Research Projects

Mass spectrometry (Ms) is a powerful analytical tool that has evolved since 1913, with its origins in J.J. Thomson's cathode ray experiment. It consists of three major parts: ion source, analyzer, and detector. The electrospray ionization (EsI) method, which involves droplet spray from a small capillary assisted by high voltage and pneumatic gas, has been widely used in recent years. The recent application of EsI is the development of'microdroplet fusion Ms', which studies chemical reaction kinetics in small microdroplet volumes. This allows for high-rate reactions under unsophisticated conditions, accelerating reactions within milliseconds. This project proposes several novel approaches for synthesizing and quantifying various industrially and environmentally relevant chemicals, including drugs, aminoacids, alkaloids, and polymers. The first project allows chemical reagents to react in acoustically levitated microdroplets, acting as both an ionization source and reaction chamber. This allows for various reactions, such as phase transfer catalysis, photon induced chemical reactions, electrochemical reactions, and plasma induced chemical reactions. The second project uses chemical reagents fused inside a modified EsI in microliter volumes to synthesize pharmaceutical drugs in millisecond time scales. The final project allows low temperature plasma containing reactive chemical species to collide with microdroplets in an open environment, allowing for functionalization and quantification of several environmentally relevant hydrocarbons. The experiment can be performed using a custom-built EsI source, a low temperature plasma source (LTP), and an acoustic levitator.