With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Acquisition Program, the Chemistry Department at the University of South Dakota will acquire a liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LCMS) equipped with atmospheric pressure ionization (API). This acquisition will support six research projects ranging from inorganic synthesis, organic synthesis, and mechanistic investigations, to environmental chemistry including: 1) photocatalytic degradation of toxic organics using nanostructured photocatalysts; 2) photocatalysis on metal oxide nanocrystals; 3) photoelectron transfer between cyclic quinones and porphyrins and photocatalysts based on modified graphite; 4) detection of toxic metals by luminescent photoinduced charge transfer (PCT) sensors; and 5) determination of amino acids in protein mixtures.
Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (LCMS) is a powerful technique for separating and analyzing complex mixtures. It has become an indispensable tool for testing purity and solving problems in virtually all fields requiring chemical analysis. It probes structural details and molecular weights of organic, bioorganic, and inorganic molecules. The use of API techniques has expanded the utility of mass spectrometry to include large biomolecules (proteomics), neutral molecules, and inorganic complexes of low volatility. Undergraduates and Masters students will use the instrument in their research projects and educational training activities. The instrument will be available as a multi-user facility for use by undergraduate students of nearby regional colleges. Area colleges include Briar Cliff and Morningside Colleges of Sioux City, Iowa; Wayne State College of Wayne, Nebraska; Northwestern College of Orange City, Iowa; and Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.
