This proposal is a request for an instrument upgrade in the Mass Spectrometry Facility at Indiana University in the Department of Chemistry. The upgrade will consist of the purchase of a high-resolution magnetic sector mass spectrometer with electron impact (EI), chemical ionization (CI), liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS), field desorption (FD) and electrospray ionization (ESI) capabilities to support research in the area of synthetic chemistry (organic, inorganic and biochemistry). Currently the mass spectrometry facility is equipped with a single 20-year old Kratos MS80 with EI, CI and fast atom bombardment (FAB). The MS80 is incapable of analyzing medium to large sized molecules because of its old design (low accelerating voltage and lack of post acceleration ion detection system). Because of the limited ionization methods, many compounds such as multiply charged coordination complexes and multiply charged biomolecules cannot be analyzed. In fact, several research groups in inorganic chemistry and biochemistry in our department have to send these types of samples off- campus for ESI data. Most importantly, the aging components of our MS80 are beginning to fail routinely. Kratos no longer makes or provides adequate support for its sector instruments. As a result, repairing the instrument takes longer time and the prolonged instrument downtimes have frequently interrupted the research in our department. Acquiring a modern instrument to provide better mass spectrometric support will be a substantial enhancement in areas of synthesis in Indiana. This upgrade will provide tremendous improvements in our ability to characterize molecular samples and is expected to enhance research capabilities in the department of Chemistry and at other schools across the I.U. system. The timing of acquiring the proposed system is critical.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter