This project is funding the purchase of a state-of-the-art Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) for undergraduate instruction in chemistry. Addition of this instrumentation affects many of the undergraduate courses, including General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Instrumental Analysis. Many new experiments are being introduced into the undergraduate curriculum. In particular, these experiments (1) give students an introduction to the theory of mass spectrometry and demonstrate a variety of aspects of electron impact and chemical ionization spectra; (2) teach students the basics of structural characterization by mass spectral fragmentation patterns; (3) give students hands-on experience with a GC/MS and provide exposure to modern computer-assisted equipment; (4) give students the opportunity to use spectral library searching routines; and (5) show students the application of tandem analytical methods and the utility of these techniques for mixture analysis.
