Performed research with Dr. Robert M. Carlson in the area of organic natural product synthesis; specifically streptomyces lactones. Standard air-sensitive synthetic techniques, as well as GC-MS and NMR instrumentation, were used.

Dissertation research was conducted under Dr. Ronald Hites on the topic of environmental analysis of nonvolatile organic compounds. The use of continuous-flow FAB and tandem mass spectrometry for rapid analysis of sulfonated surfactants was demonstrated. In addition, I studied fate and transport of sulfonated and carboxylated organic contaminants by measuring their levels in solid and aqueous samples. Typical samples came from rivers, wells, and sewage treatment plants. Concentration and cleanup of these samples was done using solid-phase extraction disks and cartridges. In addition to CFFAB/MS/MS, HPLC with UV detection was used. Other responsibilities included helping teach an annual GC-MS short course, and writing proposals and project reports.

Duties included work on two projects: Methodology was developed for the determination of organic chelating agents in radioactive mixed wastes using liquid chromatography interfaced with electrospray MS. These wastes contained high levels of interfering compounds, including saturated inorganic salts and hydrocarbons. Isolation of the analytes from these interfering compounds was accomplished using liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction techniques. In order to analyze these hazardous samples, the LC-MS instrument was built so that the LC, ion source, quadrupole analyzer, and detector were contained inside of a glovebox, while the electronics were kept outside for easier maintanance. As principal investigator of this project, I was responsible for writing proposals, briefing management personnel, distributing funds, supervising a technician, and writing quality assurance procedures.

The second project involved building Fast GC Time-of-Flight MS instrumentation and testing its potential use as a rapid, specific monitoring device. This included building a computer interface and a unique, cryotrapping microloop injection system for concentrating air samples and injecting them to the GC column with 10 msec bandwidths.


Former Advisors:

Robert M. Carlson
Professor
Department of Chemistry
University of Minnesota
Duluth, MN 55812
(218) 726-7231

Ronald A. Hites.
Distinguished Professor
Department of Chemistry and School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812) 855-0193

Charles W. Wilkerson, Jr.
Staff Member
Chemical Science and Technology Division
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, NM 87545
(505) 667-5966