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

A gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) is requested for the research support of organometallic chemistry and petroleum engineering research at Cape Breton University (CBU). The requested GC-FID replaces a broken, over 20 year old GC instrument and will be shared by the research groups of Dr. Bierenstiel and Dr. Miadonye. Dr. Bierenstiel's research focuses on the development of binuclear transition metal complexes to study metal-metal synergic interactions which can be directly measured by comparative catalysis experiments of mono- vs. binuclear complexes. Initial transformations of interest are olefin oligomerizations and C-C cross coupling reactions catalyzed by group 10 metals. The GC-FID will be used to monitor catalytic experiments quantitatively in order to obtain kinetic data critical for metal-metal synergy evaluations. Dr. Miadonye's research studies the chemical engineering aspect of the upgrading and desulphurization of bitumen and heavy oil. The main objective is to develop novel upgrading and hydrodesulphurization techniques of bitumen/heavy oil based on microwave irradiation, which will circumvent the limitations of conventional thermal upgrading processes. The GC-FID will be used to analyze the irradiated and control process streams and their fractions, along with other characterization methods. CBU has great success with undergraduate research and in summer 2008, a total of nine research students worked in the Bierenstiel and Miadonye research groups. Undergraduate students will be trained to operate the GC independently. The requested autosampler upgrade ensures easy-to-use for undergraduate researchers and maximizes instrument usage by enabling of multiple sampling over-night.