Andre Venter, Ph.D.
Andre Venter, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Western Michigan University
Title: “Nanobubbles with Electrosprays for Analysis and Synthesis”
ABSTRACT:
Nanobubbles will be introduced as an easy but powerful additive to improve analytical chemistry workflows for sample preparation, analysis, and microdroplet reactions. Methods of small-scale batch generation of nanobubbles and their characterization will be discussed. Applications of nanobubbles in electrospray ionization (ESI-MS), desorption-ESI (DESI) and nanospray-DESI (nanoDESI) will be shown, including preliminary imaging experiments on mouse brain tissues. Chemical reactions, already accelerated in microdroplets, are further improved with the addition of nanobubbles, as reagent carriers, but also by catalytic interfacial effects. Carbon capture applications of accelerated chemical reactions will be highlighted.
BIO:
Andre Venter is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Western Michigan University. He obtained his PhD at the University of Pretoria in 2003 under the guidance of Prof. Egmont Rohwer where he developed a comprehensive two-dimensional supercritical fluid – gas chromatograph. This was followed by a post-doc at Purdue University with Prof. Graham Cooks (2005-2008) where he helped develop the then newly discovered desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method. His research group studies atmospheric pressure ionization mechanisms and have contributed to the understanding of the protein supercharging phenomenon, the emergence of the protein charge envelope, and ionization under modified atmospheres. The fundamental and mechanistic studies inform method development for ambient and atmospheric pressure analysis of large biopolymers and small molecules. Recent advances include helium assisted desorption electrospray ionization, a DESI-MS method to characterize recombinant protein from immobilized metal affinity surfaces, lipid analysis zebra fish olfactory organs, and the production and analytical use of nanobubbles.