and laboratory analytical abilities for environmental analysis. A portable chiral ion mobility spectrometer will allow fast, on-site analysis of pesticide residues and will provide a powerful field analytical tool for environmental scientists and analytical testing/service labs as well as government regulators. Research to determine optimal conditions to separate chiral forms of environmental contaminants using chiral ion mobility spectrometry will facilitate rapid development of the technique.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).