Chemistry Proposal Defense – Zackary Kinlein

About the event

Title: Enhancing the Flexibility and Scope of TW-SLIM Experimentation

Abstract: Traveling wave structures for lossless ion manipulations (TW-SLIM) is a recently developed technique for the separation of gas-phase ions. Constructed of affordable and highly customizable printed circuit boards, TW-SLIM offers a unique degree of customizability and has already seen extensive growth and evolution in its lifetime. While promising, there remains a major barrier between TW-SLIM and its ultimate potential as an analytical technique: limited implementation. To remedy this issue, a collection of experiments will be laid out and executed which will both encourage wider adaptation of the technique and showcase the capacity of TW-SLIM to aid in more complex chemical analyses. Preliminary data suggests that a suite of methodologies and technology capable of simplifying the practical components TW-SLIM experimentation are feasible, making TW-SLIM simpler to implement for those with limited means. Additionally, a series of open-source modeling approaches will be developed which will not only encourage others to get involved in TW-SLIM experimentation, but also enhance our ability to probe matters of ion behavior within TW-SLIM. Having improved our ability to implement and model TW-SLIM, a framework for performing advanced gas-phase ion chemistry experiments, specifically those which leverage the reaction of ozone with unsaturated bonds, using TW-SLIM will be established.