As part of the department's seminar series, Oberlin's own Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Robert Q. Thompson will present his sabbatical report on the topic "The Old Man (and the Tree) and the Sea.’’

The seminar will be preceded by a light reception at 4:30 p.m. in the David Love Lounge.

Sponsored by the Luke E. Steiner Lecture Fund.

Abstract

Some of the maxims of analytical chemistry will be reviewed in the context of sabbatical work in the research laboratory. One project in the area of environmental analytical chemistry was the analysis of water for parts per trillion levels of per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances. Attention to both sensitivity and contamination was required to reach low detection limits.

Another project focused on the bark of Prunus africana and identification and quantification of extractable compounds that may ameliorate the effects of enlarged prostate. Saponification and solid-liquid extraction procedures were developed and applied for comparison of tree bark and the contents of commercial pygeum capsules.

Both projects took advantage of the remarkable sensitivity and selectivity of our liquid chromatograph—electrospray ionization—triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.