This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program will aid in purchasing a high resolution mass spectrometer for the Department of Chemistry at New York University. The research studies to be performed include the following: molecular recognition in solutions and solids, solid state host-organic zeolites, self assembling hosts, tunneling in biological electron transfer reactions, new methods for conformational restriction, synthetic peptide models for investigating the determinants of alpha helical structure, organic photochemistry, synthesis of new neuroreceptor ligands, and topics in organic synthesis. Mass Spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to probe intimate structural details and to obtain the molecular compositions of a vast array of organic, bioorganic and organometallic molecules. The addition of the technique of electrospray extends the range of MS to protein and nucleic acid molecular weights far beyond any other technique. The use of electrospray ionization in combination with high resolution provides the latest techniques available in mass spectrometry. It affords the chemist one of the most powerful tools available for the characterization of compounds. The acquisition of this capability in mass spectrometry is essential for the prosecution of frontier research in many fields of chemistry.
