MRI: Acquisition of an ICP-MS Supporting Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research in Biogeochemistry, Materials Science, Archaeological Chemistry, and Bioinorganic Chemistry

该合同将支持购买具有激光烧蚀和汞形态分析能力的电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICPMS)。该仪器将使格林内尔学院的研究人员在以下领域开展前沿的跨学科研究：1)污染控制和预防，重点是水质；2)干旱环境中的碳循环；3)可再生能源的产生和储存；4)对考古文物进行分析，以重建人类历史；以及5)化学合成的新方法。该仪器将促进格林内尔大学由教师指导的本科生研究和教育，使学生和教师能够在研究和主动教育学驱动的课程工作中获得用于元素分析的现代、尖端仪器。格林内尔学院长期致力于科学的多样性、包容性和可获得性；该MRI奖支持的研究还将有助于扩大历史上代表性不足的学生在地球科学、环境科学和材料科学领域的参与。将得到资助的电感耦合等离子体质谱仪是一台Perkin Elmer Nexion 2000电感耦合等离子体质谱仪，配有相关的汞形态自动取样器(Brooks Rand MERX-M和MERX-T)和激光消融(LA)系统(ESI NWR213)。该仪器的具体应用包括：1)调查水生环境中的汞循环(特别是甲基汞的产生和降解)；2)调查非降雨水分和相关的微量元素沉积在干旱环境中碳循环中的作用；3)新型薄膜照片和氧还原催化剂的合成和表征；4)来自亚洲和美国西南部的考古材料的来源和贸易路线；以及5)表征合成过渡金属络合物和蛋白质之间的相互作用。该奖项反映了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。

This award will support the purchase of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) with laser ablation and mercury speciation capabilities. This instrument will enable cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research by researchers at Grinnell College working in the areas of: 1) pollution control and prevention, with a focus on water quality; 2) carbon cycling in arid environments; 3) renewable energy generation and storage; 4) analysis of archaeological artifacts to reconstruct human history; and 5) novel approaches to chemical synthesis. The instrumentation will promote faculty-mentored undergraduate student research and education at Grinnell, giving students and faculty access to modern, cutting-edge instrumentation for elemental analysis in both research and active-pedagogy driven coursework. Grinnell College has a longstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion, and access in the sciences; the research supported by this MRI award will also help to broaden participation of historically underrepresented students in the fields of geoscience, environmental science, and materials science. The ICP-MS to be funded is a Perkin Elmer Nexion 2000 ICP-MS with associated autosamplers for mercury speciation (Brooks Rand MERX-M and MERX-T) and laser ablation (LA) system (ESI NWR213). Specific applications of the instrument include: 1) investigations of mercury cycling in aquatic environments (especially methylmercury production and degradation); 2) investigations into the role of non-rainfall moisture and associated trace element deposition in carbon cycling in arid environments; 3) synthesis and characterization of novel thin film photo and oxygen reduction catalysts; 4) sourcing provenance and trade routes of archaeological materials from Asia and the American Southwest; and 5) characterization of interactions between synthetic transition metal complexes and proteins.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.