Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
University of Western Ontario
$150,000.00
High Performance Mass Spectrometer
FY 2012-13
Summary
Modern Chemistry Departments maintain several ""essential"" suites of instrumentation that, by general consensus, are considered to be necessary in the pursuit of most areas of chemical research. These facilities include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers, X-ray diffractometers, and mass spectrometers. Most other types of instrumentation are less apt for general use and are usually acquired and operated by the individual researchers who require them. The Department of Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario has excellent NMR and X-ray facilities that offer capabilities that meet or exceed international standards. However, the departmental mass spectrometer is very old and will soon be incapable of servicing the needs of the researchers who depend on it.
The current instrument is a Finnigan MAT 8400 that was refurbished and upgraded 10 years ago, with assistance from NSERC, from a Finnigan MAT 8200 that was purchased more than 25 years ago. The present instrument is now no longer supported by the manufacturers with respect to maintenance nor the availability of parts for repairs. Hence, the inevitable next failure of this instrumentation will render it inoperable, leaving the department without this essential service.
The current proposal requests funding for a replacement of this instrumentation with a newer refurbished, and manufacturer supported instrument. While there are a number of other mass spectrometers within the department and on campus, they are all researcher/task specific and generally only set up for electrospray-ionization sample introduction. There are no facilities in the region that offer high resolution electron impact and chemical ionization sample introduction for small neutral molecules as does the present instrumentation. Without this proposed replacement there will soon be a gaping hole in the mass spectrometry capabilities at Western and a significant impediment to the excellent science for which the Department of Chemistry is known.
Program
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
422636-2012
Name nom
Wisner, James
Department département
Chemistry
Organization id
36
Institution établissement
University of Western Ontario
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2012
Competition year année de concours
2012
Award amount
150000
Program id
EQPEQ
Program name en
Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
Program name fr
Outils et instruments de recherche - catégorie 1 (<150 000$)
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
1504
Committee name en
Chemistry
Committee name fr
Chimie
Area of application code
1202
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Physical sciences
Area of application fr
Sciences physiques
Research subject code
3700
Research subject group en
Organic chemistry
Research subject group fr
Chimie organique
Research subject en
Organic chemistry
Research subject fr
Chimie organique
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
High Performance Mass Spectrometer
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Modern Chemistry Departments maintain several ""essential"" suites of instrumentation that, by general consensus, are considered to be necessary in the pursuit of most areas of chemical research. These facilities include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers, X-ray diffractometers, and mass spectrometers. Most other types of instrumentation are less apt for general use and are usually acquired and operated by the individual researchers who require them. The Department of Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario has excellent NMR and X-ray facilities that offer capabilities that meet or exceed international standards. However, the departmental mass spectrometer is very old and will soon be incapable of servicing the needs of the researchers who depend on it.
The current instrument is a Finnigan MAT 8400 that was refurbished and upgraded 10 years ago, with assistance from NSERC, from a Finnigan MAT 8200 that was purchased more than 25 years ago. The present instrument is now no longer supported by the manufacturers with respect to maintenance nor the availability of parts for repairs. Hence, the inevitable next failure of this instrumentation will render it inoperable, leaving the department without this essential service.
The current proposal requests funding for a replacement of this instrumentation with a newer refurbished, and manufacturer supported instrument. While there are a number of other mass spectrometers within the department and on campus, they are all researcher/task specific and generally only set up for electrospray-ionization sample introduction. There are no facilities in the region that offer high resolution electron impact and chemical ionization sample introduction for small neutral molecules as does the present instrumentation. Without this proposed replacement there will soon be a gaping hole in the mass spectrometry capabilities at Western and a significant impediment to the excellent science for which the Department of Chemistry is known.
