Acquisition of Gel Permeation Chromatographic Instrumentation for Materials Research and Eucation

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program in the Division of Materials Research will allow the University of Arizona to acquire a new Gel Permeation Chromatography instrument for research and education in the Department of Chemistry. The proposed GPC system will replace current outdated equipment and will be housed in the new Molecular Characterization Facility in the Department of Chemistry. This instrument will be used by students at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels to improve the quality and scope of integration of research and education into our curricula. Consisting of a separations module accompanied by Ultra-violet-Vis, refractive index, multi-angle laser light scattering, and viscometric detectors, this instrument will allow for more accurate and complete characterization of the organic and inorganic materials currently being synthesized by research groups within the Department. This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program in the Division of Materials Research will allow the University of Arizona to acquire a new Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) instrument for research and education. The instrument will be housed in the Department of Chemistry and will be used to characterize new polymeric materials, in particular measure their molecular weight, or size. The molecular weight of polymers is a critical factor in their strength, behavior, and ultimate performance. This instrument will allow for more accurate and complete characterization of the polymeric materials currently being developed by research groups within the Department of Chemistry for such emerging technologies as biological sensors, organic light-emitting diodes, and drug delivery systems. Students at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels will use the instrument. This will improve the quality and scope of student training, thus impacting the scientific workforce.