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From Breaking Bad to Breaking Bonds -- Mass Spectrometry in the Classroom
  • Russell Mortishire-Smith,
  • Benjamin Mortishire-Smith,
  • John S. Smith
Russell Mortishire-Smith
Waters Ltd

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Benjamin Mortishire-Smith
The Francis Crick Institute
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John S. Smith
University of Hertfordshire
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Abstract

We describe a workshop which prompts chemistry students in the final two years of secondary school to apply their understanding of modern analytical chemistry techniques to a ‘real world’ example. The scenario used is that of a forensic science laboratory that has been asked to determine the structure of an illicit compound, Revisomed (methamphetamine) being sold as a revision aid, and seized by police. Over the course of an hour, the students use a combination of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, liquid chromatography (LC), high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy data to determine the structure of Revisomed from first principles. The bulk of the workshop is spent reviewing MS data and using m/z, the isotope pattern, elemental composition and product ion data to reach three plausible isomeric structures for Revisomed which are then distinguished by NMR spectroscopy. More broadly, the workshop focusses on the use of the scientific method and the concept that ‘no ideas are bad’ when exploring hypotheses. We describe the structure of the workshop, and our experience delivering it to a local academy over the last 9 years.
Submitted to Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
Submission Checks Completed
Assigned to Editor
Reviewer(s) Assigned
01 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
07 Aug 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major
13 Aug 20241st Revision Received
13 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
13 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
13 Aug 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Sep 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major