Research Catalyst: Environmental Quality Assurance using Ion Mobility Spectrometry

研究催化剂项目支持历史上的黑人学院和大学努力建立教员的研究能力，以加强科学、技术、工程和数学本科生的教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教职员工的研究能力，改善学院的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。温斯顿塞勒姆州立大学的这个项目将研究离子迁移率光谱(IMS)的新方法，将其与膜采样器相结合，用于分离、检测和鉴定复杂基质中不同类别的化合物。这项工作将为化学专业的本科生提供研究机会，同时为他们在STEM中的职业生涯做好准备。该项目的目标是利用聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)膜和纳米颗粒材料将新型样品引入采样器系统(SIS)作为一个单一单元来使用。这将使关键环境污染物的采样、分离、预浓缩、分离和解吸一步到位。这项研究的独特之处在于使用了类似于气相色谱炉的温度编程，来分析固体、液体和气体样品。将该装置连接到离子迁移率光谱仪(IMS)将允许检测极端环境问题的挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)和半挥发性有机化合物(Semi-VOCs)。该项目有可能开发一种采样和样品引入方法，这种方法需要很少或不需要准备和使用较少或不需要溶剂，不需要大量劳动，并且具有更高的分析可靠性。长期目标是使用这种方法在疑似暴露在污染物中的室内建筑和场地收集样本，并分析被VOC污染的水。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research Catalyst projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. The project at Winston Salem State University will investigate novel approaches to ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) when coupled with a membrane sampler for the separation, detection and identification of different classes of compounds in complex matrices. This work will provide research opportunities for undergraduate chemistry majors, while preparing them for careers in STEM.The goal of this project is to utilize a novel sample introduction sampler system (SIS) as a single unit using polydimethylsilicone (PDMS) membranes and nanoparticle materials. This will allow sampling, isolation, pre-concentration, separation, and desorption of key environmental pollutants in a single step. The uniqueness of this study is the use of temperature programming similar to a gas chromatography oven, to analyze solid, liquid, and gas samples. Interfacing the unit to an ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) will allow the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (semi-VOCs) of extreme environmental concern. This project has the potential to develop a sampling and sample introduction approach that requires little or no preparation and use of less or no solvent, is not labor intensive, and has greater analytical reliability. The long-term goal is to use this method for collecting samples in indoor buildings and sites suspected to have been exposed to contaminants and for analyzing water contaminated with VOCs.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.