With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multiuser Instrument Acquisition (CRIF-MU) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware will upgrade a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer (FTICR-MS). This equipment will enhance the following research studies: a) synthesis with strained molecules; b) catalyst and materials design; c) natural products; d) macromolecular species in environmental media; e) coordination and bioinorganic chemistry with sulfur ligands; e) responsive materials from de novo design peptides; f) synthesis and reactivity of early transition metal compounds; and g) molecular design and molecular recognition. Mass spectrometry 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. This FTMS upgrade will have an impact on several outreach activities including research collaborations between faculty at the University of Delaware and local minority-serving institutions, and laboratory research experiences for high school students. The instrumentation will also be incorporated into courses in the department and over the internet to collaborating institutions.
