Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Requested Equipment: The present proposal is for a Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ion source with IonRocket, a thermal desorption/pyrolysis module to be used on an existing Orbitrap mass spectrometry. DART is a versatile ionization technique allowing for high throughput molecular profiling and real time analysis of a wide range of samples without extensive sample preparation. IonRocket provides a programmable temperature ramp, allowing for thermal desorption of volatile compounds from solid and liquid samples and pyrolysis of polymers. This makes it particularly suitable for analyzing rubber, plastic, and polymer materials, as well as associated chemical additives. 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 research that address knowledge and technological gaps to achieve sustainability development goals including (1) screening chemical additives in rubber and plastic materials and charactering their emissions, environmental fate processes and impact; (2) metabolomics analysis and biomarker identification using dry blood spot samples; (3)upcycling of waste plastics and catalytical conversion of biomass into sustainable fuels; (4) designing functional materials for energy harvesting and storage; (5) identifying insect biomarkers linking to biodiversity and environmental stressors. In addition, the equipment will also support research programs in our department focused on identifying and characterizing tracers of oil spills in aquatic systems Significance and impact of research program: The research activities supported by this equipment are significant for the field of environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, polymer chemical, toxicology, chemical and material engineering. This research is expected to advance knowledge related to environmental emissions, processes and impact of anthropogenic substances and the development of engineering solutions to serve the needs to reach sustainability goals. Importantly, this equipment is also critical for hands-on training of the next generation of highly-qualified personnel (HQP) in the field of sustainability science and engineering.