Award Abstract #0079678
Collaborative Development of a Heavy-ion Trap Electron Diffractometer for Structure Determination of Nanoparticles, Biomolecular Assemblies, and Aerosol Particles

NSF Org:	CHE Division of Chemistry
Initial Amendment Date:	August 22, 2000
Latest Amendment Date:	May 16, 2003
Award Number:	0079678
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Joan M. Frye CHE Division of Chemistry MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2000
Expires:	February 29, 2004 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$485083
Investigator(s):	Robert Whetten robert.whetten@chemistry.gatech.edu (Principal Investigator) Uzi Landman (Co-Principal Investigator) Loren Williams (Co-Principal Investigator) Walter De Heer (Co-Principal Investigator) Rodney Weber (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	GA Tech Research Corporation - GA Institute of Technology Office of Sponsored Programs Atlanta, GA 30332 404/894-4819
NSF Program(s):	CHEMICAL INSTRUMENTATION, MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC, 0106000 Materials Research
Program Reference Code(s):	EGCH,BIOT,AMPP,9198,9184,9161
Program Element Code(s):	1938,1189

ABSTRACT

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Programs, Robert L. Whetten of Georgia Institute of Technology and Joel H. Parks of the Rowland Institute for Science will develop a heavy-ion trap electron diffractometer, which will combine the advantages of mass spectrometry (sensitivity, efficiency, mass-selectivity) with those of electron diffraction (direct structural determination). A prototype instrument has been developed by Parks and coworkers. Whetten and Parks will significantly extend the capabilities of the existing prototype instrument by extending the range toward heavier ions (~100 kDa), to small-angle scattering and to shorter collection-time; developing interfaces to existing sources of heavy ions. As the instrument is developed, faculty members at Georgia Institute of Technology will exploit the instrument to carry out research on the following topics: a) iron-sulfur clusters; b) small proteins, solvation, salt-complexation, and folding; c) nucleic acids and bioconjugates; d) melting phase transition and alloy formation of metal clusters; e) atmospheric aerosol particulates; and f) synthetic macromolecules.

A severe limitation of current mass spectrometric-based instrumentation is that it does not include any general means of direct structure determination. The heavy-ion trap electron diffractometer (HITED) will provide a state-of-the-art instrument that will enable researchers to address many outstanding problems in materials sciences, atmospheric chemistry and biochemical sciences.

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