Durable Emitters for Nanoelectrospray Mass Spectrometry

This research award to Professor Troy Wood of SUNY-Buffalo entitled "Durable Emitters for Nanoelectrospray Mass Spectrometry" is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program. The goal of the research is the development of new technology for interfacing capillary electrophoresis (CE) with mass spectrometry (MS) through the fabrication of an improved interface. The emitters developed will be more durable than those currently available and they will be coated with a conducting polymer to enhance their operation. Additionally, the conducting polymer surface will be characterized using a variety of techniques such as FTIR, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface characterization results will be correlated with emitter performance. This research is significant because mass spectrometry provides a highly sensitive method of detection for biomolecules and CE provides the high specificity separation needed to deal with the molecular complexity found in biological samples. The research will also support undergraduate students from Puerto Rico, which will greatly enhance the education of minority students. The proof-of-principle will be shown through three collaborative projects which have significant, real-world applications.