Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Several members of the Chemistry department at the University of Victoria carry out research in the areas of synthetic chemistry and chemical biology. Our departmental infrastructure includes a host of modern instruments to aid in the characterization of our chemical and biological compounds. Our mass spectrometry facilities, however, are dated and no longer meet the needs of modern chemical research. The ionization methods currently available within our departmental facility have been largely supplanted by modern soft ionization techniques (ESI and MALDI). These new methods have revolutionized mass spectrometry by allowing the transfer of a wide variety of fragile and involatile synthetic and biological molecules to the gas phase. We are requesting funds for the purchase of an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer (ESI-MS) in order to facilitate characterization of synthetic compounds, augment multiple synthetic research programs, and improve training opportunities for our researchers.