Current Research
Highlights of Our Recent Research
- Molecular Level Studies on Radical Attack on Biomolecules: The damage caused by radicals on biomolecules such as proteins and DNA is of great interest. We study the reactivity of different radical cations toward amino acids, peptides, sugars, bases of DNA/RNA and DNA/RNA molecules by using Laser-induced Acoustic Desorption (LIAD) and FT-ICR mass spectrometry. These investigations are very important for the development of better antitumor drugs.
- MS of Saturated Hydrocarbons and their Polymers: To overcome the limits of the existing methods for hydrocarbon and polymer analysis, we apply our novel fiber and fiberless LIAD techniques in the studies of properties of hydrocarbons and their polymers, which can be ionized by CpCo+. without fragmentation. Information about the distribution of molecular weight can be obtained for high mass polymers by using this methodology.
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Petroleum Analysis & Coal Research in Collaboration with ExxonMobil:
The currently existing methods have problems for the analysis of petroleum mixtures. To address the energy crisis, we are concentrating on the development of a LIAD/CI technique for petroleum and coal
analysis.
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Biofuels Analysis:
We are focusing on the development of new methodologies for
rapid molecular -level characterization of mixtures.
We collaborate with Eli Lilly and the Company to develop methods for the identification of functional groups in pharmaceuticals. The MS methodologies developed are fast, sensitive, and can efficiently identify many functionalities in mixture components.
Our Instruments
Various Areas of Our Research
- Mechanisms of Various Ion-molecular Reactions: We use mass spectrometry to generate a wide variety of interesting ionic species (e.g., carbene radical cations, phosphenium ions, charged radicals, etc.) and examine their potential as structural tools for organic and biomolecules, including steroids, DNA, and peptides.
- Gas-Phase Organic Synthesis: We are always looking for new ways to generate interesting ions by using the ion-manipulation power of mass spectrometry.
- Advanced Mass Spectrometry Techniques: We are involved in developing laser methods for the desorption of nonvolatile and thermally labile molecules into the gas phase for subsequent chemical ionization. The method that has shown the most promise to date, LIAD (Laser Induced Acoustic Desorption), involves using a laser to generate high-amplitude sound waves in thin metal foil to "shake" the molecules into the gas-phase. Based on the conventional LIAD technique, the novel fiberless LIAD technique was developed by our group recently.
- Fundamental Studies: Reaction kinetics, reaction mechanisms, thermochemistry; mass spectrometry related research (rearrangement reactions and thermochemistry of ions), organic chemistry (properties of reaction intermediates, such as radical cations, radicals, biradicals, and carbene ions ), inorganic chemistry (phosphenium ions, stibenium ions), biological chemistry (nucleobase radical cations, mechanism of radical induced DNA cleavage).
Financial support for our research is gratefully acknowledged from the following sources:
National Science Foundation (NSF) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Eli Lilly and Company Lubrizol Corporation
ExxonMobil Corporation Merck & Co., Inc.
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