Written Report for Professor in Chem Department (new gas-phase ion chemistry and mass spectrometric ) - Essay Example

In 1999, she received an outstanding Graduate award of Lanzhou University and consequently the same award at the Chinese Academy in 2002. In 2012 at Purdue University, she received a Research foundation faculty international grant. Finally, for her mastery in mass spectrometry, the American society honored her with Mass Spectrometry Research Award (Chem.purdue.edu). On joining Purdue, professor Yu had little information with the use of instrumentation, but quickly she gained mastery of the sophisticated apparatus.

Professor Xia, a daughter of high-school chemistry teacher developed her interest in chemistry early life and was further influenced by her father. Her enthusiasm is evident in several interviews whereby she states that she always aspired to be a chemistry researcher and the PdD training proved a genuine pathway to success. She further acknowledges that she always wanted to be a researcher and chemistry Purdue chemistry program is very reputable. (Chem.purdue.edu). Professor Yu’s research focal point is on generating new ways for analyzing carbohydrates and proteins using mass spectrometry and new gas-phase ion chemistry.

This bio-analysis process aims to utilize radical reactions as an approach to exploring radical ion chemistry. Her interest and that of the group is to develop tools for bio-molecular structural clarification through instrumentation, bio-radical chemistry and MS method of development. Through instrumentation, Xia and group develop mass spectrometry systems for executing bimolecular reactions in both a linear trap and plume sections of nano-electrospray source. These ranges of apparatus enable research transition from the radical attack study of biomolecules to the analytical study (Chem.purdue.edu).

In terms of bio-radical chemistry, radical ions can be formed in the gas phase on principle of radical reactions.