Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Requested equipment: The present proposal is for an urgently-needed inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The requested single quadrupole ICP-MS system with a high-throughput autosampler will be used to characterize materials for environmental applications and for understanding environmental processes. More specifically this includes new materials for water treatment, detoxification of chemical warfare agents, solar energy conversion, and to gain understanding about biogeochemical processes in the St. Lawrence Estuary. Research activities enabled by the requested equipment: The instrument will be housed and maintained in the Centre for Biological Applications of Mass Spectrometry, which is used annually by more than 25 research groups across Concordia. This equipment will primarily support three research programs that are focused on the (i) design, synthesis and characterization of novel materials such as metal-organic frameworks, dye-sensitized photoelectrodes, perovskites and semiconductors for environmental or sustainability applications and (ii) understanding biogeochemical cycles of iron, organic carbon and other metal ions in terrestrial and aquatic systems. In addition, the equipment will also support research programs in our department focused on monitoring organic contaminants in the environment, synthesis of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles for sensing environmental contaminants, and investigating cellular uptake of metallodrugs. Significance and impact of research program: The research activities supported by this equipment are significant for the field of inorganic materials chemistry, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, and sustainability. The equipment will allow for a better understanding of chemical structure and properties to aid in the development of champion materials for environmental applications as well as to gain understanding about processes occurring in natural water systems. This research is expected to advance knowledge related to the development of novel materials for important environmental applications as well as lead to an understanding of how climate change and anthropogenic activities are affecting our natural aquatic systems. It is important for Canada to lead the way in both understanding current and future environmental changes caused by climate change, while also developing new materials and processes for mitigating further environmental damage. Importantly, this equipment is also critical for hands-on training of the next generation of highly-qualified personnel (HQP) in the field of chemistry and environmental science. Impact of a delay in acquisition of the requested equipment: The inability to obtain the proposed equipment to replace an existing, obsolete 18-year old ICP-MS will stall the applicants' highly productive research programs and significantly delay thesis completion of their combined 28 HQP.