Faculty of Science School of Chemistry

Richard O'Hair

Professor

Address: School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia

Room: Bio 21 Inst. 554

Email: rohair@unimelb.edu.au

 

Teaching responsibilities

 

 

Field of expertise

Fundamental and Applied Mass Spectrometry

The ion trap as a complete chemical Laboratory:

We make use of two Nobel Prize winning technologies: the quadrupole ion trap and electrospray ionisation (ESI) to examine the fundamental gas phase chemistry of a cornucopia of ionic species. We use multiple stages of mass spectrometry with collision induced dissociation and ionmolecule reactions to examine gas phase unimolecular and bimolecular reactions in the following areas:

 

Reactions of organic ions

ESI precharged ions allow us to study key organic reactions such SN2 reactions, nucleophilic aromatic substitution and transacylation reactions [1].

 

Transition metals - from catalysis to coordination reactions

The unique multi-trapping capabilities allow us to study catalytic cycles (in collaboration with Prof.Wedd) [2], the synthesis and reactivity of organometallics [3] and metal-ligand reactions (in collaboration with Dr. McFadyen) [4] in the gas phase.

 

Fundamental properties of gas phase ions derived from biomolecules

We are interested in: (i) developing gas phase ion-molecule reactions as probes of biomolecule structure [5]; and (ii) understanding the fragmentation mechanisms of peptide [6] and oligonucleotide ions [7] with a view to improving the analysis of these biologically important molecules via tandem mass spectrometric techniques. New areas of interest include: gas phase chemistry of non-covalent complexes [5,8]; comparing the fragmentation behaviour of radical cations to their even electron counterparts [9].

 

Applied studies

In collaboration with Prof. Simpson of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, we have diversified into other areas which utilize ESI/MS as an analytical tool, including: (i) solution phase crosslinking of protein complexes to map sites of interaction [10] and (ii) improving the MS analysis of peptides [11].

 

For further information visit the O'Hair research page

 

Selected Publications:
  1. O´Hair, R.A.J.; Vrkic, A.K., Org. Bio. Chem., 2003, 1, 745.
  2. Waters, T.; O´Hair, R. A. J.; Wedd, A. G., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2003, 125, 3384.
  3. O´Hair, R. A. J., Chem Comm., 2002, 20.
  4. Styles, M. L.; O´Hair, R. A. J.; McFadyen, W. D.; Tannous, L.; Holmes, R. J.; Gable, R. W., J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 2000, 93
  5. O´Hair, R. A. J.; Androutsopoulos, N. K., Org. Lett., 2000, 2, 2567
  6. O´Hair, R. A. J., J. Mass Spectrom., 2000, 35, 1377
  7. Vrkic, A. K.; O´Hair, R. A. J.; Foote, S.; Reid, G.E., Int. J. Mass Spectrom., 2000, 194, 145.
  8. Vrkic, A. K.; O´Hair, R. A. J., J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2004, 15, 716.
  9. Wee, S.; O´Hair, R. A. J.; McFadyen, W. D., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 2002, 16, 884.
  10. Taverner, T.; O´Hair, R. A. J.; Simpson, R. J., J. Biol. Chem. 2002, 277, 46487.
  11. Kapp E.A.; Schütz F.; Reid G.E.; Eddes J.S.; Moritz R.L.; O'Hair R.A.J.; Speed T.P.; Simpson R.J., Anal. Chem., 2003, 75, 6251

 

 
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