Purchase of Low Resolution Tripe Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer

This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) will assist the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University to acquire a low resolution triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas that include biomimetic chemistry, synthesis of natural products, synthesis of helicene, elucidation of the interaction between functional ligands and receptors, molecular recognition and artificial receptors, and total synthesis of natural products. 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 proteins 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.