This award from the Academic Research infrastructure Program will help the Department of Chemistry at Miami University acquire a Laser Desorption Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer which will be used in research. The research activity to be supported consists of two general parts: the development of methods to extend the capabilities of the laser desorption time-of- flight mass spectrometry and application of the technique to on-going research problems. Projects related to technique development include an investigation of the mechanism of matrix assistance and a study of the production of secondary ions. The proposed applications involve molecular biology, materials science, electrochemistry, and bioanalytical chemistry. 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. It affords the chemist one of the most powerful tools available for the characterization of compounds. This mass spectrometer is essential for the prosecution of frontier research in many fields of chemistry.
