Simon Fraser University
Agnes

 

George R. Agnes


Professor


B.Sc. - University of Waterloo
Ph.D. - University of Alberta

Room SSB7102
778-782-4387 (office)
778-782-3765 (fax)
gagnes@sfu.ca

Analytical Chemistry

- levitation of droplets and particles, chemical speciation, mass spectrometry, ion sources, biological applications of mass spectrometry, proteomics, atmospheric chemistry, heterogeneous chemistry.


The Agnes group is continuing to develop the analytical aspects of a novel picoliter sample handling strategy that they introduced as 'Wall-less Sample Preparation' (WaSP). In addition to this aspect of the Agnes group's program of research, there is a strong commitment to apply the WaSP technology to the chemistry of trace components in levitated picoliter droplets/particles.

 

Example applications include heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions on suspended particles that are of relevance to the troposphere, metal-organic chemistry within the environment of a levitated droplet/particle, and investigation of biological compounds at sub-nanomolar concentrations in physiological fluids of relevance to human health and disease.

 

For more details, visit our group home page.


    Patents

    1. Provisional Patent #60/448,898; Filing Date: February 24, 2003, Inventors: Agnes, George R.; Bogan, Michael J., Title: Microspot array formation and inter-plume, ion molecule reaction in a MALDI source.

    2. Patent Number 2,324,911. Filing Date: October 23, 2001. PCT application, Canada, USA, Japan, and Europe. Inventors: AGNES, George R.; Feng, X.; Bogan, M. J.; Title: Method and apparatus for producing a discrete particle. Technology licensed to Waters Technologies Inc. in April, 2003.

    3. Provision patent; Filing Date: Oct. 22, 2000; Countries: Canada and United States of America; Inventors: Agnes, George R.; Feng, Xiao; Title: The use and manipulation of Single Isolated Droplets with net charge as an Ion Source for Mass Spectrometry.

    4. Provisional Patent #60/087,589; Filing Date: June 1, 1998; Countries: United States of America; Inventors: Agnes, G. R.; Xu, Q.; Title: Control of chemical matrix effect errors in atomic spectroscopy through the use of DC biased electrode(s) positioned in the spray chamber.

    Representative Publications

    1. Verge, K. M; Agnes, G. R. "Plasticizer contamination from vacuum system O-rings in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer" J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2002, 18, 901-905.

    2. Bogan, M. J.; Agnes, G. R. "MALDI-TOF-MS analysis of droplets prepared in an electrodynamic balance: 'wall-less' sample preparation" Anal. Chem., 2002, 74, 489-496.

    3. Bogan, M. J.; Agnes, G. R. Poly(ethylene glycol) doubly and singly cationized by different alkali metal ions: Relative cation affinities and cation-dependent resolution in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer" J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2002, 13, 177-186.

    4. Feng, X.; Bogan, M. J.; Agnes, G. R. "Coulomb fission resolved progeny droplet production from isolated evaporating methanol droplets" Anal. Chem., 2001, 73, 4499-4507.

    5. Feng, X.; Bogan, M.; Chuah, E.; Agnes, G. R. "Micro-heterogeneous catalysis at the surface of electrodynamically levitated particles" J. Aerosol Sci., 2001, 32, 1147-1159.

    6. Xu, J. Q.; Balik, D.; Agnes, G. R. "Aerosol static electrification and its effect in inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy" J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2001, 16, 715-723.

    7. Feng, X.; Agnes, G. R. "Single Isolated Droplets with Net Charge as a Source of Ions" J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2000, 11, 393-399.

    8. Xu, Q; Agnes, G. R. "Use of laser scatter signals to study the effect of a DC biased mesh screen in a spray chamber on aerosols generated for use in atomic spectrometry" Appl. Spectrosc., 1999, 54(1), 94-98.

    9. Wang, H. J.; Agnes, G. R. "Kinetically labile equilibrium shifts induced by the electrospray process" Anal. Chem., 1999, 71(19), 4166-4172.

    10. Wang, H. J.; Agnes, G. R. "Evaluation of electrospray mass spectrometry as a technique for quantitative analysis of kinetically labile solution species" Anal. Chem., 1999, 71(17), 3785-3792.

    11. Xu, Q.; Mattu, G.; Agnes, G. R. "Influence of droplets with net charge in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and implications for the easily ionizable element chemical matrix effect" Appl. Spectrosc., 1999, 53(8), 965-973.